(February 23, 2024) When he first started making YouTube videos about managing one’s finances and investing money, Sharan B Hegde’s vision was to impart the knowledge he had gained over the years. Over the years, however, this 28-year-old established his name in the digital space by explaining new, complex terms such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse, the result being that he has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, 300k+ YouTube subscribers, and over 65k followers on LinkedIn.
“I never realised that my videos would become so popular, I was working as a management consultant for PWC, and during the pandemic ended up having a lot of time on my hands and that’s when I began making the content. I create engaging personal finance content with a blend of comedic flavour and cosplay on Instagram and YouTube. I also write down highly action-oriented posts on LinkedIn and Twitter for those who prefer to read it instead,” said the content creator, who recently made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.
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Not just a content creator, Sharan is also the founder of The 1% Club. “It is an exclusive members-only community to help people achieve financial independence and become the top one percent. I believe that financial independence is a superpower to never be controlled by money, and less than one percent of the people can achieve it in their lifetime. Even Kaun Banega Crorepati winners end up bankrupt. Clearly, there is a massive need for us to learn what our schools never taught us and my platform is the solution to this problem,” the Global Indian expressed.
Starting young
Born in Mangaluru to a well-off family, Sharan’s interest in personal finance and investment began from when he was just a little boy. “My mother taught me and my sister Shreya about the monthly budget of the family, and the opportunity cost of everything that was bought for the house. Whenever my dad would take me to a toy store, he used to say, ‘You can’t buy anything more than Rs 100′. They made me understand the value of money. Every time I asked for money, they made me think about whether I needed it,” the content creator shared. In fact, for birthdays and special events, Sharan received money from his grandparents, but he never used it. By the time he turned 18, the total had grown to an impressive Rs 50,000. “Money has been a very big motivator for me since childhood to be the best version of myself,” he added.
A bright student, Sharan pursued a mechanical engineering degree from Bengaluru, and it was here that it first occurred to him that he should make a career in the finances. Shared the content creator, “I was a part of the academic club at my college, and I could manage the funds better than most of the lot. We actually saved a lot and were able to afford many equipment. Eventually, I was promoted to be the Chief Financial Officer of the club. Interestingly, managing the money and strategising how to invest or spend it wasn’t really ‘work’ for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, I decided to pursue a career in that field.” Thus, the content creator started his corporate career at KPMG India as a Management Consultant.
Focussing on finance
During the pandemic, Sharan discovered that even those who didn’t lose their jobs were worried about maintaining their finances. And that gave him the thought to start his own channel to impart the knowledge he has acquired over the years. “It’s so important to learn about maintaining finances – and how to invest or spend it – it’s such an essential life skill. But when I researched, I found that the content available online back then was so dull that most people were not going to watch it. Schools are not teaching it, and people are not gonna learn about it even after they start working, and sometimes not even after that,” the content creator said.
And thus in December 2020, he started making engaging YouTube videos on his channel, ‘Finance with Sharan’. “Initially, I thought that a few hundred might watch it, but the reach and speed of the channel really surprised me. Eventually, I started making witty and enlightening Instagram reels and they took off almost immediately,” he shared.
Currently focussed on his organization, Sharan aims to better other people’s lives by spreading financial knowledge. “My mission to spread financial literacy and make it fun for others saw growth in leaps and bounds. Over the last three years, I have realised that there is a need to make finance simple and effective, and that is exactly what I am here to do,” said the content creator, adding, “There are so many people who are better than you, the world is a tough place and sometimes even if you put all your hard work into it, you might still not come first and that is difficult to accept.”
