Online Education Platforms To Be Go-To Mode For Learning In Future: Raunaq Kakkar

Failures often lead to Successes and Innovations. Raunaq Kakkar, the founder of Lawpreneurz and Found My Teacher, is a candid example. Raunaq Kakkar after failing to clear his law exams, ventured into a mission to find solutions. The result is the birth of unique ed-tech platforms Lawpreneurz and Found My Teacher.
Mr Kakkar spoke to Outlook. Excerpts:

Your take on online education platforms
In my view, online education platforms have revolutionised education. However, it has not been a smooth journey for them contrary to how today we see such platforms at a mammoth valuation. This is mainly because, in a country like India, education has always meant the conventional classroom and whenever there is change, there is conflict. I feel this shift has not openly helped learners but also opened up multiple avenues for educators to reach out to students sitting in remote areas of the country. We have all witnessed how conventional education took a hit during the biggest pandemic in the world but from the viewpoint of education, it helped not just parents but also educational institutes realise its need to adopt online education, as it can work out as a complimenting tool given the end objective of both, is to impart quality education and help children learn better. 
I feel online education platforms are here to stay and I would not be surprised if, in the coming future, they become the go-to mode for learning over your conventional methods. 

How did you come up with the idea of Lawpreneurz?
Lawpreneurz, my first outing in the field of entrepreneurship comes from my own experience, something I experienced during my stint at law school when I failed to clear my exams and while my classmates graduated, I was sitting at home unable to find the means to understand my subjects. It made me question why there isn’t a structured platform for law students that can help them not only learn but also for students looking for a quick revision of their subjects, find all resources on one platform, at the click of a button. With this idea, we built Lawpreneurz, a learning platform where law students across India can learn their law subjects through well-defined video lectures, notes, live classes, 1-1 sessions which allow every student to learn at their own pace as against a regular class in law school. Post success with this, we today even help law aspirants who wish to prepare for competitive law exams and have been able to add value to the lives of students across the country and we are truly fortunate and grateful for that. 

Taking the success of Lawpreneurz, you launched Found My Teacher. Please throw some more light on the same.
If my first venture Lawpreneurz is credited to my own experience, Found My Teacher, can undoubtedly be attributed to Lawpreneurz. It was when we used to discuss our prospects beyond Lawpreneurz, did we realise that students wanted a more 1-1 approach to learning at a reasonable cost. Now, what is reasonable? Not just our students but also teachers we would hire would negotiate over their remuneration for several factors. This request from students and teachers kept lingering on in my head and after extensive research, we decided to launch Found My Teacher (FMT). While the objective with FMT is to have everything that can be learned, taught on the platform, we have however started with classes 4-12th, all subjects across all boards where learners can choose their desired educator based on their subject, grade, preferred language of instruction and most importantly, the amount they would be willing to spend on this learning. For our educators, this platform gives them the perfect opportunity to become their boss, reach out to students across the world, and have an unlimited source of earning. 

How do the students benefit by subscribing from these platforms
Both our platforms, Lawpreneurz and FMT, were started to benefit students by helping them with quality education. While with the former platform, we are predominantly focused on a specific target audience and it is safe to say that we have been successful in not allowing other students to go through what I had to, with FMT, the objective for students is to focus only on education and not have to worry about burning a huge hole in their parents pocket for this learning. We may be in the initial stages with FMT at the moment but the response so far has been terrific which keeps us going even more to ensure the vision we have set out with is fulfilled. 

Any parting thoughts?
 I’d just like to say if you’re an entrepreneur or someone who is trying to bring about a change by adding value, just remain honest with that vision you had when you started. There would be temptations along the way but as long as you are clear about what it is you want and how you want it, you will always find true meaningful success which is important in the long run.