This Week in Startups

The hard lessons from building three startups with Maven’s Gagan Biyani | E1840

56 snips
Nov 3, 2023
Guest
Gagan Biyani
Gagan Biyani, Co-founder and CEO of Maven, discusses his journey from founding Udemy to launching the innovative cohort-based education platform, Maven. He shares insights on revolutionizing online learning and the importance of engaging instructors. Gagan candidly reflects on the challenges of his food delivery startup, Sprig, which despite raising $60M, ultimately failed. The conversation touches on the rising costs of traditional education and how modern platforms can offer better, more accessible alternatives for lifelong learners.
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INSIGHT

Disillusionment with Education

  • Many people are disillusioned with traditional education, but that isn't their primary motivation for seeking alternatives.
  • They pursue further learning when they need a specific skill, not out of anger towards college.
ANECDOTE

Disappointing College Experience

  • Gagan Biyani found his Berkeley business classes disappointing due to large lectures, unengaging professors, and basic material.
  • He realized he could "hack" college by barely attending classes and still getting good grades.
ADVICE

Leverage Existing Audiences

  • Don't solely rely on paid advertising, especially in the early stages of your startup.
  • Leverage your instructors' existing audiences to acquire your first users, and focus on building your brand.
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