From ₹1.5 Cr to ₹30L - How Warikoo Rebuilt His Life with Purpose
Ankur Warikoo shares how to take risks, build side hustles, and build a life on your own terms
If you’ve ever felt the tug-of-war between a high-paying job and your dream project, Ankur Warikoo’s journey is your playbook. He didn’t go from zero to hero. He went from comfort to conviction. From a cushy ₹33 LPA consulting job to a ₹12 LPA startup role. From ₹1.5 Cr annual pay to bringing it down to ₹30L when times got tough. And from 5 months of liquidity to a multi-crore paper valuation.
In Episode #151 of Konversations with Kushal, Warikoo breaks down how to bet on yourself without burning out. His mantra? Be impatient with action, patient with results. That simple shift powers his life today. Whether it’s building WebVeda, meditating daily, writing consistently, or managing hate online - it's the same game: take small steps fast, let the returns stack slowly.
The Morning Habit That Became His Secret Weapon
Every single day for the last 5.5 years, Ankur Warikoo has meditated. Not once has he missed it. What began as a modest 10-minute daily practice with the Calm app has now become 3 focused sessions of 10 minutes each - entirely unguided. His technique is straightforward: observe thoughts, and then let them go. No judgment. No suppression. Just awareness.
This habit, though rooted in wellness, turned into a powerful advantage. Meditation sharpened his mental reflexes. He became less reactive, more composed, and far better at handling friction - whether it's absorbing hate online or navigating tense boardroom discussions. It's not about achieving serenity. It's about gaining control over one's emotions, staying level-headed, and making clearer decisions. That clarity is now his superpower.
The Best and Worst Investments He’s Made
In 2009, he invested in real estate. It returned just 3.4% in 3 years. “Terrible use of money,” he says. Five years later, he invested ₹10 lakh in an Indonesian startup similar to Paytm. That one returned 27x.
Between 2013 and 2015, he made 13 angel investments. Only one paid off (but gave overall positive returns because of the power law of investing). The big lesson he learned is to never invest in what you don’t understand. And always assume the money can go to zero. Today, he avoids hype. If he can’t personally research it, he doesn’t touch it.
Leaving ₹21 Lakh on the Table for Growth
In 2011, Warikoo left a ₹33 LPA job in consulting to join Groupon at ₹12 LPA. Everyone thought he was insane. But he wasn’t chasing salary - he was chasing experience. That decision led to co-founding Nearbuy. And eventually, walking away from it to start something fully his own.
That something is WebVeda - his 100% owned edtech platform teaching life skills and career clarity. It brings in around ₹50 LPA. But more than income, it brings ownership, impact, and autonomy.
He didn’t climb the ladder. Instead, he built a new staircase.
The Right Way to Build a Side Hustle
Want to launch a side hustle that actually takes off? Start like a student. For the first 30 days, pick one skill and become obsessed with it. Use YouTube, paid courses, Reddit, Discord, and online communities. Dive deep. Learn not just the theory but how people are succeeding with it. Network with peers, ask questions, and note down patterns that work.
Then start freelancing or doing internships for free for a month or two. Real-world work beats everything else. You'll learn about client expectations, deadlines, revisions, and how much value you can realistically deliver.
Next, introspect. Do you enjoy the work? Can you see yourself doing this for years? If yes, go all in. If not, pivot. At 18-24, you have time to explore without the pressure of permanence. Keep sampling until something clicks.
As Warikoo says, don't chase money first. Chase value. Every rupee you earn is tied to the value you're creating for others and the people you're working with. Money is just a receipt for impact.
Curious about what kind of money beginners can make? Here’s what Warikoo pays his freelance team:
Subtitling: ₹90-100 per minute of video
Graphic Design: up to ₹3,000 per design
Video Editing: ₹15,000-30,000 per course, ₹1,500-5,000 per reel, ₹5,000-10,000 per YouTube video
Audio Engineering: ₹1,000-1,500 per reel, ₹3,000 per long-form video
Content Writing: ₹500 per post and caption
You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be helpful. Learn, offer your service to 5 people for free, then charge the 6th. That’s how real side hustles begin.
How He Uses AI Without Losing His Voice
AI isn’t a threat - it’s a teammate. Warikoo uses ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity almost daily, but never relies on them blindly. He drafts YouTube scripts, newsletters, and emails using AI, then rewrites every single one himself before publishing. No AI output ever goes live without a human polish.
To him, AI works best when it serves as a reactive assistant, not a creator. He uses ChatGPT for interpretation and reasoning, Claude for writing style and feedback, and Perplexity for deep research. His rule? Don’t let AI think for you - let it enhance your thinking.
AI isn't a finished product - it's embedded infrastructure. Those who learn to use it will replace those who don't. But final judgment must stay human. Warikoo believes creators who combine AI’s speed with their own clarity, tone, and taste will stand out. That’s the balance: efficiency without losing authenticity.
Where His Revenue Comes From
Here’s how Warikoo monetizes his brand:
Affiliate Revenue: ₹44L/year
YouTube Ad Revenue: YouTube shares 50% of ad revenue with creators. In 2024 alone, $40 billion was split among just 3 million creators - that’s an average of over ₹11 lakh per creator. Of course, top creators earn much more.
Brand Collaborations per Platform:
=> Instagram: ₹8.97L per integrated post
=> LinkedIn: ₹6.97L per post
=> Twitter: ₹5.47L per post
=> YouTube Video (Integrated Endorsement): ₹8.97L
=> YouTube Video (Sponsorship only): ₹5.47L
=> Corporate Talks: ₹8.97L per sessionEndorsements: Becoming the face of a brand has no cap. What you're paid is a direct reflection of the value you generate.
His biggest reminder: you're not paid for effort - you're paid for results. Don’t sell time. Sell outcomes.
His Hiring Playbook
Warikoo doesn’t hire for IQ alone - he hires for EQ and value alignment. A smart candidate who doesn’t think like the team is a misfit. For him, shared values are non-negotiable.
Here’s how his hiring funnel works:
=> Round 1: Mindset Mapping – 20 open-ended questions designed to explore how candidates think, what drives them, and their approach to work. This round isn’t eliminative—it helps sense whether the candidate's worldview matches the team's.
=> Round 2: EQ Screening – A detailed Emotional Intelligence questionnaire focused on how people handle pressure, take feedback, and navigate relationships. This round is eliminative.
=> Case/Task Round – Candidates are given a real-world challenge. This evaluates their execution, creativity, and how they approach deadlines.
=> Two Interview Rounds:
First with Warikoo’s team
Then with Warikoo himself
His core belief: You can train for skill, but not for character.
Want a Response? Here’s How to Cold Email Him
He gets thousands of DMs and emails - but only a few stand out. Here's what makes him hit reply:
=> Personalization – Show you've done your homework. Mention something specific about his work that resonated with you.
=> Clarity – Be direct. State clearly what you want from him. Avoid vague phrases like “looking to connect.”
=> Initiative – Do the work before the work. If you’re pitching a collaboration or asking for feedback, show a sample or a draft.
=> Brevity – Can he understand your message in 10 seconds? If not, it’s too long.
The best messages feel handwritten - genuine, thoughtful, and specific. The worst feel like copy-paste templates sent to 50 others.
The Truth About Content Creation
Everyone loves the idea of being a content creator. The followers. The freedom. The fame. But the reality? It’s a slow, often silent grind. For every viral post, there are 50 that go unnoticed. For every creator making lakhs, there are hundreds still figuring it out.
That’s why Warikoo believes content is not a shortcut to wealth - it’s a long-term commitment. You can’t fake consistency. You either love the process or you burn out chasing the results. His advice is simple: do a reality check at every milestone. Are you enjoying this? Would you still do it if no one clapped? If the answer’s yes, you’re on the right path.
He doesn’t obsess over views. He focuses on the message. If one person is changed by his words, it’s worth it. That mindset is what keeps him going when growth plateaus or trolls pile on.
Love the concept. Embrace the process. Ignore the scoreboard.
Catch more real-world insights in our next edition of Konversation with Kushal! Until next time!!