From Hustle to Vision: My Journey Before FUTURE LIFT

I had no idea that a conversation with my college senior one day would set the trajectory of my entrepreneurial journey. He intercepted me one day and posed a simple question:

"Do you want to earn money?"

Of course, I did. As a student, who wouldn’t? When I asked him how, he explained a business idea—admission counseling for 12th-grade students. We would provide free guidance on courses and colleges, and in return, earn commissions from colleges for successful admissions.

At first, the whole idea felt cheap to me. I had always heard people call such middlemen agents or brokers, and I didn’t want to be associated with those labels. But the temptation of financial independence was strong, and I decided to give it a try.

The Start of My First Business

We began spreading the word through our friends. I made an offer—if they referred students to me, I’d handle their counseling and college admission process. Once a student enrolled, I’d share a part of my earnings with the referrer. My plan was simple: I’d earn ?20,000 per student and pay my friends ?12,000 as a referral fee.

To my surprise, it worked. Within just two months, we had many students reaching out. It felt like we were onto something big. But then, a moment came that shattered my belief in the admission process—and changed my perspective forever.

A Betrayal That Changed Everything

One of my students—a girl who had booked a seat for B.Sc Nursing at Apollo Nursing College in Kolkata—suddenly decided to pursue a law degree instead. She reached out to me, asking for a refund. I assured her there was no issue since my senior had earlier told me that refunds were possible before a specific date.

But when I informed my senior about it, he refused. The shocking part? He hadn’t even paid a single rupee to the college yet. That money was still with him.

The student’s family began pressuring me for a refund, and I felt responsible. I turned to my parents for help, hoping they could talk to my senior’s family. But instead of understanding the situation, his family turned it around on me. I still remember their exact words:

"My son can’t do that; this is all your fault. Why did you work with him in the first place? Did you ask for our permission? Now, don’t drag my son or my family into your problems!"

At that moment, I felt completely betrayed. The worst part? My senior had also taken money from my neighbor for another admission case. This wasn’t just about business anymore—it was about my integrity. The student who had lost her money was the girlfriend of one of my close friends. I lost friendships, trust, and my faith in the system.

I knew I had to make things right.

The Turning Point: Taking Control

Determined to fix what had gone wrong, I took the responsibility upon myself. I refunded the students’ money from my own pocket. It wasn’t easy, but I knew one thing—I never wanted to be part of a business that operated in the shadows.

Instead of depending on a middleman, I started forming direct partnerships with colleges. My first official tie-ups were with @NSHM and @The Neotia University. That first year, I worked harder than ever and earned over ?5 lakhs—all while still in my third year of college.

But the more I worked, the more I realized something deeper: Students in India didn’t just need admission help; they needed proper career guidance.

The Birth of an Idea: Career Counseling for Everyone

As my network grew, I began offering free career guidance sessions. Over time, more than 10,000 students joined my sessions.

I always ended my counseling with one question:

"If I charge ?500 for this guidance, would you be willing to pay for it?"

The answer was always "Yes."

That was when it clicked—students weren’t just looking for admission support. They were looking for clarity, direction, and the right choices for their future.

The Story Behind the Name ‘Future Lift’

One of the most interesting challenges I faced during this phase was choosing the right name for my company. I had a few things in mind:

?? The name should be short

?? It should be easy to pronounce

?? It should be unique

I came up with names like CareerEd, Edvisor, CareerX, Mentor, FutureEd, FutureX, but after checking, I found that all of them were already taken! Whether it was a trademark or a domain name, nothing was available.

I discussed this with my friends, but no one could suggest a name that felt right. Then, one day, I was casually listening to my father talking to someone.

He said something simple yet powerful:

"Lift takes people from down to upward."

That line stuck with me. Our entire vision was about helping students lift their careers and future.

At that moment, it clicked—FUTURE LIFT.

The name was perfect.

Building a Team: Finding the Right People

With the name decided, I started focusing on building a team.

I reached out to @Subhra Mohanta, my neighbor—who had also lost ?20,000 due to my senior’s admission scam. She immediately believed in my idea and decided to join me.

I also reached out to Krishna Kinkar Ghosh, one of my best friends from college. Unlike many others who had doubts, he saw the potential and joined us as well.

Together, we started researching the industry, studying global models, and designing the perfect career guidance platform.

However, after 3-4 months of research, Krishna had to leave due to personal reasons.

It was a tough moment for me. He was a valuable asset to the team, and I always hoped he would return. But life had different plans.

With just Subhra and me, the Future Lift journey officially began.

From Research to Reality: The Launch of Future Lift

For the next one year, we worked tirelessly—building the foundation, refining our services, and creating a career counseling model that would genuinely help students.

At the end of 2023, we finally launched FUTURE LIFT.

And this was just the beginning.

What’s Next?

In my next article, I’ll share:

? How we conducted our research

? What we changed along the way

? The new innovations we introduced to make @FUTURE LIFT what it is today

This journey has been filled with failures, betrayals, lessons, and wins. But the biggest lesson?

Building something meaningful is never easy—but if you have a vision, resilience, and the right people, you can turn any setback into your greatest comeback.

Stay tuned! ??

"A true entrepreneur isn't just someone who starts a business—they are someone who turns failures into lessons, struggles into strength, and a vision into reality." – Rahul Dubey        

#Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #BehindTheScenes #FutureLift