Hi [FORMATTED_SUBSCRIBER_NAME GOES HERE],

Soundarya here, aka thecuriousmaverick :)

It's been six weeks since I started this newsletter and podcast. I'm planning to record two more episodes for 2024 before ending Season 1 of the podcast. I still plan to continue the newsletter beyond that and am currently thinking of what would be most useful for you. What would you like to hear from me? What questions are you trying to answer? Hit reply and let me know.

🎁 As always, every edition will have a surprise gift hidden in the newsletter. For this week, it's hidden inside a word. Whoever clicks the link first will claim it. Scroll to the end to see who won last week!

With that, let's go.

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This week's maverick: Eela Dubey

TL;DR: Read the story of a maverick who is reshaping how parents save for their kids’ education & built a company that has helped 200,000+ do this already.

When I moved to America, I took a loan to cover most of my education cost. This is the case for a lot of students. But what if parents begin to save for their kids’ education from when they are 5 years old—or even earlier?

Eela’s company, EduFund, helps do this in a manner that’s simple and accessible.

Eela Dubey grew up in the U.S., the granddaughter of an immigrant who came to America on a scholarship and transformed the trajectory of his family’s future. She later graduated from NYU, worked on Wall Street, and observed firsthand the power of education—and the barriers that financial inaccessibility can create.

That’s when she co-founded EduFund, an Indian-based platform that enables parents to save, invest, and plan for their children’s educational goals.

“If we don’t plan for it now, we might lose the chance forever.”

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Lesson 1: Indian parents are moving away from public schools

In India, a college degree that costs ₹25 lakhs today might cost ₹1 crore in just 15 years. That’s a more than 2x jump every 10 years.

This trend, driven by inflation and privatization, has parents grappling with the reality of funding their children’s dreams.

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Lesson 2: Education isn’t just a degree; rather mobility

For Eela, education isn’t just a degree—it’s mobility. It’s a way to break generational cycles, lift entire families, and create lasting change.

Her passion isn’t just theoretical; it’s deeply personal. Her grandfather’s scholarship changed her family’s trajectory, and now, she’s dedicated to helping Indian families replicate that success.

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Lesson 3: Need for improving financial literacy amongst women

Eela is also working to improve financial literacy among women in India, starting with Anganwadi workers.

These community leaders are often the backbone of their families but lack access to basic financial education. Through her fellowship with the Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices, Eela is helping 500 women start small investments.

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This week's tiny experiment

Experiment: Declare your 2025 goals to the public.

Reasoning: Public accountability has worked time and again in my life, and the lives of those around me. A great example of a business idea based on public accountability is Kickstarter—a platform meant for creators & innovators to share their goals and raise funding to then deliver on them. For 2025, write down 10 goals spanning various parts of your life & share them somewhere: with a group of friends, on social media, or on your blog.

💡 Bonus tip: I’m gonna try something drastic—wake up & start my day by writing down the 12 goals I have for 2025. And do this every single day so I never forget the big picture. Wanna join me on this?

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This week's question for you

Question: If you could go back and relive one conversation, who would it be with and why?

Answer by Raj Pathak: If I could go back and relive one conversation, it would be with my grandmother on the porch of our old home. She shared stories about her life—how she faced struggles with courage and kept going no matter what. Back then, I listened, but I didn’t fully understand how much her words meant. Now, after facing my own challenges, I wish I could go back, listen more carefully, and thank her for the strength and wisdom she gave me without even realizing it.

🤔 Question for you: What’s one thing you wish you had started saving for earlier in life?

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How a novel gets created

I said goodbye to the farm that I’ve been living in for the past two months last weekend.

Two months ago, I was in London. I had gotten into a prestigious 6-month novel-writing program at Faber Academy. I got the Global Talent visa to make it all happen. A new life. New people. New place.

And then I got assaulted on my second day on the street—which led to me making a choice to return to India.

A lot of things didn’t make sense to me on the day of the assault… but it does now :)

The past two months have been incredibly peaceful, productive, and pensive.

I managed to write 62,000+ words for my novel, start this newsletter (and podcast), and be able to run my company (Unshackled) successfully from a tiny house on the farm.

I’m back home in Chennai to spend a few weeks writing and finishing the first draft of my book. Post that, I plan to head to Bangalore to spend a few months working on the second draft there.

By the time I finish this book, it would've traveled three continents 💃

How are you spending the end of this year? Hit reply and let me know.

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👑 Winner: Kshitij Chhabra 👑

Congrats to Kshitij Chhabra who won a free copy of the book "50 Toughest Questions of Life" by Deepak Ramola :)

This week's winner will get a free copy of the book "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann. Start searching 😉 (psst: it's hidden within a word)

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Quote of the week: "It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful."

~ David Steindl-Rast