Founder of the self assist portal, CampusWriting.Com, Ankur Thakuria commenced his first challenge in eighth grade. He is now 21 years vintage, has been to 36 countries and became the kids diplomat at G20 Summit 2011. Also being the youngest climate leader in India trained by means of Al Gore, Ankur has several achievements to be happy with at such early age.
We spoke to Ankur approximately his thoughts on Entrepreneurship, adventure of CampusWriting thus far, his imaginative and prescient for the self assist portal and more.
Inc42: What is CampusWriting?
Ankur: In the simplest words, CampusWriting is the primary portal in India that gave the users the possibility to speak up without having to reveal their identification. Although there had been many adolescents-centric portals in India, the USP of CampusWriting which gave it over 5Mn precise site visitors in below two years is the array of challenge that had been addressed. Socially taboo subjects like drugs, intercourse, relationships, transgender, etc. Have been the situation depend of posts submitted by means of the customers of the portal.
Inc42: How many posts are there on the portal as of now?
Ankur:Today, after precisely 2 years, there are over a thousand posts at the portal with over 3K remarks and discussions at the posts. CampusWriting is primarily based upon emotional branding and we appearance forth to connecting users based on experiences rather than on identities.
Inc42: What is the primary goal of CampusWriting ?
Ankur:Our foremost objective is to increase upon the portal, wherein teenagers can supply voice to their feelings. In most instances, the society doesn’t permit us to confide in our feelings, emotions and communicate about our studies. It is very much known that analyzing approximately different’s studies motivates and helps us face turmoil and problems in lifestyles. As such, in contrast to social media, we're looking to connect users with humans who have had comparable experiences in existence and help them acquire the braveness to open up as well.
Inc42: I trust advertisements are one in every of your most important revenue sources proper now. So what is the traffic like and few demographics of users place?
Ankur: Coming onto the website facts, here are the information based totally at the month of December 2013;
Monthly Stats: 1.34 million hits (Non-Unique traffic)
Daily common: 42K non-precise traffic
We have customers from numerous countries together with India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, USA, UK, UAE. Although the website particularly caters to adolescents across India, but we've seen visitors and submissions from the above countries quite frequently.
Inc42: Where all you are found in India? How are you targeting the youths?
Ankur: We are gift across Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Chennai, Kanpur, Udaipur, Bangalore, Lucknow, Coimbatore.
We have voluntary outreach centres in nine towns throughout India, which have been hooked up to manipulate an internet portal for the particular towns but additionally to have offline reach to assist spread the idea of CampusWriting to the youngsters in the area. These are in basic terms run via active volunteers and ambassadors and help upload cost and bring humans onto the primary portal.
Besides that we've tie-americawith some of the most popular universities inside the country; we have furnished custom CampusWriting portal to NIT Kanpur, NLIU Bhopal, BITS Goa, SPSU Udaipur, and many others. To call a few.
Inc42: How are you producing sales? Any numbers?
Ankur: Although we'd now not be willing to share the gross sales, maximum of our earnings comes from the commercials at the website in addition to from selling out space on the internet site. We are presently strategizing a few new actions to monetize from sources other than classified ads.
Inc42: How is the boom up until now? How you intend to scale up?
Ankur: In years, CampusWriting has grown past any of our expectations. To be honest the website nevertheless looks as if a weblog (and we intend to hold it that manner as we consider each post which is going up has a that means and must be examine), and with such easy design it's far tough to imagine the group the idea has affected.
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In the approaching years, we are hoping to grow the agency and plan to take an offline technique for the idea except having the online version. Having associated with some of the most important fests like Antaragni (IITK), Panache (SPSU), etc. We appearance forth to taking the word forwards to as many youngsters as we are able to. With over three hundred ambassadors today, CampusWriting is represented in all the corners of the us of a.
Inc42: Any Competition?
Ankur: Well, considered one of our center competitions inside the country changed into Flipcoin.In; which shutdown last yr. Although we don’t have another project precisely with the identical way of operating inside the us of a, ventures like CampusDiaries are quite comparable and they exist in print media. Our reach has been better than them but however we plan to strategize to maintain it sturdy.
On the worldwide scale we've a major opposition with 1000000000 dollar industry called ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’, which has the precise same concept, however doesn’t exist online and its attain is restrained mainly to the American soils.
Inc42: Tell us something approximately the group?
Ankur: Regarding the team, I am the founder and we have a everlasting crew of five others who look after the duties like internet site updating, members of the family with the institutes, ambassador recruitments, proofreading the posts, keeping the database.
We have a pool of three hundred+ ambassadors had been instrumental in the boom of the assignment and so had been the a thousand+ volunteers over the path of years.
Inc42: Have you guys raised any finances? Planning to raise in destiny?
Ankur: Well, CampusWriting hasn’t raised funds in a major form as of now; despite the fact that our going for walks costs (website online management and outreach) within the starting got here in the shape of help from the buyers and advisors we've got on board. We plan to make bigger offline as nicely starting the mid-2014. And for that we plan to elevate funds and are currently in speaking phrases with a couple of buyers to determine at the time period inside the coming months.
Inc42: Your notion on entrepreneurship in twenties?
Ankur: I agree with entrepreneurship is but a way of existence. One needs to have the courage to take the step to offer shape to their thoughts in turning them into ventures. As such I feel one should start earlier than twenties if one has an idea to paintings upon. As in my case, I began my first project again in 8th grade (known as ‘Here4Teens’); even though it was a failure, it did teach me crucial training and helped me soak up my next run on my being an entrepreneur with warning, patience and commitment.
Coming onto the crux of the query, entrepreneurship within the twenties is certainly one of the most difficult as well as equally rewarding revel in. With experience as well as adulthood, it's far type of an excellent time to provide your concept the form of a actual assignment. Taking the ideas into execution is a assignment and early twenties is the first-class time to take in that venture.
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Inc42: Why “Twenties” is the golden age to launch a startup?
Ankur: I sense better past due than by no means; even though commencing in advance in lifestyles is a exceptional lesson and might result in turning notable ideas into successful ventures, but at some point of the twenties, on having the perfect and vital blend of information and real-world experience that gives an edge to the entire idea of starting up. Taking mature selections is likewise a need is fulfillment of a assignment and during this age, sensibility is couples with the braveness to take a hazard. As such I feel one have to startup in twenties. Also getting guide and backing for the duration of this time is an awful lot simpler in comparison on your past due twenties or early thirties.
Inc42: Your imaginative and prescient for CampusWriting from 5 years now? Making it a profitable enterprise/IPO/Sellout?
Ankur: 5 years from now? Making it a profitable project is what we're searching forth to gain by means of the stop of 2014. Offline release of the concept would present us in an entire new size and that might not most effective assist us reach out, but additionally acquire revenue inside the model we have in thoughts. Over time, i.E. By five years we sit up for being set up because the leading self-help corporation within the country. Running on earnings as we plan to, we'd bear in mind a sell-out best in terms that the authentic concept and the conceptualisation of at the back of CampusWriting stays intact for years yet to come.
