ZAAN WEBVEDA PRIVATE LIMITED

WebVeda is an online school to make young professionals life-ready.

Most courses on WebVeda are affordable, self-paced, come with 100% refund policy and hope to teach what school and college ought to have, but didn't. 
Skills such as time management, communication, personal finance, generating side incomes, how to think like an entrepreneur.

As of Aug 2023, 360,000+ students have taken our paid courses, with an average completion rate of ~72%.

We launch 4 courses every year, in addition to dubbed version of existing courses in regional and international languages.

Founder

wariCrew

I create content across most social media platforms on Personal Finance, Career, Relationships and Personal Growth. 

I have been creating content since 2005 (my blog, which is still mainatined). 
My LinkedIn journey started in 2013.
YT and IG in 2017.

As of Aug 2023, there are 9.6M+ followers across social media that follow "ankur warikoo" the brand. 
All of this is possible because of my team @waricrew - a bunch of young, eager and curious minds.

Content Creator

nearbuy.com

In November 2019, I stepped down as the CEO of nearbuy.com, with my 2 cofounders taking operational charge of the company. 

I continue to be a shareholder and serve on the board of the company.

Cofounder & Board Member

India's largest commerce platform for everything local
www.nearbuy.com

nearbuy.com happened as a Management Buyout of Groupon's India business. We partnered with Sequoia Capital India and created an independent company, called nearbuy.com

In 2017, Paytm invested in the company, and we merged with Little App, to create a 88% market share company. Little + nearbuy.com are run by the management team of nearbuy.com

Cofounder & CEO

Internet & Technology Companies

I invest in growth stage startups, with a focus on consumer internet startups. 

I look for fearless teams with a strong risk appetite, willingness to get uncomfortable and curiosity that of a child! 
Connect with me on warikoo@gmail.com

Startup Investor

Indian School of Business

Part of ISB's Next Generation Leaders Board (NGLB)

The NGLB comprises a group of young Indian and global leaders representing the business, political, academic, government and development sectors who provide thought leadership and strategic advice to the Dean and the Executive Board to shape the future direction of the School.
http://www.isb.edu/about-isb/leadership-and-governance/next-generation-leaders-board

Board Member

Groupon

Started the India business for Groupon in 2011 as its founding CEO. 
First office, first employee, first merchant. 

Did a management buyout in August 2015, to convert Groupon India into nearbuy.com - independent of the Groupon portfolio.

CEO, India

Managing the APAC Emerging Markets Regions for Groupon, comprising India, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. 

The region identifies the future growth region for Groupon, with over 245Mn Internet users, expected to grow to 400Mn by 2015

For any suggestions and feedback on any of these Groupon markets - please do not hesitate to connect directly on ankur.warikoo@groupon.com

Head, Groupon APAC Emerging Markets (India, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines)

Rocket Internet GmbH

Worked as a Venture Partner for Rocket Internet, setting up their India office alongwith 2 other Venture Partners. Part of the pre-launch team for Jabong.com before moving onto Groupon (which, at that time, was also a Rocket Internet Investment)

Founded in 2007, Rocket Internet GmbH has its headquarters in Berlin. Rocket supports internet startups in more than twenty countries around the world.
Some of its best-known Internet projects are Zalando, FoodPanda, Groupon (formerly CityDeal) amongst others.

Venture Partner

Accentium Web

April 2007 - Mar 2009: Part Time
Mar 2009 - Sep 2010: Full Time

Accentium was started by Vivek Pahwa, where Umang and I joined as Co-Founders during the course. Vivek continues to act as the CEO of Accentium Web. 

Operated in a part-time capacity alongwith my full-time commitment at ATK from 2007 to 2009. Jumped fulltime into Accentium in April 2009. Exited from the venture in Sep 2010. 

Accentium back then operated a portfolio of 6 websites, spanning products and services

Gaadi.com 
**Gaadi was sold to MIH (Naspers) Group in March 2011 - http://www.medianama.com/2011/02/223-mih-group-acquires-majority-stake-in-gaadi-com/

SecondShaadi.com - India's No. 1 site for people looking for a Second Marriage and the 4th largest matrimonial site in India

StudyNation.com 
Taaza.com 
SitaGita.com 
AdLift

Co-founder

A.T. Kearney

Part of ATK's Consulting Team in India. Handled projects across multiple industries, specifically Media &amp; Entertainment, Retail, Real Estate, Private Equity and Oil &amp; Gas. 

Worked in Dubai and New York, in addition to India-based projects.

Associate

NIS Sparta

NIS Sparta is Asia's Largest Corporate Training Consultancy. Was part of the (training) design and development center alongwith development of psychometric tools

Consultant

I am an entrepreneur, a bestselling author, an online educator, and a content creator with over 15 years of experience in the internet and technology industry. 

I juggle my time 3 ways

1. Founder
I am the founder of WebVeda, an online school that helps young professionals become life-ready. 
It offers courses on entrepreneurship, career management, and personal growth to over 350,000 students across the world.

2. Content Creator
As a content creator, I engage a community of over 9 million followers across various social media platforms, where I share my insights, stories, and tips on personal finance, startups, careers, and education. 

I have also written two books, "DO EPIC SHIT" and "GET EPIC SHIT DONE", that have topped the Nielsen bestsellers list in India and inspired millions of readers to pursue their passion and potential. 

3. Mentor/Investor
I am a mentor and invest in growth-stage startups, with a focus on consumer internet ventures. I love to support fearless teams with a strong risk appetite, curiosity, and willingness to get uncomfortable. 

My mission is to help people make decisions in life from a point of awareness and not ignorance.

Ankur Warikoo

Curious to know your answers, LinkedIn.

#money #investing #stocks #warikoo

In my first job, I asked my boss, “Why do some people in the team have more work and some have less?”
I wasn’t prepared for her answer! 

She said, “Good people pay a far higher price for being good, than bad people pay for being bad.”
“If you are good, people will trust you, believe in you, appreciate you, and acknowledge you. BUT that also means they will give you work that they need to get done with predictability. That work will not go to the ones who do shoddy work.” 

Which then begs the question, “Is it really important to be good? What if you aren’t a good contributor to the team?”

I have my answer. 

I would never want to be seen as someone who is not reliable, who is not trusted, or who is not a good contributor to the team.

Sometimes, paying the higher price is the best way to avoid paying even higher prices in life.

What is your answer? 

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#work #impact #people #warikoo

Keep putting in the work - to the highest of your standards - that is how it will work for you, eventually.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#effort #motivation #success #warikoo

The easiest thing to build today is a company.
The hardest thing is to build an institution where people love to come to work.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#job #team #trust #warikoo

The first job is precious.
Our understanding of leadership, of teams, of our own capability gets shaped up in it.

Avoiding these 12 mistakes can help you make the most of it.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#mistakes #job #responsibilities #warikoo

On a flight in 2014, I read a wonderful interview of Indra Nooyi, then-CEO of Pepsico.
She shared one ritual that she was truly proud of at Pepsico.

Every year, she would write a letter to the parents of the top performers in the company. 

I thought that was such a lovely idea.

At that time, I was building Groupon India, while discussing how we could go independent. We had built a brilliant team.
But hadn't had a chance to get to know the strength behind them.
The timing felt perfect.

After the annual appraisals of 2014, I sent a signed letter to the parents (if not married) and spouses (if married) of the top 75 performers across the company.

We kept it as a surprise. 
No one knew, except me and 2 other folks who helped me execute the printing and posting. 

The letters were shipped. 
And within a day, a deluge of positive emotions rushed in :)

"My mom called me and she was crying."
"My father said he is proud of me, and I broke down."
"I looked at my husband and it felt he had got the letter, instead of me. He was so happy."

I had expected this sentiment. 
Acknowledging family and making them feel proud of you - moves all of us. 

What I did not expect though was parents reaching out.
Messages, emails, even letters. 

It is one thing to be thanked. 

It is something very different for parents to open up about how proud they are of their kids, in front of their managers. 
That is special! 

So, the ritual was here to stay. 

Next year, in 2015, when we were repeating this, I realised I had to thank the inspiration behind this.

So I sent Indra Nooyi a cold email, after finding her email from a friend who worked at Pepsico :))
PS: She never replied, but that is fine :)

As the years went by, I began adding my own notes to each letter, beyond the template that was shared. 

I know we built something special because even years later, 100s of employees gather at our Groupon/nearbuy reunions.

Sharing memories.
Thanking each other for their contributions to each other’s journey.
Appreciating the foundation that the company’s culture set for them.

The most special thing for me as a founder, is to build a team where people love to come to work.

Every day, then, is a joy.
Despite all the hardships that entrepreneurship brings along with it.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#culture #leadership #team #warikoo

I turned 43 recently.

If I could turn back time, I would tell my 23 year old self these 23 things:

1. Not all success is due to hard work.
Not all failure is due to laziness.

2. The ones who judge you are the ones doing nothing themselves.

3. It is easy to dream.
Harder to act.
Act!

4. Everything new will be exciting - but not forever.
You will have to work hard to keep it exciting.

5. Anxiety will say that you are becoming a failure.
Trust will say that you are still growing and learning.

6. School and college "punished" you for:
- Taking risks.
- Asking stupid questions.
- Not following the norm.

You might spend the rest of your life trying to undo what you were taught.

7. Be ready to say no to things if you want to balance out your life.

8. A good relationship will make you comfortable around them. 
A toxic relationship will question why you aren't comfortable around them.

9. Who you decide to spend your life with will go on to define most of how you react in life. 
Take your time in making this decision.

10. No one is truly your friend until they have seen the worst of you and still stayed.

11. Define your own happiness.

12. How you feel when you look at your body, is how you think the world feels when they look at you.

13. Longevity alone doesn't build relationships. 
What builds them is that both people feel the same way about your time spent.

14. Being calm is a skill.

15. Do not mistake starting slow as starting small.

16. You are not responsible for anyone's happiness. 
THEY are responsible for their own happiness. 

17. Whenever in a bad mood: 

1. Listen to your favourite music 
2. Take a short walk 
3. Talk to a friend 
4. Breathe 
5. Sleep it out 

18. Do not take permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.

19. A true friend helps you out when you need it. 
A pretender helps you when they think they will need you.

20. Your first job, your first salary, your first company, your first role is not going to define your life.

21. Remember the Falkland Law: If you don't have to make a decision about something, then don't decide.

22. You DO NOT need to set up your life before you are 30. 
Explore. You have time.

23. Whenever in doubt, bet on only one thing. 
Yourself.

#life #lessons #awareness #warikoo

It was my first job.
I joined the R&D team for a corporate training company.
I was earning 15K/month - more money than I ever thought I would make.

Life was good for the first 2-3 months.
And then came the turning point.

One of the biggest FMCG companies wanted us to design a sales training program for their field staff.

I was given the project.
I had NO IDEA where to start!

The next week, I went on many sales trips.
Just observing them.

The training programs until then were PPTs with exercises.
You know, the boring PPTs with font 14 text.

I knew this crowd of field sales executives would hate that.

You may not know this, but I LOVE movies.
The idea of a story summarised in 1-3 hours.

So, I decided to create a movie!

A day in the life of Ramesh, the sales guy.
He was my SRK.
The best-performing sales guy in the company.

I chronicled his day, from start to end.

How he planned the day.
How he approached shopkeepers.
How he formed a connection.
How he handled objections.

I worked 16+ hours a day, for a week creating a movie using PPT animations.
It was exhausting but so much fun!

I was convinced it would work.
And it did!

But something weird began to happen.
I began to get a LOT of work.

Back then, I didn’t know how to say no.
So I said yes and was instantly burdened.

I could see my peers chilling, relatively.
It felt like some people's work had been given to me.

I had a meeting with my manager.
I vented.
And vented.

When I was done, she said:
"Good people pay a far higher price for being good than bad people pay for being bad."

What?
"The world is selfish. So when it finds people who are good at what they do, the world decides not to risk it. It gives ALL the work to them while taking it away from the bad ones. If you find yourself overworked, it is because people know you can do it."

"So now you have 2 choices in life. Be good with your work and get a lot of work. Or suck at your work and get less meaningful work. What do you want to choose?"

When someone says "I have a new project for you", realise that they are giving it to you because they believe YOU can do it.

A sneak peek into my morning routine:

I sleep the previous night between 9-9:30 pm.
Wake up at 4:50 am.
Start the day with a glass of water, sipped slowly (for 10 mins).
Meditate for 30 mins.
Read for 30 mins.
Do epic shit (not the book, lol!)
Get kids ready for school.
Tennis for 60 mins.
Gym for 45 mins.
Newspaper for 15 mins.
Get ready (30 mins) by 9: 30 am.
Have my first meal of the day at 11 am (18 hour fast).

What does this morning routine do for me?

1. It gives me 4-5 hours of time FOR MYSELF doing the things that I love, before I start my work.
2. It centres me and my thoughts. It is unlikely that anything will happen later in the day that will shake me up.
3. It gives my body and mind everything that it needs - stillness, stimulation, strength, and joy! 

I have been following this routine for 7+ years now. And it is the best part of the day for me. 

However, when people see this, they often say - I can’t possibly do this! 

To them I say - a morning routine is NOT about waking up early and doing everything. 
It is about waking up at the same time everyday and giving YOURSELF time before you give it to others. 

You do it for yourself, not to please someone else. 
Please consider it.

PS: Before I get asked, two things:

1. My wife also follows the same routine. She too plays tennis, goes to the gym, and it's wonderful to have a partner who thinks and operates alike.

2. We are very privileged. We have a lot of help so we do not have to think about cleaning, cooking, and errands. I recognize our privilege and am grateful for it every single day! 

#productivity #routine #time #warikoo

What’s a money lesson that you have learnt from experience? Let me know in the comments.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#life #happiness #money #warikoo


Founder @WebVeda, Content creator @wariCrew, Speaker, Author. Eternal Optimist.

11 Shocking Facts about Money

Papa joined a young company as a sales rep. 

Within a year, he got a call from another company. 
They offered him 2X salary plus a car. 

This was 1985. 
And a big deal.

He took the offer.

2 years down, the company shut down.
And the company he quit, Ranbaxy, became a giant.

Dad was jobless for a year.

I remember sitting as a family, filling ballpen refills because he was paid for every 100 pens filled.
I remember days when Ma and Papa had just 1 meal a day.

But my sister and I went to the best schools possible.
We knew we didn't have money, but were never made to feel so.
I’m forever grateful for that.

Papa took a risk. 
And it didn't pay off. 

He could never recover from it. 
But he would take the same risk again if he had to.

I learned from him that risk and failure is a state of mind.

There should never be any fear.
There should never be any regret.

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#parents #job #life #warikoo

I have had the privilege of building several companies in the past 12 years.
I have also been a part of a few, while I was working.
I have seen some companies up close, while consulting or mentoring them.

It fascinates me how some companies are able to grow and deliver consistent, supernormal growth. While some just aren't!

The biggest difference?

The way its people are made to feel about themselves.

Because how people feel at the end of the day drives how they act.

Every single day, I get emails from people in well-paid jobs, working with great brands, in envious roles. Yet unhappy.

Because their boss doesn't respect them.
Because their team members do not help.
Because people around them do not inspire.
Because the team is dysfunctional.

My team and I have an offsite every quarter. For 4 days, we eat, play, sleep, and get to know each other.

None of us are geniuses. None of us are exceptional. No two people are similar.

And yet we come together, because we work as a team!
Because people feel they can be themselves.
They feel respected. And they respect each other.

Nothing makes you feel better about yourself, than this!

So the next time you are looking for a job - do your research.
Don't just pick the highest salary or the best brand.

Ask during interviews - how do teams work, how does feedback flow, why do people leave, why do they stay.
Find out what it will be to live in this team, before you actually live in the team.

How you feel in your job is going to matter a lot more than how much you earn in your job.

#team #success #job #warikoo

The best candidates I have interviewed had these 3 things in common

1. They asked a lot of thought provoking questions. Not just in the end but throughout.

2. They took their time to answer. For them speed didn’t mean smartness.

3. They smiled often.

#interview #hiring #jobs #warikoo

Friendship is such a fascinating phenomenon. 

Two random strangers meet, connect, and start to share a bond. 
A bond that takes them through an adventure. 
Often joyous, sometimes painful, occasionally devastating. 

But irrespective of our experience, the notion of friendship rarely changes. 

We continue to make and break friendships. 

So, what makes for a fruitful friendship? 

3 signs, that I think, qualify a true friend (and thus friendship):

1) No one is truly your friend until they have seen the worst of you and still chose to stay.

It is easy to be a friend when things are lovely and happy and joyful. 

But each of us has a dark side. 
A side that we are perhaps scared of ourselves. Embarrassed. Guilty of. 

And one day that side emerges in front of our friend. 
They are caught by surprise. 

And most frankly, at that point, they will leave. 
"I don't want to do anything with this", will be their reaction. 

But that true friend - they will witness you at your worst and still choose to stay. 

Because they believe you would want to change, would want to work on yourself, would want to become better. 

And they are willing to help. Because they care.

2) No one is truly your friend until they say "I believe in you" when you struggle to believe in yourself.

Remember those moments when things were hard? Times were hard? Everything felt hard? 

When you felt you will not make it, when you felt ugly, helpless, stuck, incapable, inadequate, unwanted? 

When you felt that this was your life, forever! 

At that moment, most people would leave you to it. 

"Can't handle a pessimist/toxic person such as this, who just brings negativity to my life", is what they would say. 

But that one true friend would stare you in the eyes and say "I believe in you."

And sometimes all we need in life is for someone to say that, when we struggle to believe in our own self. 

3) No one is truly your friend until they choose to tell you the truth, even though they might be affected personally for saying so.

It is so easy to say what you want to hear. 
It is so hard to say what you should hear! 

A true friend will do that. Always. Because they know you deserve the truth.
 
Knowing that you might feel hurt, might get angry, might feel blamed in that moment - they will still say the truth. 

And if any day your friend stops to tell you the truth, stops correcting your mistakes, stops saying what needs to be said - congrats. 

You have lost that friend! 

Friends are special. 
Make sure the most special of them, get the most special of you. 

#life #relationships #awareness #warikoo

Every single time ISRO outdoes itself, places its stamp on the world, is applauded for its audacity and its frugality, I see a middle finger.

As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a space scientist.
An astrophysicist to be precise.

My dream was clear.

- Finish a PhD from the US.
- Work at NASA.

Because hey, ISRO was not cool enough.
It was where scientists went to retire.
A place that had lost its inspiration.

With all these misplaced notions in my head, I left for the US in 2002 to pursue my PhD.
From Michigan State University in Astrophysics.
With a 100% tuition fee waiver.

2 years into the program, while I was on top of my class, on a fast-track to complete my PhD, I wasn't happy.

I was good at what I was doing.
But I wasn’t happy.

I wanted to drop out.
I did not want to stay in the US anymore.
I did not want to join NASA anymore.

My family suggested I finish my PhD, come back to India and build a career here as an astrophysicist.
I laughed at the idea.

Coming back to India as an astrophysicist wasn't an option.

Because India would never have meaningful work for an ambitious, hardworking, diligent Ankur Warikoo, the scientist.

Do you smell my audacity? My ego?

Back in 2004, I predicted that for the REST OF MY LIFE, India would not have anything meaningful for me as a space scientist.
I was wrong.

Since then, I have just been a keen observer of all the work that's happened in space physics.

Especially that of ISRO's.

INSAT.
Astrosat.
IRNSS.
CARTOSAT.
Mangalyaan.
Chandrayaan.

I love how each time they do awesome work, and I read about it, all I can see is a middle finger.

THIS is what life teaches you.

Don’t ever say that the world is not ready for what you wish to do.
That the world needs to change, to accommodate you.

Because the one that needs to change is the man in the mirror.

Thank you ISRO for showing me how wrong I was, through the best manner possible – YOUR SUCCESS.

I never deserved you.
I deserved this lesson instead.

Congratulations on making history!

If you liked this, follow me on Ankur Warikoo for more.

#isro #success #life #warikoo

7 questions to ask your mom - before it’s too late:

1. What is the happiest memory you have about me, from the past?
2. What, according to you, is the best thing I have done for you?
3. What are the most beautiful and the most painful things about growing old?
4. How was the first year of your life after you became a mother?
5. Is there something you have kept a secret from us all these years?
6. What do you want the most from your children?
7. When you are gone, what is the one thing you want me to always remember? 

As I reflected on these 7 questions, two things dawned upon me.

- How little we actually know of our parents, as a human.
- How rarely we have true and meaningful conversations about them.

I am guilty of the above and I want to spend the rest of my time with my parents changing this. 

I hope you do too, before it's too late.

PS: This is from a beautiful Instagram post I came across and wrote about in my newsletter. If you want to see more of what I’m reading and my free-flowing thoughts, you can subscribe to my newsletter for free: https://bit.ly/47ZKtav

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