Priya Patel
Founder of an online tutoring platform and advocate for student entrepreneurship.
Two years ago, I was just another college student worried about exams and placements. Today, I run a growing online tutoring platform with 200+ tutors and 1000+ students. Here's my story.
COVID-19 lockdown was tough for everyone, but I saw an opportunity. Students needed help with online learning, and many talented peers needed income. I decided to connect them.
I started by tutoring five students myself and recruited two friends as tutors. We used Google Meet for classes and WhatsApp for coordination. No fancy tech, no investment—just solving a real problem.
Word of mouth became our biggest marketing tool. We focused obsessively on student outcomes. When students improved their grades, parents recommended us to others. Growth became organic.
People ask how I managed both. Honestly, it was tough. I learned to prioritize ruthlessly, delegate effectively, and say no to distractions. Time blocking and calendar management became my superpowers.
I couldn't do everything alone. I brought in co-founders who complemented my skills—someone great at operations, another brilliant at marketing. We divided responsibilities and trusted each other completely.
Growth happened faster than expected. We had to build systems, processes, and technology to handle scale. We eventually developed our own platform, got mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, and secured small funding.
It wasn't all smooth. We made mistakes, lost money on failed experiments, and had team conflicts. But each failure taught us something valuable. We iterated, improved, and kept moving forward.
Don't wait for graduation to start. Don't wait for perfect conditions. Start now with what you have. Use your college ecosystem—students, professors, facilities. Test ideas, fail fast, learn constantly. Your age is an advantage, not a limitation.
The entrepreneurial journey is challenging but incredibly rewarding. If I can do it while managing college, so can you.
