Key to success is to survive initial years: 3 entrepreneurs on resilience, patience, and calculated risk | THE WEEK Education Conclave

The Week's Education Conclave had a special session titled ‘When Students Set Up Business’, in which three young entrepreneurs delved into how youthful ambition and daring innovation are reshaping India’s business landscape.

Yet, they also cautioned those with entrepreneurial dreams to only take on manageable amounts of risk, in order to account for the possibility of things going south. 

The session was moderated by Senior Assistant Editor, K. Sunil Thomas.

Vinayak Burman on resilience

Vinayak Burman, Managing Partner at VERTICES PARTNERS, offered a grounded perspective on the romanticised narrative of entrepreneurship.

“We often talk about passion as a driving force, but it’s also a privilege,” he said.

“If your background allows you to not worry about your next meal, then chasing your passion becomes a real option. But for a large chunk of young Indians, the journey begins with working.”

Burman reflected on the reality of moonlighting—co-founding while juggling a job—and the courage it takes to eventually take the plunge.

“Entrepreneurship is often glamourised. You look at ‘Under 30’ or ‘Under 40’ lists and think, I can do it too. But for every success, there are a thousand failures. You have to recalibrate constantly. That’s the test.”

Burman also underscored the emotional side of entrepreneurship: “I don’t degrade the emotion behind entrepreneurship. At the end of the day, if the calling survives despite all odds, that’s when you jump in."

He said that it’s eventually the mindset that matters.

"Come what may, I have to survive this. That emotion, that resilience, is everything.”

Nakul Kumar on patience

Nakul Kumar, Co-founder and CMO of Cashify, who hit upon the idea of building a platform for smartphone reselling and more, spoke candidly about his entrepreneurial journey.

Reflecting on his privilege, Kumar admitted: “I relate to what Vinayak said. I had the safety net—I didn’t have to worry about how my parents would survive if I didn’t earn. That cushion gave me the freedom to take risks. Circumstances matter a lot.”

He co-founded Cashify in 2013, and the path wasn’t smooth.

“We’ve tried multiple ventures. Two failed, two worked. But the key lesson is simple: never give up. Giving up is the only real failure in entrepreneurship,” he said.

Kumar observed a pattern among today’s young entrepreneurs.

“I’ve seen incredibly smart people enter this space, but if they don’t see immediate success, they go back to jobs that pay more. But if you stick around—really stick around—for five or six years, success becomes inevitable. When you survive, you thrive. And eventually, you rule.”

Siddharth Banerjee on self-awareness and calculated risks

Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of Univo Education, reflected on his 25-year journey since the completion of his MBA.

“The early part of my career followed a fairly conventional script: working in large, well-established organisations,” he said.

“Many professionals tend to follow that path, post their degrees. I did too. But eventually, I took the road less travelled—into entrepreneurship, and now into the education space.”

Banerjee, who now works closely with young professionals, offered three key insights for those aspiring to succeed, regardless of their age or stage in life.

“First, you need a strong sense of self-awareness: a clear understanding of what your strengths are, what works for you, and what doesn’t,” he explained.

“Second, always evaluate the steepness of your learning curve in any role. The more vertical that curve is, the more you're investing in yourself and setting yourself up for future success.”

His third point focused on the importance of calculated risks.

“Your ability to take measured risks is what eventually defines how far you can go. Entrepreneurship isn’t about recklessness, it’s about being bold and thoughtful,” he concluded.