Akash Singhal Co-Founder & CEO at illumnus | Ep 16

About the Episode

“No book, no business school, no person can actually teach you business. You have to get your fingers burnt. Get your skin in the game to learn it.” — Akash Deep Singhal, Co-Founder & CEO at OneLXP by illumnus®

Summary

Akash Singhal, CEO of Illumnus, discusses challenges in scalability, hiring, and the innovative approach to transforming education through their platform.

Highlights:
🎤 Akash shares insights on challenges faced in scaling the ed-tech startup.
💡 illumnus aims to centralize and simplify education management for schools.
🌍 The platform has a growing client base of over 130 schools worldwide.
🤝 Crowdfunding was chosen for validation and community building, not just funding.
📈 The product is user-friendly, requiring minimal setup for schools.
🧠 Future goals include integrating AI to enhance personalized learning.
🌄 Travel and balance are vital for sustaining entrepreneurship.


Key Insights:
🔍 Challenges in Hiring: The struggle to find affordable and skilled DevOps professionals is a significant challenge for startups in the tech space. This reflects broader industry trends in talent scarcity.
📊 Importance of Community Validation: Choosing crowdfunding over traditional VC funding emphasizes the value of community support and validation for the product, suggesting a shift in how startups can gauge market interest.
🏫 Centralized Education Management: illumnus addresses gaps in traditional education systems by offering a comprehensive platform that connects teachers, students, and parents, showcasing a need for integration in educational tools.
🌐 Global Reach and Impact: The diverse client base illustrates the platform’s adaptability and relevance in various markets, highlighting a potential for expansion in underdeveloped regions.
🤖 AI Integration for Personalization: Future plans to incorporate AI into the platform can significantly enhance user experience by providing tailored educational resources based on individual student needs.
⚖️ Work-Life Balance: Akash emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal passions, such as travel, to prevent burnout in the demanding startup environment, underlining the need for holistic well-being.
🌱 Sustainable Growth Approach: The focus on starting small and gradually scaling reflects a strategic approach that prioritizes quality and impact over rapid expansion, aligning with sustainable business practices.

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