The Work You Avoid Teaches You the Most

When you build something from scratch, especially with limited resources, you end up wearing many hats. That is exactly what happened during my ed-tech startup journey. In the early days, I took on multiple responsibilities. It felt manageable at first, but over time I realized that doing everything yourself can slow you down as you try to scale.

One responsibility I took on was sales.

I spent a lot of time calling users, explaining the product, understanding why they joined, what problems they were facing and how our platform could help through curated content, practice and guidance. Sales was not something I enjoyed, but it was something the business needed.

Many calls were frustrating. Some users were just exploring and had no intent to subscribe. Some rejected the idea upfront with unclear reasons. At that time, digital training was still new in India and trust took time to build.

But there were moments that made it worth it.

Some users genuinely loved the product. They spoke about how the features helped them learn better, especially during Covid when stepping out was not possible. One moment that stayed with me was a ten-year-old learner who was unsure about online training. Her mother decided to try our platform. Over time, the learner grew confident, improved her performance and continued for six months with regular guidance. That impact mattered.

I continued doing sales for nearly five years, even after we started our offline center. Calling leads for premium courses was still part of my role. While content and digital presence helped build awareness, direct conversations with users played a key role in converting interest into trust.

That experience taught me a simple but powerful lesson.

At work, you will often have to do things you do not enjoy. But if you avoid them, you limit your growth. When you get good at what you do not enjoy, you earn the freedom to keep doing what you truly care about.

That lesson stays with me even today.