In Conversation with Ravi Sundararaman

“58% of fifth-standard children in Government schools cannot do simple division and basic mathematical operations. There is a huge gap between what is required and what is done in the education sector,” says Ravi Sundararaman, Strategy Consultant, Mentor, and Author of Indiayana, a book capturing the essence of India’s complex history.

The professional journey

After completing his engineering in Computer Science at the National Institute of Technology and his MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad, Ravi joined JM Financial- one of the largest Investment banks in India during the 90s. 

After switching a few jobs, he joined Amba Research, where he became part of the senior leadership team as Director

Eventually, the organization got acquired, and Ravi stepped back. 

“I diverted to the development sector, as I wanted to do something meaningful in the education segment,” Ravi says.

He co-founded LessonPot- a social enterprise to crowdsource micro-lessons for underserved students.

He was a CEO at Kognify, providing students with daily revision homework customized to each school’s pedagogy.

He was a Consultant to Quest Alliance, a leading NGO in the skills-development space.

Ravi has impacted thousands of students by providing them with more appropriate ways to learn and study regularly.

Currently, he mentors entrepreneurs to help them meet their objectives.

“Most of them are smart and motivated individuals with brilliant ideas but do not have experience in some areas. Mentoring provides a small nudge in the right direction,” he adds.

Experiences in the educational sector

Ravi has worked extensively in the education sector in diverse segments. He explains that it is fragmented and disconnected.

“Helping a 10-year-old from a village learn Math is different from helping a student from a city prepare for a competitive exam. There is no connection between the user, their needs, or their social background. You cannot use the experience of one project for another,” he adds.

He explains that the user in this sector is not a mature adult. In the end, the success of an educational product needs to be assessed by how many students use it and not by how many parents paid for it.

He also feels there is a lack of innovation, as people are creating similar products. He believes entrepreneurs should collaborate and build platforms that offer solutions to the diverse complications existing in the education sector. 

“There are a gazillion solutions, but progress is slow because the education problem is too humongous to be solved independently. Entrepreneurs in this sector need to collaborate, make partners, and find ways to create synergy,” he says.

Shift to the development sector

As a part of his research, Ravi visited Government schools and experienced that most students could not answer simple mathematical questions. He felt that simple interventions to help them at an early stage could solve the problem.

Ravi also experienced that capable and hardworking people do not get the opportunity of a good education because of a lack of exposure and guidance.

“Coming from a privileged educational background, I realized that a large section cannot escape the shackles of their birth and community and miss out,” he says.

He believes that the proliferation of mobile phones and the internet have made it possible to reach this segment, and he was inspired to shift to the development sector.

Tips for entrepreneurs

Optimal product-market fit

Ravi feels that most entrepreneurs have a clear vision of what they want to build, but their understanding of the target market is weak.

To understand the market, entrepreneurs need to:

• Be in the field, meet potential customers to understand what they will buy and why they will buy, assess the competition, meet people, and network.
• Assess whether you are in a position to sell to the market.

“Before investing, an entrepreneur needs to have an understanding of the market and the ability to take their product to the market,” he adds.

Dos and don’ts for a good Business Model

Ravi believes that an entrepreneur needs to be cash conscious. He asserts that money from customers is preferable to that from investors. He advises them to be cash-conservative and build a business model on sustainability.

“Always keep track of where the cash inflows and outflows are. If the investment cycle is not good and you are burning cash, you are in trouble,” he adds.

Presenting ideas to investors

Ravi believes that each investor is different and has specific preferences when it comes to investing. He advises entrepreneurs to tailor the length and focus of their pitches according to the investor’s requirements.

“Do not go for generic pitches. If an investor looks for organizations that have achieved product market fit, explain how you have achieved the product market fit. If he wants strong teams, put a couple of slides on that,” he explains.

He states that investor websites, their previous investment trends, and social media are good sources of information.

Organizational structure

Ravi asserts that the organization structure depends on its scale at a point in time. Initially, the entrepreneur does everything but needs to delegate responsibilities, later. She needs to hire people who have better skills and experience.

“There is no one-size-fits-all method to this. It requires intense brainstorming and depends on the organizational priorities, ” he adds.

Indiayana, the book

As a student, Ravi was never interested in history. Over time he developed a curiosity to understand how societies evolve.

“At the end of the day, we are products of our past. My interest was to know why history moves in a certain direction,” he says.

He started researching Indian history and decided to write a book on his findings, as he wanted to share his discoveries with others.

“I did not want to write an academic, dry account of my research. I converted it into a novel where my characters learn through their encounters and adventures,” he adds.

Experience as a mentor

Ravi is a mentor at STEP. He believes mentoring requires a free-flowing discussion between the mentor and mentee, and the latter needs to make efforts to keep moving.

“The mentee must move forward after the discussion, or else, it’s a waste of time for both parties,” he adds.

Sundararaman admits that he loves mentoring women entrepreneurs from STEP.

“Every entrepreneur sent to me by STEP to mentor has been sincere. They want to do what they aspire,” he adds.

Message to women entrepreneurs

Ravi asserts that networking mechanisms like STEP are essential for women, as there are not enough role models.

“Take full advantage of your identity as a woman if it helps you network in certain forums, but outside that, you are an individual with strengths and weaknesses. Work with your strengths and overcome your weaknesses,” is his message to women.

Ravi, the person

Ravi is analytical, goal-oriented, and calm. His motivation in life is his goals. He wants to work hard toward them and realize his potential. He believes in the importance of family. Ravi quips that a movie on his life would be a documentary. 

A quote (borrowed from a popular writer on Quora) that is the mantra of his life is: “I may be an aam aadmi, but I am a calm aadmi.”