Quick Info→
Hometown: Mangalore, Karnataka Age: 28 Years Marital Status: Unmarried
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | • Entrepreneur • Content creator • Finance Influencer |
| Famous For | Creating content on his Instagram page ‘Finance with Sharan’ |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 183 cm in meters– 1.83 m in feet & inches– 6’ 0” |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Award | 2022: Cultural Brand Ambassadors of India Award |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 15 July 1995 (Saturday) |
| Age (as of 2023) | 28 Years |
| Birthplace | Mangalore, Karnataka |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Signature | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mangalore, Karnataka |
| College/University | • R. V. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka • Columbia Business School, New York |
| Educational Qualification(s) [1]Sharan Hegde – Linkedin | • Mechanical Engineering (2014-2018) • Master of Business Administration (dropped out in August 2022) |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father– Name Not Known (businessman) Mother– Name Not Known |
| Siblings | Sister– Shreya Hedge (image in parents section) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Sharan Hegde
- Sharan Hegde is an Indian entrepreneur, content creator and finance influencer who is known for creating content on his Instagram page with the title ‘Finance with Sharan.’
- His journey began during school when he couldn’t achieve his dream of getting into his desired college IIT. This setback fueled his competitive spirit, which he carried with him for the next few years.
- As a child, Sharan was always curious and got into trouble for asking many questions. His father owned a restaurant in Mysore, and during summer vacations, Sharan used to go with him to the restaurant. He enjoyed collecting money, reading books, and asking about cash flow at the cash counter. This sparked his interest in money.
- However, like many Indian parents, his parents’ understanding of investing was confined to a savings account, FD, and real estate. Although their discussions were limited to these aspects, they never discouraged him from discussing money or savings. Saving was a priority for his parents rather than investing.
- Sharan developed an interest in finance while pursuing engineering and saving a considerable amount during that period.
- Like everyone else, he used to receive money during festivals and birthdays from his grandmother. However, he saved that cash in a safe locker instead of spending it. By the third year of engineering, it had grown to about a lakh. He had no immediate needs and didn’t want to spend it. The next thought that crossed his mind was how to invest it further. He aimed to move beyond just having a savings account and FDs and ventured into the stock market.
- Sharan turned to YouTube videos by financial creators such as CA Rachana Ranade and other brands, which introduced him to mutual funds. Later, he opened a Zerodha account and began his journey into investing.
- As he got into the world of finance, he initially read and watched various content to grasp the concepts. Gradually, he started exploring books to deepen his knowledge in this field. Later on, he extended his exploration to taxation while earning a salary. Instead of relying on a Chartered Accountant, he chose to educate himself. When he shared these concepts with others, they were often amazed and struggled to comprehend personal finance. This led to his decision to create finance content.
- When he started making content, he was determined not to present information in a convoluted manner just because he learned financial terms.
- His sister, who lacked a business or finance background, played a significant role in influencing this perspective.
- Amidst the pandemic, Sharan used to guide his friends on investment options. This led to their entry into the job market, where they had little knowledge about managing their finances. The complexities of 80C and taxes were unfamiliar to them, and they were not inclined to delve into extensive research.
- Realizing that many people, even outside his friend group, lacked understanding in these areas due to the absence of formal education on the subject, motivated him to teach finance. Additionally, having extra time during the pandemic allowed him to explore more content. Eventually, he came across Ali Abdaal, whose accomplishments inspired him to begin his journey.
- Sharan didn’t immediately start creating content. Instead, he began by writing a script. When he visited his hometown, Mangalore, he entered his room and shot the video. Being an introvert, facing the camera wasn’t easy, and it took him some time to become comfortable with it.
- His first YouTube video had poor lighting, but he learned how to edit. The process was challenging, and it took two weeks to post it.
- In an interview, he said that he spends approximately 45 minutes shooting a reel, covering costume changes and retakes. He dedicates about 4-5 hours weekly, and the process is mostly automated, with his team, including his sister, chief social media strategist, and editor, taking over after the shooting.
- Sharan initially focused on mutual funds, as he was quite familiar with them. However, he later recognized that covering topics like taxation and insurance would help educate a broader audience.
- He chooses content based on what’s already available. Since he does not generate entirely new content, his approach involves simplifying existing information into more accessible formats.
- Sharan watches a lot of content, and when he believes a specific topic could benefit more people, he decides to cover it. Despite being a millennial, he wasn’t initially active on Instagram. However, his sister encouraged him to share videos on Instagram and promote them by including YouTube links. Recognizing Instagram’s potential and wide audience, he started making exclusive videos for the platform.
- Sharan noticed that Instagram users enjoy light-hearted and entertaining content. To make his videos engaging, he combines information, humour, and skits. His content often includes Bangalore lingo and pop culture references like superheroes, making it relatable and relevant.
- In the beginning, he faced negative comments but didn’t let them discourage me. Over time, he improved and learned that dedication and effort lead to progress in anything you do. His videos gained attention, so he continued to experiment and improve his content every day.
- After reaching 15K followers on Instagram, Sharan decided to enhance his setup by investing in a ring light, props, and a phone holder. Despite having these tools, he continued to shoot all his videos using his iPhone. His sister, Shreya, handled the video editing. His primary considerations when creating content are whether it can make a significant impact on a broad audience and if people can benefit from it in the long term.
- In an interview, he shared his sister’s contribution to his videos. In the interview, he said,
My sister also learns from lifestyle and fashion influencers and experiments with our content. She tries to increase the story views because people usually prefer swiping up or downloading directly from the stories with financial content. Knowing how many clicks or downloads a brand has received from my story are vital for any influencer trying to monetize their content.”
- Sharan collaborates with a brand manager who assists in securing brand deals and negotiations. He emphasizes the importance of their role in securing deals due to their extensive connections and understanding of industry pricing. His brand partnerships include The Souled Store, Coinswitch Kuber, Slice, and GoDutch, while his influencer collaborations involve Tanya Appachu and Raj Shamani. Sharan highlights the strategy of leveraging the followers of both accounts by creating relevant content for each audience.
- According to him, he does not spend all day on his mobile phone. To reduce his social media usage, he set up reminders that alert him when he spends too much time online. When he is at home, he prioritizes eating meals with his family.
- He has 2.5 million+ subscribers on YouTube and 2.4 million followers on Instagram.
- In July 2018, he started working as an analyst at KPMG, Greater Bengaluru Area. He worked on BFSI and E-commerce Management Consulting till November 2020.
- In 2019, he set a new goal to secure a promotion in his job as a management consultant. This promotion was crucial for his MBA application. Despite two years of hard work, he only received a 5% salary increment without the promotion, marking setback number 2.
- Following that, he aimed to crack CAT 2021 with the dream of getting into IIM Bangalore.
- He became an Associate Consultant at PwC, Greater Bengaluru Area in April 2021. He left the company in January 2022.
- In January 2021, he started Finance With Sharan and started working as a finance influencer. The platform received various recognitions including Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2023, Economic Times Mega Influencer 2023, Forbes Top 100 Influencers 2022 and Finance Influencer of the Year 2022, 2023.
- In April 2022, he became the founder and CEO of The 1% Club. The club is a members-only community that helps people achieve financial independence and become the top 1%.
References/Sources:[+]
| ↑1 | Sharan Hegde – Linkedin |
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