Interview with Harshit Gupta, Founder of GrowthAcad, Digital Marketing Training Institute
Harshit is a highly experienced Growth Hacker and Digital Marketing Strategist, specializing in the field of digital marketing.
He has an impressive background, having worked with various e-commerce startups and healthcare, technology, real estate, education, travel, and lifestyle brands.
With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, he has trained over 5000 individuals in digital marketing and growth hacking.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Harshit is an active content creator, sharing his growth hacking ideas through his YouTube channel, Podcast, and NSDM Blog.
He also conducts corporate training programs for middle and senior-level managers, providing them with valuable insights and strategies.
Harshit’s professional journey showcases his leadership qualities and extensive experience in digital marketing.
Throughout his career, he has held diverse roles such as Co-Founder, Director, Visiting Faculty, Digital Marketing Strategist, and Digital Marketing Manager.
His expertise encompasses a wide range of areas, including search engine optimization, search engine marketing, PPC, digital/online marketing, content management, and email marketing campaigns. He is well-versed in leveraging social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
With over 5 years of experience, Harshit is a dynamic and results-oriented professional. He possesses in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in business development, lead generation, social media marketing, and SEO content writing.
His skills as a growth hacker and digital marketer have made him a serial startup entrepreneur, driving powerful growth for various ventures.
Harshit’s expertise has been recognized in the industry, as he has delivered a one-day digital marketing training program for senior managers at Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning.
Additionally, he has conducted a 15-hour digital marketing program for CEOs and middle managers at Blueplanet Solutions.
Harshit’s commitment to sharing knowledge and empowering others is evident in his “Digital Marketing Program for Dummies,” a 20-hour program designed specifically for startup founders.
Can you tell us about your background and how you got into digital marketing education?
Harshit Gupta: I did my MBA from a Tier 3 MBA College in 2014. If you check the placements, we don’t have many options.
The majority of the companies come with a Sales Role. I did not like traditional offline sales much. I wanted to do something else. So, I started upskilling myself in digital marketing and got a job at an Ecommerce Startup.
Eventually, I worked for a digital marketing agency for a while. After that, I started my own digital marketing agency and scaled it.
However, my passion for teaching and the market in Pune (predominantly an education market) motivated me to do something in education. Hence, I started a digital marketing education company.
Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey
Harshit Gupta: First, I got a job at an Ecommerce Startup. I worked there for a few months and eventually took a job at a US-based Digital Marketing Agency. I worked there for 2 Years and then started my digital marketing agency, Hash & Karma.
We scaled that agency to 50+ Clients across Education, Real Estate, and Ecommerce. I have always had a passion for teaching as I could understand the Flaw in the formal education system.
Therefore, I founded NSDM, a physical digital marketing education institute. I scaled it from 0 – 5000 Students in 4 Years.
In 2020 pandemic struck, and physical education became a bit irrelevant. As a result, I founded GrowthAcad post-pandemic to deliver digital marketing education at scale with our Classroom as well as Cohort-Based Programs.
Kindly brief us about GrowthAcad, its specialization, and the services that it offers
Harshit Gupta: GrowthAcad is India’s 1st community-based digital marketing education institute. We believe in enabling our learners with new-age digital skills.
Our learners are directly mentored, trained & coached by top digital marketing professionals in the industry.
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced while building GrowthAcad, and how did you overcome them?
Harshit Gupta: The Biggest challenge for any bootstrapped startup is to hire the right team at the right cost. We have a remote team at Growthacad. Transitioning from a physical team to a remote team was a challenging task.
To build a remote team, I developed a streamlined recruitment process that emphasized remote work skills, self-motivation, and effective communication.
I used online job portals, professional networks, and social media platforms to reach out to potential candidates.
Comprehensive interviews and assessments were conducted to evaluate their expertise, ability to work independently, and adaptability to remote work environments.
How does GrowthAcad differentiate itself from other digital marketing education companies in the market, and what unique value proposition do you offer to your customers?
Harshit Gupta: The key difference is that our program curriculum is very much up to the industry standards.
The curriculum is designed by practitioners and delivered by practitioners. Since we have solid partnerships within the industry, our learners get access to top-notch brands to work with.
We also offer additional industry sessions along with Linkedin Growth & Generative AI for Prompt engineering as modules to increase the capabilities of our Learners.
What makes our digital marketing institute different is the learning structure and global community. For example, our digital marketing courses are cohort-based courses helping students to solve their questions live. Also, students get to work on real-life projects and websites, not just theories.
Can you walk us through the process of how GrowthAcad works from a student’s perspective?
Harshit Gupta: Our Learners need to apply for the batch. Then, based on the application process & PI by our team, they are selected.
In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges facing the digital marketing industry today, and how is GrowthAcad addressing those challenges?’
Harshit Gupta: Today every business is facing the challenge of finding specialized skilled marketing professionals.
Unfortunately, freshers with formal degrees lack problem-solving skills, new-age marketing knowledge, and technical know-how.
The Best person to handle any brand’s digital marketing campaign is someone who has worked on an online business.
The best person to grow a business on social media is someone who’s already done that. “Learning by Doing” is our core value.
How do you see the digital marketing education industry evolving over the next 5-10 years, and what role do you see GrowthAcad playing in that evolution?
Harshit Gupta: I believe marketers need to Shape themselves constantly. Marketers and business owners must upgrade as new online distribution channels evolve.
What was the inspiration behind turning into an entrepreneur
Harshit Gupta: Coming from a Baniya family, business was always the plan. Besides, I wanted freedom.
The major reason we at GrowthAcad extensively promote entrepreneurship is that we want our learners to achieve financial freedom.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in digital marketing, and how can GrowthAcad help them achieve their goals?
Harshit Gupta: Start with Fundamentals. Get your fundamentals of marketing right. Learn behavioral psychology, storytelling, no code tools, etc.
Then, choose one marketing skill you would like to master that is in demand in the market. GrowthAcad provides a robust and updated curriculum and access to industry experts backed by an active community.
What do you see as the long-term vision for GrowthAcad, and how do you plan to achieve that vision?
Harshit Gupta: The Vision for GrowthAcad is simply to upskill college students, marketers & entrepreneurs with new-age marketing skills that can help them grow.
What are your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs
Harshit Gupta: I think I am too young to offer success tips about entrepreneurship. However, I would share what I learned throughout my journey.
- If you feel you don’t belong somewhere, you don’t. Work hard and find the work you love doing.
- Learn from the experts. Find a mentor or work at an organization that helps you grow.
- Learn about human psychology, storytelling, and the latest innovations. You will need them irrespective of your industry.
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