Dheemanth Reddy

IIM Kozhikode  

“Optimistic and Resilient individual who loves to choose unconventional paths.”

Hometown: Hyderabad, Telangana

Fun Fact About Yourself: Wanderlust, solo traveler been on a solo trip to Nepal last year. Slightly philosophical and loves talk about ideas.

Undergraduate School and Major: SRM Institute of technology – KTR, Electronics and Communication Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Founding Member, Head of Sales and Operations – Unschool Learning

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of IIM Kozhikode’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Undoubtedly, the campus is one of the main reasons I choose IIMK. Hands down, it os one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Having a long stretch of Kerala monsoons makes this campus more beautiful. This environment serves as a great break from concrete jungles and helps us reflect on our thoughts.

Cohort size is another crucial factor that led to choosing this program. Additionally, I was drawn to the program’s offerings, such as international immersion and access to a strong alumni network. The international immersion component would provide exposure to global business practices and cultures, broadening my understanding of the worldwide marketplace. Furthermore, the robust alumni network would offer valuable opportunities for networking, mentorship, and professional growth.

What has been your favorite course or extracurricular activity at IIM Kozhikode? What has been the most important lesson that you have learned from it?  Coming from an entrepreneurial background – particularly in marketing and sales – one of the best courses I thoroughly enjoyed was Marketing Management by Prof. Keyoor Purani and Managing People and Performance in Organizations by Prof Roopak Kumar Gupta. These two courses helped me understand and realize my mistakes as a rookie entrepreneur. Most importantly, the psychometric tools and analysis of Prof. Roopak enabled me to understand my actual competencies and helped me think clearly. On the other hand, Prof. Purani’s expertise in the field and engaging teaching style made the learning experience truly enriching.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Four years ago, when I only had six months of work experience, I quit my job to start building something that would create an impact. In pursuing building something, I was fortunate to grab an opportunity as a founding member at Unschool to reinvent upskilling.

The industry was in the nascent stage, so we had to build things quickly, and in the first month, I was ready with an MVP by onboarding industry experts. Without a website, I sold the idea to 10+ working professionals to host their courses on our platform. The following 20 days were challenging since we launched our website with the first ten courses in tech, management, arts, and others and never looked back.

As a head of sales, I designed the operations model from scratch and created a profitable model. Unschool grew from a 3-member team to a 100-member team, got recognised as one of the top 10 LinkedIn startups in 2020 in India, and raised funds through Y Combinator. That being said, more than achieving millions of dollars of revenue, building leaders by trying to lead as an example is my most significant accomplishment.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: The MBA at IIMK is a very rigorous program. This course demands energy and it is very important for us to be running with pace the program goes. Very rarely will you will a day without quizzes, assignments, or presentations. Every day feels like a race, especially when you are with some of the top talents in the country. In the midst of the chaos, there is good chance of losing sleep, losing confidence, and breaking down. Somehow, I managed to find my peace with all of it by truly embracing the feeling to studying at top 3 institutes in the country and this feeling makes me more perseverant to chaos. Out of all the noise, I found my signal and I see that this as my biggest achievement as an MBA student so far.

What has been your most memorable experience at IIM Kozhikode? Why was it so special? Every day at MBA provides us with memorable experiences. From the first case study discussion to today, every day has been a unique experience for multiple reasons. Still, my evening walk around the lush green campus is one constant thing. Every day, when I wake up and look out my balcony, I see the beauty of Kerala’s greenery. It would be too unfair to pick one memorable experience because every day and every minute I get to spend on this amazing campus will be an unforgettable experience.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? Being a rookie startup enthusiast, I did make zero to one a reality. To move beyond that, I realize that I have a skill gap to take things forward for Unschool. The recent edtech bubble burst made me realize that I have a lot of things to learn for running a business. These two reasons were good enough for me to understand why I need an MBA. My long-term goal is to be a serial entrepreneur, so before I start another entrepreneurial pursuit, I decided to do an MBA at this point in my career.

DON’T MISS: MEET IIM KOZHIKODE’S PGP-BL CLASS OF 2024