Teachers’ Day often takes us back to classrooms, blackboards, and mentors who shaped our formative years. But for entrepreneurs, the most profound lessons usually arrive outside traditional learning spaces—through struggles, failures, mentors, and even their own teams. Four founders reflect on the teachers who left their mark, and the lessons that continue to guide them.
Entrepreneurship itself can feel like the toughest classroom. Zahara Kanchwalla, Co-founder & CEO of Rite KnowledgeLabs, says the journey is nothing short of an accelerated crash course. “Teachers instill curiosity, discipline, and values; entrepreneurship tests them in the real world. From running a tight ship while bootstrapped to managing different personalities in a team, every challenge is a lesson in problem-solving,” she explains. For her, two subjects stand out: time and people. “Juggling endless priorities sharpens your focus like nothing else. And building a leadership team that shares your values, often more skilled than you, is one of the most rewarding experiences.”
While Zahara views entrepreneurship as a teacher in itself, Kumar Abhishek, Founder & CEO of ToneTag, believes the toughest exams come in the form of failures. For him, setbacks have been the best instructors. “Failure is not the opposite of success—it’s the tuition fee you pay for innovation. Each setback has shaped how I approach challenges, design solutions, and build resilient teams. In entrepreneurship, your mistakes are your greatest gurus—if you are willing to learn from them.”
If failure is one kind of teacher, life itself is another. Akhand Swaroop Pandit, Founder of Catalyst School of Business, stresses that growth is found not just in classrooms but in lived experiences. “The real classroom is outside four walls, where every success and failure teaches you something new. Observing, experimenting, and learning from people and situations—that’s what shapes not just careers, but character.” His reflection highlights how true education goes far beyond degrees, into the everyday moments that test resilience and perspective.
And sometimes, the most unexpected teachers are the very people entrepreneurs set out to guide. Pratham Barot, CEO & Co-founder of Zell Education, admits his students have been his biggest source of learning. “When we started Zell, I thought I was here to impart knowledge. Over time, I’ve realized our learners have taught me far more—about patience, adaptability, and the evolving aspirations of young India. They remind me that education isn’t rigid; it must grow with people and their dreams.”
Taken together, these reflections reveal a common truth: the most valuable lessons come not from lectures but from lived reality. For some, entrepreneurship itself became a demanding school. For others, failures, life experiences, or even students took on the role of teacher.
This Teachers’ Day, their stories remind us that growth is not confined to classrooms—because the world outside is always teaching, for those willing to learn.