People ask why I run an academy when the agency makes more per hour.
Honest answer: because I was lucky. An engineering student from Odisha who stumbled into digital marketing in 2016, when nobody around me could explain what a Meta ad account was.
Nine years later — an IIM Calcutta programme, three businesses, and a lot of expensive lessons — I get to compress that decade into 90 days for someone starting today.
We've done it 1,200+ times now at Hashtag. Students become freelancers, agency hires, in-house marketers, founders.
And with AI changing the field this fast, teaching isn't charity. It's how I stay sharp. Nothing exposes a gap in your knowledge like a student's question.
If you've been thinking about mentoring, teaching, or documenting what you know — this is your sign. The market needs practitioners who teach, not just creators who talk.