At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Aditi Mittal for an interview with BrilliantRead Media. She is an Entrepreneur, Leader, Consultant, Mentor and Change Enabler. Aditi is also Co-Founder and COO at Joonify. Let’s learn more about her background, her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Aditi:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I had the opportunity to go to one of the top schools in India, The Daly College post which I went to Bangalore to do my bachelor’s in business management from the Christ University and later to Singapore for pursuing MBA. I have always been an active student; grabbing any opportunity that came my way.
I loved participating in various competitions in school in cultural and spoken categories. I led the Entrepreneurship cell at Christ University and also went on to represent the college in an all-India competition for Entrepreneurship In Delhi where I bagged the first position.
Hailing from a business background I was certain I had this in my blood. During the covid times the world seemed to have come to a standstill, with children being the most hit. Right from their education to sports to other activities all at a sudden halt.”
This looked like an opportunity where technology could be proven as a boon and children could use their screen time productively. This is when we began with Aark Learnings which offered fun online courses such as Rubik’s cube, coding, mental math and so on. We had a huge influx of children trying different courses.
This is when we realized how parents who mean good for their children end up doing experimental learning with their children. Enrolling them in anything new, appealing, or just following the herd; resulting in mentally fatigued children who may not be learning anything really. This showed a huge gap/ glitch in the education industry.
I and my sister grabbed this opportunity with both hands and being moms ourselves we got to the roots of this issue. Hence with the mission to make early childhood learning more effective, arming the parents with tools to know their children better, we launched ‘Joonify’.
We are very passionately amalgamating technology with our mission so as to let parents glide through this maze of modern day education and parenting efficiently.”
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I wanted to work for a cause that I believed in, a problem I wanted to solve instead of working on someone else’s dream.
The motivation and kick you get on working that is yours is incomparable.”
Of course, it is difficult, having to carve your way. Learning through mistakes, nothing comes easy. But born and brought up in a business family, always looking upto my father who is the biggest business guru and role model for me I knew a job would never satisfy me.
‘Joonify’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
The term Joonify was coined by two words. “Joon” meaning young in Korean while “ify” is basically a short of signify. Joonify basically means making a significance in young children’s life. And that exactly is the mission of Joonify.
At Joonify, we strongly believe each child is born with unique talents, strengths and interests but are pushed to study what everyone else is studying. The unique talents mostly remain unidentified, un-tapped. Also, parents mostly live in a FOMO (Fear of Missing out) if they are giving the best to their children. With the sea of options available for courses and activities these days parents end up putting them mindlessly from one class to another.
They don’t really see if the child is actually learning and growing. This entire mismatch of too many options and not knowing child’s true passions results in fatigue learning which is so detrimental to the child’s growth. This also results in choosing career options which aren’t best suited and ultimately a mediocre living.”
We at Joonify bridge this gap! We empower the parents with tools and techniques to know their child better and also understand the huge world of learning options available and eventually make an informed choice for their young ones.
What does your company specialise in?
Joonify helps the parents to understand the unique talents, interests, and personalities of their children through a fun gamified assessment. This assessment is very carefully designed by child psychologists and academicians to assess the child in totality.
This empowers the parents with meaningful insights about their child and their development. Thereby, aiding in channelling their energies and resources in better directions where the child can maximize his performance without feeling fatigue or boredom.
Our personalised recommendations of activities and courses gives a more focused perspective of the learning journey the child should embark on. Thereby saving the parents their time, energy, money and effort of figuring the right classes.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
It’s human to feel demotivated and low when you can’t see clarity ahead. I think I am naturally gifted to not overthink on problems and challenges and take one day at a time. Mulling less on complications and instead focusing more on solutions keeps me positive and going.
But most importantly what drives me is the concept of Joonify. I am extremely confident on the problem/ paint point of the parents we are trying to address and the solution we provide.”
It is not just a product, it really is an important solution and a need of the hour.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
I can easily say I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by the right people. People who genuinely want to see me grow, people who push me to work harder, who guide me and who are always there to fall back on. When you have that kind of safety net you want to go all out and try yourself.
I have seen my father and brother grow in business, their unparalleled support, vision and guidance has really helped us to conceive and pursue Joonify.
Also surely blessed with some well-wishing friends who check regularly on my work and push me to get out of my comfort zone and give my best!
Aditi with her Co-Founder – Archhana (Right)
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
> Being mindful of where I spend my time and energy.
> Associating myself with people who are productive and growth-oriented.
> Being disciplined and regular, even on days I don’t feel like showing up.
> To value time and not take things for granted.
> Learn and try new things.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
1. Setting priorities right.
2. Giving your best shot
3. Spending more time on solutions rather than problems.
4. Taking criticism constructively.
5. To believe in yourself and your product.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
We live in a competitive world which aims for perfection. These days the world of professionalism is all about specialisation. General talents or skillsets don’t have weightage. Hence it’s important to start early and give importance to early childhood learning. It is important for parents and education-ists to identify and follow the child’s strengths in collaboration. This makes learning easy when the child is naturally inclined and hence curious.
Identifying one’s own unique talents, skillset and strengths is the key to success. We all are different and good at different things, it is important we value and embrace our uniqueness and no one can replace us then. Instead of trying to be a jack of all, be the master one!
Learn that one particular skill with such diligence that you are the best in it. Following your interests and passions will never feel draining, it will only be fun. Once we enjoy what we are doing, we are naturally good at it and then the world is our playground.
Last but not least, what are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
1. To keep swimming, irrespective of how you feel about the day. Only those who keep going, reach somewhere.
2. I genuinely believe that the journey is everything. Truly grateful for the learning curve this opportunity has presented, making the most of the journey is of supreme importance.
3. Truly believing you are where you are meant to be, doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. Owning up responsibility for your life!
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
