Aditya Saxena is a graduate in BE Computer Science (Dubai, ‘23). Aditya founded Upskillr.ai, an LLM-based B2B SaaS venture, in his junior year at BITS Pilani. The company was later acquired by House of Blockchain, a Mumbai-based IT firm, in 2024. Aditya will now be pursuing a Master's in Computer Science and Statistics (Data Science Track) this fall at Harvard University, working under Prof. Mark E. Glickman, the inventor of the Glicko rating system.

Q 1. Could you share a memorable project you undertook at BITS and tell us about Upskillr? What drove you to build this platform, and what values and skills have you learned through this experience?

Upskillr.ai started as a simple Chrome extension project that my friends and I worked on during the COVID-19 break. The task was straightforward: help users scan through job descriptions on platforms, like Naukri.com, Indeed, and IIMJobs, compare them with their resumes, and identify the required or missing skill sets. We spent hours creating an MVP, which we thought worked well, but the user feedback was brutal.

We continued pivoting, talking to users, and understanding their pain points, leading us to our product-market fit. We focused on providing generative AI services to non-tech-savvy B2B clients through a simple UX. This approach helped us land significant clients, like SP Jain School of Global Management (all four campuses), the American Academy of Financial Management India and more.

As a founder, my responsibilities encompassed everything from planning short-term milestones and marketing strategies to finding leads on LinkedIn, coding day and night to keep the product running, iterating to add more features, onboarding clients, and handling their daily queries. It was a roller coaster of ups and downs, made even more challenging by balancing my CGPA and academics.

However, each setback built my confidence and affirmed my ability to overcome challenges. Growing a venture was the toughest job I have ever done, yet it was also the most rewarding and fulfilling. The key takeaway from this journey is that every problem has a solution; one just needs to spend more time, experiment with different approaches, or ask for help if needed. It's okay to fall short, but not trying is even guiltier. I believe everyone should attempt to build their own venture. The learning curve is exponential, and the experience, though painful at times, is unparalleled.

Q 2. Can you discuss any extracurricular activities or organizations you participated in at the University, and how they built and refined your leadership qualities? Additionally, handling multiple responsibilities can be taxing. What do you do to de-stress, and have you undertaken any volunteering work in your leisure time?

During my undergraduate years at BITS, I was actively involved in various organizations. I founded the Wall Street Club in my second year with a couple of seniors, focusing on spreading basic financial literacy among students. I also led ACM BPDC and CIIED (now E-Cell). My initial aim in joining these organizations was to develop my soft skills, something I had little time or opportunity to do during my heavily academic-focused high school years.

Learning from like-minded individuals in these organizations was incredibly meaningful. It taught me to work and lead teams, delegate tasks, take ownership of decisions, and deal with diverse people. Therefore, in my final year, I focused on sharing my learnings with juniors and helping them avoid the mistakes I had made. 

Handling multiple responsibilities was only possible by planning early, having a schedule, and following it consistently—there are no other secrets.

To de-stress, I didn't do anything special. Spending quality time with my close-knit circle of friends, ordering food online, and engaging in fun banter at night over cards was the perfect reset for the next day. This simple yet effective way of unwinding helped me manage the pressures and responsibilities of university and professional life.

Q 3. How has BITS Pilani supported your professional development since graduating, such as through alumni networks, career services, or continuing education opportunities?

BITS Pilani has been immensely supportive in my entrepreneurial journey, providing a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem for its students. Upskillr.ai received its first grant of INR 5 lakhs from BITS alumni through the PIEDS x MapMyIndia fund, which was crucial as we were bootstrapped at that time. We were later incubated at BGIIES, BITS Goa, which further increased our visibility and provided necessary resources. The opportunities and resources, along with faculty support for entrepreneurship, are exceptional, driven by a genuine intention to see their students succeed.

Q 4. What advice would you give to current engineering students at BITS Pilani to make the most out of their time there?

Honestly, I don't feel BITSians need much advice. Some have already planned their short-term goals and are working on them, while others are exploring their calling or transitioning to different goals. All of these approaches are fine since everyone has their own timelines, and all situations are subjective.

In college, try something you're not good at. For me, it was working in a team, so I joined student bodies to improve that skill. What I would advise is if you're not spending your time on academics (being more straightforward - bunking classes), make sure that time is spent on something valuable and meaningful. This could be something that helps you, others, or ideally both. Because in the end, no one is coming to save you; you have to take responsibility for your growth and success.

Q 5. What advice would you give to students aiming to get into top universities, like Harvard  and those starting their own ventures in college?

For students targeting top universities abroad, there isn't a secret formula. However, the earlier you decide to study abroad, the more time you have to plan and build your profile. In short, focus on strong foundations: maintain a solid GPA, obtain quality letters of recommendation from professors, write humble yet memorable statements of purpose (aligning with the target university's motto), achieve good GRE/GMAT scores if needed, and develop an X factor that sets your profile apart. This could be a strong research background, significant extracurricular activities, or unique achievements.

For students venturing into entrepreneurship during college, be prepared for a challenging journey that will test you physically, emotionally, and mentally. Keep an open mindset, engage extensively with your target customers before launching anything, and most importantly, have a great founding team. You can't do everything on your own, nor do you need to. Embrace all the learnings with feet rooted to the ground.