In the second of 2-part conversation, Abbhinav (123 of AI) and co-host Debayan (Microsoft), are in conversation with Keerti Purswani, founder of Educosys, LinkedIn Top Voice, YouTube Educator, Ex-Atlassian, Ex-Intuit Software Engineer.

The conversation revolves around Keerti’s take on paid courses v/s free content, the challenges of a YouTube educator, dealing with negative comments on her videos, her new business venture (The Literate Store), growing on YouTube+LinkedIn to a 300k+ subscriber base, risk-taking, financial independence, and her family life.

KEERTI REVEALS:

• How she was initially hesitant about offering free full-time educational content on YouTube, since it was not lucrative.
• The demand for paid courses due to structured learning, mentorship, community and guidance provided by educators
• Highlights the undervaluation of teachers' (including professors at IITs/NITs) efforts and advocates for fair compensation based on expertise and effort invested.
• Discusses concerns about monetization through YouTube and its insufficiency to cover living expenses.
• Many individuals are forced to work in areas they don't enjoy, while she has chosen a path that allows for exploration.
• Details on her System Design Courses
• Involvement in the “LinkedIn Creator Program” for content creation support and trending topic suggestions.
• Networking opportunities with other creators through events conducted by companies like UnAcademy, Graphy, Scalar.
• LinkedIn Top Voice Program - Criteria and Selection
• How her confidence to take risks to her financial independence, achieved through disciplined savings from the beginning of her career.
• LinkedIn and YouTube content creation journey!
• Insights into her marriage journey

BEST MOMENTS:

“Why should I not be paid... Why should I be underpaid?”

“I have chosen a path where I can explore any tech I like... being able to experiment more as a teacher rather than being chained to a job”

“Low level system design is something that is nowadays expected from freshers... You should know low system design eventually.”

“Efforts are made through personal audience on platforms like LinkedIn... Also involved in the LinkedIn creator program for support.”

“Recognition from programs like 'LinkedIn Top Voice' provides social validation but does not offer direct advantages beyond association with a reputable brand.”

“Once I Start earning... I am never going ask anyone for money.’

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Abbhinav Venkat, is the founder of 123 of AI, an ed-tech company enabling working professionals upskill in AI/ML. He is an entrepreneur, AI researcher, and podcaster. Prior to starting 123 of AI, he spent several years at multiple Silicon Valley startups as a Computer Vision Scientist. His academic career involved AI research at IIIT-H and Stanford University with several top-tier publications in BMVC, ICCV, ACPR. For his research, he was awarded Qualcomm’s Innovation Fellowship, felicitated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), GOI, as well as invited for talks in 4 continents.

123 of AI’s official website: https://www.123ofai.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/abbhinavvenkat