About Ashwin

Ashwin Damera is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eruditus, a worldwide leader in the $280 billion global professional education market.

He focuses his efforts on university outreach and academic collaborations; and spearheads strategy and expansion in global markets.

Ashwin started his career at Citigroup before going on to start Travelguru in 2005. Travelguru was acquired by Travelocity in 2009.

Ashwin is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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Links and Show Notes

Selected Links

1. Connect with Ashwin
   1. LinkedIn
   2. Twitter
2. Eruditus Executive Education
3. Emeritus
4. What is Product Market Fit?
5. Online Masters in Computer Science from GeorgiaTech
6. Bill Aulet and Disciplined Entrepreneurship
   1. Bill Aulet – MIT Sloan Faculty Directory
   2. Bill Aulet – Twitter
   3. Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup
   4. The Disciplined Entrepreneurship Website
   5. Disciplined Entrepreneurship with Bill Aulet (Webinar)
7. Sanjay Sarma and the Theory of Dominant Design
   1. Sanjay Sarma – MIT Mechanical Engineering Faculty Page
   2. Theory of Dominant Design
8. Vijay Govindarajan and The Three Box Solution
   1. Vijay Govindarajan – Tuck School of Business Faculty Page
   2. Vijay Govindarajan – Twitter
   3. The Three Box Solution: A Strategy for Leading Innovation
   4. The Three-Box Solution Playbook: Tools and Tactics for Creating Your Company’s Strategy
9. Beachhead Markets
   1. Bill Aulet – What is a Beachhead Market?
   2. Selecting a Beachhead Market
10. Prof. William A. Sahlman
11. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)
    1. CZI Homepage
    2. CZI invests in Eruditus’ Series D funding
    3. Learning Science
12. David J. Barger
13. Gross Enrollment Ratio

Show Notes

Key Learning from Failing before Finding Success [02:06]

On the Importance of Timing [06:49]

Understanding Product-Market Fit [07:18]

The Importance of Ownership and Long-Term Focus[09:07]

Balancing Product Market Fit with Vision [10:20]

On Funding Patience [12:58]

The Disciplined Entrepreneurship Approach [14:02]

Steps to Disciplined Entrepreneurship [16:45]

The Best Form of Funding for a Startup [17:42]

Importance of Paying Customers [ 18:50]

Learning and Applying Concepts from World-Class Professors [19:26]

Prof. Vijay Govindarajan’s Three-Box Solution [ 19:50]

Thinking of the S-Curve [23:00]

Applying the Three Box Solution in Leadership Growth and Transition [25:13]

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Learning Science approach [26:30]

Emerging aspects of Learning Science [29:00]

BOYT – The New Model of Corporate Upskilling [32:02]

Education – Giving vs. Receiving [33:40]

How Expectations from Learning are Changing [34:30]

Inspiration to Learn in the Early Days [35:15]

Learning to take risks after an MBA [37:20]

What is the Definition of Failure? [ 38:00]

Solving the “Good Education” crisis [ 39:34]

Internship with Dave Barger of Jet Blue [41:52]

How will the education business transform? [44:50]

How to achieve Work-Life Harmony? [48.15]

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