Alumni Speak
‘The school pushed us to think independently’
This alumnus from Apeejay School, Noida, says that the value that has stayed with him is humility
He runs an Ed-tech aggregator, or more accurately, an executive education platform. It is built for working professionals and corporates who want to upskill, learn new capabilities, and grow in their careers. He helps them discover the best courses from universities across the world. Meet Prateek Shah, (batch of 2003) at Apeejay School, Noida. In a candid interview, he shares how what he learnt in schools shaped how he thinks and acts today.
When did you realise that teaching or guiding others is something you wanted to do?
After engineering, I worked across a few roles, some banking and some other areas. A few years into my career, I realised I was better at training than simply executing tasks. That shifted things for me. I began conducting digital marketing trainings across Singapore, Dubai, to name a few. In hindsight, the teacher was always there. I just wasn’t the most studious person growing up, so I never imagined I could teach. But teaching brings its own kind of energy. Everyone brings their own style to it, and that makes it enjoyable.
Moving from a job to entrepreneurship is not easy. What challenges did you face?
They are completely different worlds. If you are a first-generation entrepreneur, it is far tougher than it appears from the outside. You almost have to be a little naive to begin. Once you are in it, you realise how demanding it really is. But by then, you are already committed. You have moved far enough that going back is no longer the natural choice. So you keep learning, adapting, and growing along the way.
What are some things from your school years that still shape how you think or act today?
What has stayed with me most is the sense of humility the school instilled in us. The values, the grounding, and the way we were encouraged to think. If I had to pick one thing, it would be learning how to learn, not just memorising information. The school pushed us to think independently, to be creative, to respond rather than repeat. That way of thinking has stayed with me and continues to help me try new things and keep evolving.
How did your early mistakes shape how you work today?
Entrepreneurship is essentially improvisation. You are given a situation, and you have to respond in real time, without a fixed script. It is a cycle of iterations, mistakes, and feedback. Every week, every month, every year teaches you something new. You may not know when a particular lesson will become useful, but over time it compounds. That is how I see it. When people ask me where I invest, I say nowhere else. This is the investment. Your work, your business.
What would you tell your younger self in school?
I would simply say enjoy it. Have fun. You have no idea yet, but there are bigger things ahead. For now, play, relax, take it in. Life will get tougher later, and you will need that energy.
AI is changing everything. How important is it for professionals to upskill?
AI is as significant as the Internet was when it first emerged. Many people still do not fully grasp its impact, but we are already seeing professionals across industries engaging with it. It does not always have to be through formal programmes. It could be as simple as watching videos or experimenting with tools. What matters is that people stop treating it as optional. AI is now part of the environment. The sooner you accept it and start using it, the more you will grow.
