BackExtracurricular business
A service which connects people with a fun skilllike mixologyto people who want to learn it
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SkillKindle www.skillkindle.com
Past life
While studying mathematics at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, SkillKindle founder and CEO Tanuj Choudhry, 29, spent a lot of time outside the classroom: student union, music, theatre societies and informal discussion groups. “I learnt early on that college was not just about what you studied, but also what you did," he says.
After graduating in 2004, he joined the McKinsey Knowledge Centre, and for the next six years, worked on projects in Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, the UK and South Africa. In 2010, he quit his job to pursue an MBA from the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (Insead), Paris. “During my time at Insead, I was looking at business ideas, and the one closest to my heart was: How do you bring technology and skills development together?"
Eureka moment
“I don’t think I have one. It was a build-up. However, when I hired my first employee, Veer, in August 2011, there was no looking back.
It’s also the time I tore up Plan B—an offer letter that I had from McKinsey," says Choudhry.
Genesis
Delhi-based Choudhry began by collecting information on customer behaviour. “Before the website was launched (in November), we started off with surveys and focus groups," he remembers. “We needed to find out more than just the skills people want to learn; we also wanted to know what you look for in terms of convenience, cost, credibility of the teacher, how safe the venue is—a big deal in Delhi and Gurgaon for women."
The next step was to reach out to people who wanted to learn a skill. “I didn’t want to do mass mailers; I hate spam," he says. He chose to focus on his clientele using smart data collection. For a photography workshop, for example, he looks at the previous month’s sales figures for DSLR cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Of the 45,000-odd people it might throw up, hypothetically speaking, some might be looking for training. So, he then looks to partner with a Nikon or Canon to get the customer database, and then he sends a co-branded newsletter to these customers.
SkillKindle supplements the newsletters with in-depth monitoring of online activity. “If I send you an emailer and you’ve clicked on the photography link and spent 3 minutes on it, I know you may be fairly interested," explains Choudhry.
One of SkillKindle’s earliest workshops was one in November by photographer André Jeanpierre Fanthom. “It was a Facebook event, we didn’t even have our website up yet," recalls Choudhry. “Eighteen people attended a 6-hour workshop for ₹ 1,500—preluded by a photo walk at the Qutub Minar—which I feel was a great start, comprehensive, fun and value for money."
The significant role of the eightmember SkillKindle team, which has its office in Greater Kailash, is to find the right trainer. “We check credentials; a degree and, most importantly, work experience," its founder stresses. His four full-time staff and three freelancers (two in design, one in branding) will be joined by three more this month.
The company’s 175 classes now include simple hobby-related skills (pottery, or how to make cheesecakes), elaborate or niche talents (from Indian classical music to B-boying, a kind of street breakdance), and traditional work-related skills like public speaking.
The workshops are held at different venues across the city.
SkillKindle says it receives approximately 2,000 requests every week now compared to 250 requests per week till mid-January.
Last month, the business was seedfunded by Gurgaon-based i3 Consulting, a company founded by former McKinsey employees that extends professional and financial support to other firms.
“It provides us with enough working capital for the next six months at least," says Choudhry, who hopes to break even eight months from now.
Reality check
“Our experts need to be good trainers," says Choudhry. Moreover, unlike corporate training, where all the 15 participants are geared towards the same aim, let’s say sales, a SkillKindle class is a mixed bag. “There’ll be one graphic designer, one poet, one marketing guy; it’s tough for the trainer to understand everyone’s motivations."
Coordinating attendance is also difficult and Choudhry is considering restructuring prices on the pattern of airfare models; the earlier you register, the more you save.
Plan B
“I love McKinsey, and some day I’d like to return, but not yet. Typically, they pay for business school if you promise to return. But I didn’t take it because I didn’t want a backup plan."
Secret sauce
“Business schools teach this persistently: No matter what, give the customer what he wants. How you give it to them is where we come in."
This story was first published on 2 June 2012. It has been republished due to a technical issue.
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