Ramanuj is often cited to be an expert in the legal affairs spanning different domains. Throughout his career, he has been highly engaged in delivering knowledge solutions to students aspiring to become lawyers. He is a great orator, communicator & writer having an eye for details. He is a person with high intellect and enthusiasm who is always readily eager to help others. Being a serial entrepreneur, he has been involved with several education startups like iPleaders, CLAThacker, BarHacker, Superlawyer and Lawsikho.
He has also worked with numerous other startups to raise VC and angel investment, and developed a unique approach of risk management in order to protect promoter’s interest through various rounds of funding. He has over 300+ hours of teaching experience with law aspirants, helping them develop study material related to law entrance. His latest venture Lawsikho, is a derivative of that experience and helps law students access legal tutorials by experts for everyday legal issues and courses certified by top law schools.
Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.
Our products include B2B and b2c products. In B2B we have created some cloud-based legal compliance and training solutions such as anti sexual harassment compliance, anti bribery compliance, whistleblower policy, code of conduct training etc.
In B2C we have created products like diploma in entrepreneurship Administration and business laws, expert certification on sexual harassment prevention, certificate courses on topics like investment information intellectual property law, some courses on Right to Information and many other courses.
At present we are in the process of creating a platform called lawsikho.com where lawyers can create tutorials on everyday legal issues faced by common citizens of India.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
India is currently facing a tremendous access to justice problem. A majority of the people of India will never be able to access the legal justice system. As most people have no idea as to how they can make the system work for them, they also do not have any respect for the system. Many people are stuck in the legal system as it will take decades to hear the 3 crore plus pending cases. Undertrials are in jail and thousands of people are waiting in a queue to get justice – but in most cases the waiting period is longer than the punishment itself.The situation is a travesty of justice.
On the other hand, the rich, famous and powerful still make the legal system work for them. Even the common people can improve their own ability to access justice if they get access to reliable and actionable legal insights. However, there is no initiative to make these information and insights available to common people. Nor is there any way in which common people can get access to accountable legal services that actually solve their problem and they see results. The prevailing situation is unbearable and very unfortunate – but most people in India do not understand what is going on because they don’t have the technical knowledge necessary to understand the situation.
We intend to remedy the situation through lawsikho.com which will attack the problem where it is most required – access to crucial knowledge, information and insights to small tutorials.
What is your life mantra?
Leave a mark. If you are playing the game, might as well kick ass. No mediocrity, always take the game to the next level personally and professionally.
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
Staying productive when things don’t budge, keeping the spirits high amidst failure and incomplete projects that just don’t progress. To keep working when results are not visible and you are not sure you have taken the right path. In those dark times, to keep faith in oneself and just keep doing the work is difficult and soul crushing, but that is where success really takes place so one must keep going.
How did you overcome those challenges?
I really benefited from working our regularly, long runs, vipassana meditation which helped me to deal with my subconscious mind and Landmark Forum, an unique education system that helps people to bring out the best in them.
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
We are bootstrapped and self financed so far.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?
One day I sat down with all my colleagues and told them this: Till now, I was scared to invest my time and efforts in your development because I was afraid that you guys will leave me and my efforts will be wasted. This indeed happened a few times and was a big setback for the entire team. However, I have changed my mind. This is what we will do. i will invest as much as I can in your development, but please don’t leave this company for a 5-10,000 increase in salary. In any case, we will give big increments every year. You will still get a chance to leave in the middle of the year for a little bit more money, but don’t leave for that. Stay here, and we will help you to start your own company someday, or to find your cream job. If you want to go for your dream job or want to start your own company, tell us and all of us will help to make your dream come true.
It has actually happened, someone left the team and started a company, we helped as much as we could. Someone wanted to to go explore getting a better job at dubai, and wanted us to take him back if he didn’t find something suitable. We agreed, because he went in search of his dream job. He came back, and we took him back. But mostly people haven’t left since then. We have been able to build this amazing spirit in our small team, people don’t want to leave easily.
We don’t have an attrition problem at all.
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
One is definitely imagination. The other is perseverance. You don’t need a third, but if you still have a choice, go for a sense of humour.
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
- Sheroes.in has been a great source of affordable talent for us.
- Use it, hire women who work from home.
- We use quick books for accounting, that’s a great product as well.
- We love word press, ninja pop-ups for our blogs.
- I love this software called grammarly.
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Working alone away from people for long periods. Scheduling things on a calendar as soon as I realise there is a new task. Making lots of lists and to-dos. Meditation. A good run or a nice workout.
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
Losing patience with people. Now it happens very less, but I wish it keeps going down.
Answer in less than 50 words
One tip to success:
Do the internal works. Find your fears, their roots and deal with them. Find what distracts you and deal with it. Find how your identity has shaped up, know and see that you can remake it. Go back to people in your past, contribute in their life. Make a difference in the life of people around you and success is bound to come around one day.
One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
Thinking that your feelings are important. Giving importance to your feelings and emotions is a big mistake. One must learn to do what has to be done even when you have to fight your own feelings, mood or emotions.
One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
Life is empty and meaningless, you can give it any meaning. Give your life an empowering context and not a dis-empowering one. Whatever difficulty may have come, but this too shall pass.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
Keep working on the various projects I have started and create leaders to take over each of them.
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
I will care more for the welfare of the people who came in contact with me. I will give less importance to my own feelings and emotions, and give more importance to what needs to be done.
What are your top three getaway destinations?
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
“This too shall pass.”
