Byju's Group: Team Spills Success

Pravin Prakash, Chief People Officer (handles people management; earlier helped with marketing): “We are a content first and then a technology-based company. Byju teaches you Maths and you figure out that this is something unique about it. Many of us were unsure about CAT whether we could crack it or not. After my fifth attempt, Byju happened! CAT results came and I was one of those who didn’t join the IIMs after acing it.”

Vinay M.R., Chief Content Officer (handles media and content): “Byju taught with a fun element. It was very well structured and if you could take that structure and put it in another place or question, it would work the same way. It was not about a concept that is to be used in a specific equation only, it was more towards how we were supposed to start thinking about the way of teaching itself. This technique triggered the imagination of many. It makes much easier for anyone to apply the concept at multiple places. In a short time span of around three weeks, there was tremendous improvement in CAT scores because you start thinking differently. This is what triggered all the people to give such positive comments. This element we have continued to incorporate in the product as we are growing today.”

Divya Gokulnath, Co-founder & Director, also married to Byju (does content creation): “I am an engineer, having majored in biotechnology. I was preparing for GRE when my dad said, ‘Why don’t you try it out’ because I always thought I was good at Math and it was also my strength. So I attended Byju’s basically to brush up on my Math skills. This is how the meeting happened. Here, all of us are teachers, most of us are teaching on the application. In terms of content all of us are strong and some of us teach; the rest have multiple roles and that overlaps with each other.”

Mrinal Mohit, Chief Operating Officer (handles sales and marketing): “When we attended Byju’s class, we realised that Maths could be taught and learnt in this way also. This idea of teaching Maths in a very different way helped us all.  Byju’s way of teaching is our DNA now. When we joined him, we realised that though the content is great, to scale up we really need to create an impact among our audience using technology. Through technology, we can reach out to millions of students and to do that we started with school education.”  

Anita Kishore, Chief Strategy Officer (handles content and strategy): “Byju gave a session in my college during my final year and just before I had to appear for CAT. There were three weeks to go for CAT when I had my first class with him. I always thought that I was a good Maths student because I liked Maths. But the way he approached the subject was entirely different and an eye-opener. Back then I was studying in Mumbai and he was in Bangalore. He asked me to fill up the largest auditorium of my college with around 500 kids to take a class. Now I teach Maths and Physics along with fundraising and managing investors.”

Suman K Jha

BW Reporters Suman K Jha was the deputy editor with BW Businessworld