Grades don't matter: Varun Agarwal
Grades Don't Matter An Educational App focused on making alternative careers happen, which helps you convert that Plan B to plan A.
You might already have an inkling that your current job is not remotely close to your passion.
But, rants and regrets aside, is there any way to step up your #goals game and pursue that latent talent? Hoping to offer an engaging leeway; best-selling author and entrepreneurial whiz Varun Agarwal is back with another offering – Grades Don’t Matter – An Educational App focused on making alternative careers happen, which helps you convert that Plan B to plan A. Because, who knows, an hour online course on alternative careers with the country's biggest influencers might just be what you’ve been looking for? In a candid chat, Varun tells us more...
‘A lot of people are unhappy’: “I realised that a lot of people are far from satisfied in their current jobs. They have artistic aspirations but they don’t know where to start and the career opportunities. Adding to the problem is the mindset of most parents, who have a very uninformed view of alternative programmes. For instance, if you ask an Indian parent about what film production is all about, they are most likely to say it’s about sleeping with actresses and attending sleazy page three parties because they don’t have an informed view of alternative careers. This is also why we have such a miniscule percent or Oscar or Nobel prize winners,” begins Varun, who’s recent app doles out crisp one hour lessons that currently cover 30 topics like entrepreneurship, film making, emceeing, blogging and ways to make the passion turn into a paycheck. But most importantly, a reality check too.
App that’s gives a reality check: “When the media wave happened, too many people wanted to become entrepreneurs, but when they plunged into it, they realised there goes a lot of effort, and they backed off. So, more than anything else, this cleans out people who don’t have the skill for it, as it is not a feel good app, but tells you what you want. It’s to make career choices more rational: And to prevent taking career choices that could destroy their lives.”
Addressing the elephant in the room, Varun reiterates how the idea aims to shift the spotlight on those, who actually live up to their ‘influencers’ tag. “One lesson in every course talks about the money and how to make it a viable career option. The module has been created as such I also feel the current people who are in the alternatives careers may not be the best products. Because most of them have gotten into the field owing to the lure of it, which is why most of them are not creating a dent or an impact on a larger scale.”
Speaking about what sets this app (available for Rs 199) apart from the rest, Varun adds that the team has gotten illustrious names like Nitesh Tiwari (the director of Dangal, author Amish Tripathi, film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur and entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal among several others.
At 31, Varun is un-disputably one of the most accomplished GEN-Y start-up guys out of there. His word of advice to newbies out there? “People are not investing in themselves. People want overnight success, instant fame and instant money. It does not result in anything. What makes a great idea click is its execution.”
With the focus completely on this project, this netpreneur has little beyond this. “I love travelling and thinking right whenever time permits,” he signs off.