The investment banker who became an educator | Nikhil Barshikar @ Imarticus Learning

In this episode of the Founder Thesis podcast, I sat down to chat with Nikhil Barshikar, the man who played a pivotal role in the sale of Lehman Brothers' India business during its infamous 2008 collapse.

After building a career in U.S. investment banking, Nikhil returned to India with a mission: to close the talent gap in the financial services sector. He observed that fresh graduates lacked the necessary skills for investment banking, leading him to found Imarticus Learning—a hands-on, offline boot camp designed to bridge that gap.

Unlike most in the field, Nikhil doesn’t call Imarticus an Edtech venture- he sees it as an education business, laser-focused on real learning outcomes. This focus has propelled Imarticus to an impressive ARR of 300 crores with very little external funding.

In our conversation, Nikhil shared his thoughts on the education business, effective people management and building startups.

He discussed how to scale a company and explained why he prioritizes input metrics over output metrics.

Nikhil also delved into the challenges of managing data, revealed his hiring strategies, and pulled back the curtain on some of the biggest misconceptions about pursuing entrepreneurship.

Other Ways to Listen:

Apple Podcast | Amazon Music

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Additional readings:-

1.Success Stories: How Data Science and Data Analytics Courses Have Transformed Careers?

2.Winning Stroke: Interview With Nikhil Barshikar, MD, Imarticus Learning

3.MY STARTUP IDEA: Imarticus Learning founder on his Eureka moment

4.Bridging the industry-academia gap: Minimizing wrong career choices

5.Celebrating a decade of excellence in professional education: Imarticus Learning completes 10 years

6.Imarticus Learning the first and only approved provider for world's top 4 accounting certifications

Before you go……the analytics only tell me so much, I want to hear what you feel and think about the conversations.

Mail me at ad@thepodium.in with your comments & feedback or if you just want to hear my comments on your startup idea - I love getting your emails!

Until the next founder's thesis📕,

Your host, AD