Name: Sonali Mathur
Age: 30
Job Title and Description: Co-Founder and CEO of TestRocker, Inc.
College/Major: BA economics and marketing at the University of Notre Dame, MBA at Harvard Business School
Website: www.testrocker.com
Twitter Handle: @TRSonali
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Sonali Mathur: I am an entrepreneur, so there definitely isn’t anything like a typical day. My company, TestRocker, combines the best private tutors with technology to make quality private tutoring available to students whenever and wherever they need it. Our first two programs have been SAT and ACT prep.
Overall, as CEO, I am responsible for hiring/managing talent, setting company strategy and vision, securing financing and managing external relations. But it isn’t all that glamorous! Given that we are a small team, I also get pulled into a number of unrelated things, including answering customer service calls and putting desks together for new hires.
What is the best part of your job?
SM: It is hard to narrow down the list, but I would say I have two top things. First, seeing our students achieve results. The best part of my day is when we get emails from students and parents thanking us for helping them out at a crucial junction in their life – taking the dreaded SAT/ACT so that they can apply to their dream college. I love that we can make such a meaningful difference. Second would be seeing my team succeed. We are a young and ambitious team spread across New York and Singapore. Watching my team navigate unchartered territories to come to a solution makes me feel very proud.
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
SM: My first entry-level job was an internship with News America Marketing in New York (they own Fox). I secured the job in an unconventional way. One of their senior executives was at my university for a presentation. I attended his seminar and went up to him at the end to briefly introduce myself and let him know I would like to work for his company. Next month I received a box of Fox Entertainment DVDs in my mail along with an internship offer! I guess sometimes you just have to walk up and ask.
What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
SM: Entrepreneurship will be the most thrilling and scary experience of your life. Unlike traditional jobs (of which I’ve had many – from working at a large investment bank to working at a mid-sized startup), being an entrepreneur is a fast-paced whirlwind. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to execute on everything you intend to, but the adrenaline of making progress [toward] your dream is empowering. On the other hand, unlike traditional jobs, where you have camaraderie with fellow officemates, being the leader of your firm can be lonely.
Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
SM: I learnt the most about leadership from a managing director I worked for at J.P. Morgan. He taught me the best way to lead is to empower others. Even though most of the results we achieved were because of his vision, he rarely took the spotlight. By crediting his team with success, he built our confidence, and in return, we remained fiercely loyal to him.
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
SM: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” –Anonymous. I believe in constantly learning. And I’ve found learning often comes from challenging situations. Even in college or grad school, if I felt I was already familiar with the material being taught, I would switch my class. I have applied the same philosophy in every job I’ve taken. I research whom I’m going to work for and the team I’m going to work with. Every job is an opportunity to learn from someone more experienced than you or smarter than you. Don’t confuse age for wisdom, though! Be open to whom you could learn from.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
SM: I wish I could say my mistake was in the past, but unfortunately, I continue to make it often. My mistake is not celebrating success. I work hard to achieve personal and professional milestones, and finally when they come to fruition, I already have my eyes set on the next milestone, which seems even more daunting. I can definitely do a better job of taking a moment to celebrate what my team or I have achieved. I guess I tend to rush forward because I don’t want to lost momentum. I have to remind myself every day to celebrate all successes, big and small.
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
SM: It has been exactly a year since we launched our program. I still remember getting our first paying customer on day one—a few hours after we launched. Today, we have students in 14 countries around the world studying on TestRocker. This seems very surreal to me!
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
SM: The number one thing I look for is disposition towards execution. I like people who are self-motivated and find a way to follow through on their ideas. I also look for people who are risk takers and know how to sell their ideas. Working at TestRocker isn’t about hiding behind a desk. It is about making sure our students are getting the best possible experience, recruiting new students [and] conveying our value proposition to schools, parents, PTAs and all other stakeholders.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
SM: If you are thinking about being an entrepreneur – do it! Yes, it is scary to take the leap and turn down those steady-paying job offers, but 20-somethings are running the entrepreneurial world today. There are a ton of young female founders you can look to for inspiration and guidance.
My real advice revolves around how to initially pursue your idea. [Say] you have a great idea for a startup. Fantastic—but don’t jump in blind. A few things we did at TestRocker initially included conducting an extensive market research study to figure out the gaps in the market, creating and testing a beta version of our site and securing initial interest from a large customer. The [last one] is the most important: figuring out who is your buyer and how much [she’s] willing to pay for it. In fact, is she willing to pay for it at all? Also, make sure you or your co-founder has relevant industry experience. People took our initial pitch very seriously because one of our founders had serious industry experience. We were able to secure tons of customer interest in TestRocker even before we had a product to demo!