Inspirational, innovative, creative mind, and a Kashmiri full of encouragement are the words that come in mind when we talk about the entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo.

What made him succeed?

Whenever, according to society, he was successful, he switched and started doing something else.

How can someone who is not following the social norms be inspiring?

How can someone Quit his own company Groupon and other significant companies willingly in his right mind and still taste the fruit of success?

We are going to feed all of your curious minds but let’s start with the central question

What made a middle-class Kashmiri Pandit from a Warikoo clan this successful?

In a world where no one is paying attention to develop creative minds. Where primary focus is to mass-produce engineers.

Where if you don’t opt science after 10^th or if you wish to follow your dreams.

You will be considered a loser.

In that kind of horrifying world, Ankur Warikoo Born on August 25, 1980, is a rebel from the very beginning of his career.

Now, He was clueless on what to do like any other person he took advice from his friends, family. All collectively suggested him to do an MBA. He started doing an MBA but that too with a twist he chose the Indian School Of Business, which was not very popular back then and was brand new and expensive.

Yes, just like that Although he had a word with his father, who was shocked as any father would. But Ankur had made up his mind, so he came back to India.So He Quit.A man with a motto to ‘Do Epic Shit’ writes a Gratitude letter every day. He has faced many hurdles but overcame every single one of them. When he went to do P.h.D. in physics, he was very good at what he was learning there. But he realized that was not something that he loved. Completing his P.H.D. was not making him excited enough to continue.

I am highlighting the expense part because Ankur was not very wealthy back then, and being in a middle-class family, his father was not either. So to enter that business school, he had to take a loan of whooping 14 Lakhs, which was a huge amount back then.

And for what?

His father asked him. And his father was right on his part. Indian School of business had no track record as it was new. “There was no return of investment,” his father said. Ankur even asked that “ what’s the guarantee that you won’t come back to square one after this course” and to that, Ankur answered, “there’s no guarantee, but this is what that makes me happy, and I want to pursue it.”

He did he gave the exam and got selected, then took admission and completed his MBA with flying colors. He learned many things from the interactions which he had with different people.

Ankur Warikoo’s family members

Ankur warikoo is happily married to Ruchi Budhiraja Warikoo. She is Ankur’s high school sweetheart. She met her when he was in the Hindu college, and she was in Miranda house. They were introduced to each other on the way to college on a bus where almost everyday Ruchi with her group use to play dumb charades. She is the only one who understand and supports him unconditionally. They were blessed with a child who they named Vidur.

After MBA 

After completing his MBA, he landed a job at A.T.Kearney. as a management consultant. He met with so many people, made some great friends who helped him. But once again, when everything was going on smoothly, and his parents were happy, he did something which was not very assuring to his father.

Ankur was contacted about an idea to provide a second chance of marriage to the ones who were not satisfied with the first. And that was Secondshaddi.com. He joined him and was working on this project after the office and on weekends. But after some time, this business became successful and needed more attention to succeed even further.

So, he again went to his father and told him that he wants to quit and join a website called secondshaddi.com without any salary ( all the profit was being re-invested). At this time, his father lost his cool, but still, Ankur managed to persuade him and joined secondshaddi.com full time. They ran it for 1.5 years, sold it, and made a profit.

He was again uncertain as to what to do further with his life. He joined rocket internet for some time then became CEO of Near buy worked for four years. And now, after all the hard work, he and his team made the company cash-flow positive. Now you all must be thinking that he had changed. But no, he again will step down from his position of CEO from Near buy this November.

Ankur Warikoo said

“It’s been such a pleasure and honor leading the company for all these years. I am so proud of the team we have built, the culture we have established, and the relationships we have formed in the ecosystem,”

Ankur is going to leave the company in the hands of Ravi Shankar and Snehesh Mitra.

What will Ankur Warikoo do now?

He is uncertain. Uncertainty has always excited him, and that constant fear of the unknown is terrific. Never regret if you made any decision. If you fail, never give excuses. Failures will teach you but never be comfortable with them. Always play to win. Your best shot is only best if you win. He is not sure of what he will do next, but he still is happy and is trying to live each moment.

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Coming from a humble background, Roopam was born in Faridabad and did his B.Tech from Manav Rachna University. Gifted with the knack of genius, Roopam has made it viable for the blinds to read with the help of his device called Manovue. Also, his innovation can bring smartphone technology to over 285 million users who are either fully or partially blind.

Manovue, a Revolution in the Making

Manovue is a simple wearable glove with a camera that integrates with a mobile app and let its user read printed text. All it takes is the movement of the finger over the targeted text and the mobile app synthesis it and reads the text to the user. Not just reading, but the device is capable of letting a blind person avoid hurdles and walk freely. In effect, it let the blind use a smartphone. If this product becomes mainstream, which it should, it could replace braille and help rebuild the lives of blinds across the globe.

Back in 2016, Roopam was awarded the famed ‘Gifted Citizen Prize.’ He’s also the recipient of the Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review. And has over a dozen more awards from various other institutions to his name. Calling himself “a chronic innovator,” he truly defines the way for a young scientist set out to change the social structure covering the visually disabled.

Currently living in Washington D.C, Roopam has worked with Eyeluminati to bring Manovue to the public. Being the first intelligent personal assisting device for a visually impaired, it still has a long way to go.

What the Future Holds for Manovue?

Sadly of all the blinds in India, a shocking 94% can’t read braille. And a looming unemployment rate of 85% among the visually challenged is devastating for the community. Manovue can change this scenario, provided that proper steps are taken to develop and spread it.

So far, the device has shown promise. Initial tests prove the value of the device. If the blinds are able to read, they would no longer require the use of braille. This would lead to literacy and high job rate among the blinds in the country. In the day and age of smartphones and instant transfer of information, braille is an obsolete medium. It can no longer assist visually impaired. Manovue will hopefully replace this archaic way of learning for the blind soon.

Starting from his university, Roopam Sharma is all set to reform the way blinds interact with the world. In his own words “, if you can dream it, you can make it” shows the optimism in this young innovator. Because of his innovations importance, Roopam is certain to take a place among the top revered tech brass in the world.

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Getting rich is more real than it sounds

Proof of this is an example of Ryan Ross – a boy who started his business being only three years old. In this article, we will explain how this boy has earned a million dollars by the age of eight.

Earning million dollars – aren’t many people dreaming of it? Why this number? An ordinary person who is not interested in finances can answer you (since he or she does not have a personal financial plan) – this figure is merely attracting because of its completeness and seems quite achievable under certain conditions. However, no matter how attractive it is, only a few people really manage to achieve this lucrative goal, as people usually create excuses and insurmountable obstacles, and do this themselves.

Who is Ryan Ross and what is his business?

He is the usual Canadian boy with excellent wit. At the age of three, this boy occupied the backyard of the parental home to build a chicken farm. Initially, he had 60 chickens, which eggs he started selling at a price of $3 for a dozen – this way he earned about $15 a day. Not everyone in his neighborhood had their own household, so people started buying these eco products. And over time, the amount of $20 has been increased several times.

Soon the chicken business made him tired, and the young Ryan Ross started a new project. When he fully realized that a small but stable business was established, he decided to move on. This boy was interested in lawn mowing, and he estimated the value of his work at $20-25 per hour. Of course, it is difficult to imagine a child with a large and heavy machine, which even not every adult can handle. That is why he paid his senior comrades to work for him, giving them $15 an hour. Thus, his salary was no more than $5 per hour.

Later, Ross realized: people need not only to mow but also water the lawns. The boy found several more people who were watering – they divided the profit of 50 to 50. Ryan estimated the lawn watering at $200, so his salary was $100 (and again he did almost nothing).

The mother of the little boy Savannah Ross told reporters about all this in detail. Moreover, she convinced everyone that he set his business on his own, and no one had ever asked him to work. She also said that he clearly understood the process of managing employees and was able to find an approach to all customers, which is a fantastic skill for a child.

What is the secret of the millions earned by Ryan?

It is difficult to believe that the boy became a millionaire so easy. How is it even possible for a three-year-old child to organize the work process, direct it and not be mistaken? Did he do everything himself? This question is haunted by people from all over the world who have learned about this from various media sources or read on au.edusson.com.

Did parents help Ryan to make money?

Parents of millionaire claim that they helped their son only with support and care, but there were no tips about doing business. Today, the boy says that he was just interested in doing something on his own. He enjoyed his first job: starting with collecting eggs and ending with the sales.

Ryan thought it was a fantastic adventure and an inspirational game. Already after, plunging into the business with his head, he went into the thick jungle of business, wanting to know what would come of his venture. As for the financial side of the issue, Ross’ parents (except for the birds that the family had) made no investments in their son’s business.

Where did Ryan invest the earned millions?

When Ryan Ross’ fortune began to grow, it was time to think about significant investments. Given that the boy had not yet reached the age of majority, he could not enter into any financial transactions — his parents did it for him. Ryan consulted with his parents and decided that it was safest to acquire real estate that would always be in value. Today, Ross, Jr. owns six buildings located in Ontario in British Columbia. Ryan also holds a hockey court and a basketball one, which he manages at his discretion: sometimes he leases and sometimes plays himself. Also, the boy cannot yet go to college or university, so he engaged in self-education, for which he bought about 4,000 books, but he still does not have a mobile phone (parents forbade).

According to Savannah Ross, at school, none of the guys believed that Ryan Ross could become a businessman and the owner of his own companies – everyone (even teachers) thought that he was just boasting. But nevertheless, today the personal status of this boy is estimated at $900,000. However, Ryan Ross is not going to stop; he plans to buy two hockey teams. He believes this way he can play in the league. At the moment, he and his parents are negotiating with owners, but they find this story quite amusing.

Reasonable investment – million in revenue

Despite his income, the child goes to a regular school, has friends and is engaged in self-development. Ross spends all his free time on those 4,000 books that he bought for this matter. Ryan says that everyone can succeed in business, and the main thing is to invest income correctly.

In one of the last interviews, the boy said that his mother once gave him very correct advice: from all the money earned, 80% should be invested in the development of the business, 10% should be given to charity, and only 10% should be spent on yourself. “It really works, ” says the young businessman. Millions for Ryan is an indicator of his desire to move forward, and not the goal of being richer or better than others.

In his activities, a small millionaire, maybe unconsciously used the basic rules of investments and did not create artificial barriers for himself, but just did business and achieved a particular result. Everything he does is unusual for him and gives him real pleasure. This success story is one of the most important for modern society, as it shows that everyone can become rich, even if you are only eight years old.

And finally, a few business ideas for everyone from a little rich man:

1. Invest time and energy in your children, support their initiatives. Parents for the child – are the primary support and motivation. When children grow up, they already become a mainstay for their moms and dads.
2. Never spend all the money on yourself, but be sure to set aside and invest part of it.
3. Do your favorite thing, do not spare money, time and effort on it.

Develop, go forward, learn something new.

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According to CB Insights, the main reasons for 71% of startups failure is the absence of the product need in the market and lack of financing. The entrepreneur Max Polyakov helps Ukrainian startups to solve these issues while the initiatives of the Max Polyakov’s Noosphere association form the country’s own Silicon Valley.

Max Polyakov is a co-founder of Noosphere association and a member of The Executive Board of the venture fund called Noosphere Ventures. In 2013 he graduated from Dnipropetrovsk National University and got his Ph.D. after presenting his thesis in internet technologies development in a world economy. He established a lot of companies in the sphere of space technologies such as EOS Data Analytics, Firefly Aerospace, and Space System Engineering.

Apart from being an entrepreneur, Max Polyakov also develops the startup ecosystem in Ukraine. Noosphere association led by Max Polyakov started various projects aimed to develop science and technologies in the country. Such events as the festival of technologies BestRoboFest, the drone racing competition CopterRace, and an educational hub for startups named Noosphere Engineering School are only a few of them. These projects facilitate the knowledge exchange among young entrepreneurs. Thanks to these events, the startups get a chance to develop technology projects and bring to life their innovative ideas.

Noosphere Engineering School

Noosphere Engineering School (NES) was created in February 2014. Max Polyakov started NES as research and development centre. His goal was to create the place where the ideas and knowledge of young startups could become well-functioning engineering products.

NES combines the practical experience of the Noosphere association mentors and the academic knowledge of the leading technical universities of Ukraine.

In Max Polyakov’s Noosphere Engineering School the startups get access to modern equipment and work in a team with qualified mentors. The school also provides the participants with marketing and legal consulting. The mentors are ready to share their knowledge and skills with young specialists. This helps young engineers to develop their product without making major mistakes. In total over sixty mentors are involved in school’s projects.

After four years of work, Noosphere Engineering School created by Max Polyakov chose a few priority areas explored by its students. Space technologies, alternative energy, environmental management, big data analysis, robotics, and others are in the priority list of the school.

The activity of the school’s laboratory is directly connected to the expertise of the university it works with. For example, National University of Water and Environment Management in Rivne is the country’s leading institution in the area of environmental management. The researches of the laboratory in Rivne create the equipment aimed to facilitate monitoring of the forest and water resources and plan the soil irrigation.

Star Track is a students’ space tournament held by Noosphere Engineering School twice a year on the instructions of Max Polyakov. The participants of the tournament present their satellite models, launching vehicles models, and the projects of the research rocket complexes. The prize fund of the tournament is five thousand grivnas.

Guest Stars of Noosphere Engineering School

Ashlee Vance, a well-known American columnist and author, visited Dnipro for a few days at the beginning of August. He is famous for writing the biographies of Elon Musk, a prominent businessman and inventor. Ashlee Vance’s visit to Dnipro was full of excursions, meeting, interviews, and autograph sessions. More than four hundred adults and children visited a public meeting with this journalist on the August 2^nd.

Ashlee Vance admitted that he would like to personally meet Max Polyakov and talk to him. During his opening speech at the autograph session in Dnipro, Ashlee Vance said that he was interested in the history of Ukrainian space industry. He added that it would be nice to combine American and Ukrainian space experience. He hopes that it would work well.

Ashlee Vance’s book “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” published in 2015 were considered a bestseller according to a few influential publishing houses. It took the author one year and a half to write this book. He interviewed almost three hundred people who knew Elon Musk personally. Ashlee Vance spent about fifty hours in total talking to Elon Musk to make a good research for his book. According to Ashlee Vance, initially he planned to write an article about the entrepreneur, but eventually, it became an idea for the book.

Ashlee Vance visited Noosphere association and Noosphere Engineering School founded by Max Polyakov. Together with videographer and journalist Grant Slater, he learned the details of school’s projects and discussed potentially useful technical decisions for media workers.

The author of the book about Elon Musk stated that Max Polyakov’s Engineering School gives its students great basic skills and opportunities for creating aerospace projects. Like Max Polyakov, he also highly estimated the efforts of the students and their ability to make extraordinary decisions.

Prominent Projects of Noosphere Engineering School

In different laboratories of Max Polyakov’s school, the students created about four hundred engineering projects. Some of them like ArtOS and MyPol became very successful.

My Pol

An app My Pol was launched in Dnipro in 2016. Thanks to Max Polyakov, the team managed to create this free app for fast communication with police. It was presented to national police as an innovation.

The main task of the developers was creating a platform for communication with police in situations of emergency. Max Polyakov stated that this app is aimed to increase the safety level in the country. The app allows getting the feedback from the citizens which makes the quality of police service better. After the testing period of My Pol, the reaction of the police became 40% faster.

By the end of summer 2018, the app was also launched in Chernovtsy, Ivano-Frankovsk, and Nikolayev. It is planned to launch the app on the whole territory of Ukraine. My Pol was installed by more than thirty thousand users. Max Polyakov states that by the end of 2018, every citizen of the country will be able to call the police with the help of this app.

SOS button is one of the main peculiarities of the app. Thanks to GSM-connection, it allows to quickly call the police even without internet connection. The app also allows identifying the location of the victim when the phone’s geolocation is off. According to the project manager Dmytry Podvorchansky, the app will also give the victims a chance to send photos from the crime scene in the near future. Thus, the functions of the app could facilitate the work of the police and increase the safety level of the country.

ArtOS

ArtOs is an artillery fire controlling system developed in NES. It is aimed to reduce the time between detecting and hitting the target. All the navigation calculations are automated and transmitted to the tool directly. ArtOs allows optimizing the use of cannon, self-propelled, and rocket artillery, as well as the application of rocket and mortar battery.

The members of the team in ArtOs system communicate with each other with the help of special waterproof and shock resistant tablets. ArtOs system allows artillerymen to hit the target after two minutes it was detected. Max Polyakov is sure that it is much faster than using a traditional system.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine has been already using the ArtOs system developed in Max Polyakov’s Noosphere Engineering School for more than three years. The President of Ukraine admitted the importance of ArtOs for the Ukrainian army. The representatives of other countries also showed the interest to ArtOs system.

Vernadsky Challenge

Vernadsky challenge is a unique platform for the startups created by Max Polyakov, a co-founder of Noosphere association, and Dmytry Sholomko, the chief of Google Ukraine. It was held for the first time in 2015. The main goal of the competition is to help talented specialist to develop their innovative ideas.

The expert committee headed by Max Polyakov chooses from ten to twelve applicants that will present their projects to the judges of the contest. The judges of the competition are famous experts, scientists, and businessmen that have experience in innovative projects development. Max Polyakov is also one of the judges.

While choosing the finalists, the judges pay attention to the innovation of the project, its potential on the market, competitors, and the quality of pitching.

During three years, more than five hundred startups from different countries including India, Israel, and the USA took part took part in the competition.

The main prize of the contest is a grant for the project development from Max Polyakov’s Noosphere Ventures fund. Since the first organization of Vernadsky Challenge, the winners of the contest got more than five million grivnas on developing their ideas. A lot of winners continued their way to success participating in other contests such as UVCA Challenge, Lviv IT Arena, MbioS Challenge, CES, TechStars, and others. This year the contest will be held on December 1^st-2^nd. The applications are accepted from the startups in the sphere of space technologies and bioelectronics.

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