JEE failure didn't stop him: Ankur Warikoo shares story of self-taught designer

Ankur Warikoo shared the story of an Indore designer who built a product design career after failing JEE twice. The post has reignited debate over whether skills and portfolios matter more than credentials.Ankur Warikoo says India has a ‘label problem’, cites self-taught designer who failed JEE twice (photo: Instagram/ankurwarikoo; AI-enhanced)Entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo has sparked a discussion on how India defines talent after sharing the story of a young designer from Indore who, despite failing the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) twice, built a career in product design through self-learning. It is however, not clear if the designer from Indore failed JEE Main or JEE Advanced.Warikoo said India does not have a talent shortage but a “label problem”. He argued that people are often judged by their college, degree or company rather than their actual skills and potential.“We’ve been trained to recognise talent only when it comes stamped with the right college, degree, or company,” Warikoo said in a social media post. He added that this leaves some talented people “invisible”.FAILED JEE TWICE, LEARNT PRODUCT DESIGN ON YOUTUBETo make his point, Warikoo shared the example of a young man from Indore. According to Warikoo, the man failed to clear JEE twice but did not allow the setback to define his career. Instead, he taught himself product design through YouTube, studying at night. Warikoo claimed that the designer eventually built a portfolio that he believed could rival those of graduates from top engineering institutes.“He freelances and makes 2L per month,” Warikoo said. Ankur Warikoo says India has a ‘label problem’, cites self-taught designer who failed JEE twice (Image: instagram.com/ankurwarikoo/) CREDENTIALS CANNOT TELL YOU HOW FAR YOU CAN GOWarikoo said educational and professional credentials can show where a person has studied or worked, but they do not necessarily indicate their future potential.“Credentials can tell you where someone has been. They cannot tell you how far they can go,” he said.His post has also triggered debate online, with some users questioning whether one successful example can challenge the wider value of elite institutions. Others argued that the story highlights the growing importance of skills, portfolios and self-learning alongside formal qualifications.Warikoo’s comments come amid a wider shift towards skill-based learning and alternative career paths, particularly as online platforms make it easier for young people to learn specialised skills outside traditional degree programmes.Warikoo himself has previously spoken about setbacks in his own career. On his website, he has written about failing to clear JEE at 18, dropping out of a PhD programme in the US at 24 and later moving into entrepreneurship.Disclaimer: This story is based on a social media post. The details, including figures, background, and outcomes, have not been independently verified by India Today. The article is intended for informational purposes only, and readers are advised to exercise their own discretion before drawing conclusions or making decisions based on the content.- EndsPublished By: Mridusmita DekaPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 12:30 IST