New Coaching Institute

[Psychodementia]

We have seen through out the journey post-CAT how these insti guys have tripped on so many things - solutions, analysis, cutoffs etc. Maybe preping you were oblivious of of these things because you were too busy mugging for CAT. But if you think about it even before this analysis hocus-pocus you will realize that inspite of everything there is always the hitch. The course material is okay in DI but bad in QA. The infrastructure is great but the faculty sux. The mockcats are nice but the course fee is too high etc. etc.

The funny part is that these guys have pretty impressive track-records and have the best of intelligence/money at their disposal. Inspite of this they make such glaring mistakes, put their foot in their mouths and worst of all mislead students with fictitious theories post-CAT.

Going on a tangential. I have always wanted to start off my own CAT coaching insti. Maybe the tag line could be something like "CareerBooster - From those who couldn't make it !!!" I can atleast be assured of some goodwill from the PG community

Frankly when you have a cushy job and a clear growth path it becomes difficult to do something zany. I mean I have seen quite a few good guys getting stuck with a dumb franchisee for these larger institutes, making peanuts and getting bogged down by the same stuff. Too difficult for me to visualize.

But let us take a case-study.

CareerBooster is a new coaching insti that is going to be launched by a guy called PsychoD (a non-IIM grad) for CAT prep. You guys know rest of the stuff so I will save you the trouble (many diff estd instis in the mkt, no of students increasing every year blah blah)

What do you think PsychoD should plan out when he writes his first Biz Proposal. I am discounting any formal conventions here. You may write whatever comes to your mind. We can collate it in the end.

Arun

PS: And NO I have no intentions of starting a CareerBooster NOW or anytime in the near forseeable future

[supervish]

Gee ... Launcher / Booster similar things. The name is hardly an auspicious one

Well, first thing, you say that you are PsychoD from PG and make your avatar the institute logo

Then, you get a certificate from PG stating how many +ve karma points you had

Then you tell the junta here, that they can holler about you to the outside world. You have no idea what even a tenth of the 10000 PGites can do for ya.

Your PS was though

Vish

My PS : If CB DOES start off, do PM me abt it

[Psychodementia]

LOL supervish !! :P

Thanks I take what you meant as a compliment

Seriously though, how much power does word of mouth have ? I mean think about it. Someone comes and tells you that there is this guy who is good, how much of effect would it have ?

Arun

[capreal26]

But let us take a case-study.

hey psychoD, signs of consulting assignments already

btw, you have to go the 'boutique' way (in your consult lingo )
Start very small, be very selective in your input & rely on word-of-mouth for marketing. Remain that way.

If A has excellent mocks, B has great Quants faculty, C has good infra then you cant have all of their best points. In fact had it been possible, one large player would have already done it.
so I dont think the usual model can be followed to profitability.

what say ?

[supervish]

Originally Posted by Psychodementia

Seriously though, how much power does word of mouth have ? I mean think about it. Someone comes and tells you that there is this guy who is good, how much of effect would it have ?

Well, given that most of us are looking fwd to CAT 2005 you have a decent number of PGites who wont think twice abt joining Booster. Give us a BLACKI in a year, and hey presto, PsychoD is a household name

Surely you can wait a year for the crowds to line up ?

Vish

[RAHUL ABRAHAM MAMMAN]

The model s good..but it s going to take time for it to make..money...
Maybe you can enroll the better students at dirt cheap rates..so you can attract the real goods..coach everyone...Hold free mock cats..............and work really hard...
Will think of some kinda business model and let you know...
But I feel if it has to be done..It has to be first done at Bang ....with maybe even a tieup with PG ......And someone here was talking about word of mouth....It s a good medium..but unless you can prove yourself worth talking about ....not many ppl will recommend your centre....
If possible get faculty from the IIMs ...Students who have finished studying or studying now (I know it s diff but it s possible if you can get hold a couple of guys who want to help a few fellas....)
It will take a lot of work ..but if you succeed you would have hit it big dude
ATB
Rahul Abraham Mamman

[zango]

What good will it attain anyways? CAT - an aptitude test - coaching? Well it might have been different before CAT 04 - I was skeptical of coaching even then - but now after this version the conviction (against coaching) has gotten stronger. I hope CAT keeps evolving, putting in new changes - and keeps hitting those coaching classes where it hurts most.

See, had CAT 04 not been what it was, but a regular 3 sectionar (as was expected), the coaching classes would have come out all trumps - with a lot more people having benefitted from the coaching they went thru (atleast wrt the strategy devising part). However, the twist - it just proved that just when everybody thought (yeah - *everybody* thought) that if i do so and so, i will get there, it proved to be otherwise. It proved that wrt preparation - sure it would have helped - but - could someone else help you prepare? To an extent yes - perhaps clearing doubts you had in certain areas - perhaps by helping you form a group - so that you are focussed in preparation, etc - but in the end - you had to trust your own abilities. You just could not enter the hall with preconceived notions - which would go against you in the final two hours - if there was a change.

moreover - all the techniques presented in the replies above - start off in the one way and end up in the same way. Start of small - provide special coaching to the good candidates - such that they (atleast a percentage of these people) are bound to perform well - get publicity - get bigger - get more publicity - ultimately - start handing out franchisees - and become like one of the other coaching classes. Then, people will say - this used to be an institute with good ppl, look what has happened to it. So, then, there we are, back at square 1. What's the *bl00dy* difference?


No, dont get me wrong - am not saying coaching never benefitted any body - but - i just think this coaching business (atleast in the case of an aptitude test) is wrong. (ofcourse, there will be those who will come out in defence saying that calling the CAT an aptitude test itself is wrong - but there is another thread for that )

Just felt like putting forth my views here - didn't mean to offend anybody

Cheers

PS: I know PshycoD has no notions of starting a coaching class in the forseeable future

[Psychodementia]

Pretty good points by everyone.

I think Zango (Girish) and I had discussed this once when he had come over to my place. The reasons for a specialized class for CAT failing for a variety of reasons. The argument put forward by Girish is excellent.

But I am looking at a business case here. Let us presume someone comes to you with the idea and wants you to consult.

Some ideas already :

(1) As carpreal said start small considering anyways you have limited resources and then go for the jugular after you taste success the first year.

(2) But as Rahul pointed out a vicious circle again, if you are not big who will come to you ? Word of mouth is good. But not good enough for someone to trust his career/future.

(3) Get a better name to help you stand out. WITHOUT the word Career figuring anyplace

(4) Get current/alum of the IIMs to teach. PsychoD is a bad choice for a faculty :P .....J/K !!

(5) Tie-up with PG

(6) Work hard

(7) No point getting in this business because CAT is totally aptitude based. Rather focus on getting stuff like strategy and motivation up.

I think great points collated so far. Do I hear any more ?

Arun

PS: Im keeping my trap shut for a change because I dont want my ideas to bias your thinking

[kuk-du-ku]

edit

[supervish]

Arun, glad ye dropped 'Career' from the name

Originally Posted by zango

in the end - you had to trust your own abilities. You just could not enter the hall with preconceived notions - which would go against you in the final two hours - if there was a change.

Zango bhai ( Girish I hear ) very succinctly put. I must add.. its a task i itself to enter the hall without preconcieved notions, if you've been feeding of coaching insty stuff for months.

Hell yeah, what yer gonna have to do Arun, is ta take ppl up, and have 'em take on general apti stuff .. design your own stuff, pick off CAT papers, but have a decent lot of other stuff too, dont characterize anything as " CAT mein nahi aayega".

More rambling to come on this thread, when I feel like it