Meet Nelson Sivalingam, founder of HowNow

Tell me a little about your life before starting HowNow

After graduating from university with a degree in Business & Management I went on to work at Apple and then L’Oréal, but I quickly realised that the “big company” life wasn’t for me and I would be better suited to a startup environment. I then co-founded a Production Company, producing commercials and music videos, but my real passion was in film.

I was able to make a couple of short films as well a feature film which made it into a number of international film festivals. I then started a video technology company, with the goal being to make enough money to make films, it was here that I noticed that building a business was a lot like making a film. Almost a decade on, I’m still building businesses!

How did you and your brother start HowNow and what makes the platform unique from other learning platforms?

Myself and my brother, Kuvera, had both worked for a wide variety of different companies and had noticed a similar trend throughout them, and this was that digital training was often insufficient and inefficient.

We started to think about what a learning platform would look like if it was built from the ground up in today’s digital world, where we as consumers are now being exposed to more advanced technology than ever before.

A lot of other learning platforms have been retrofitted from legacy technology and have now been over-engineered to the point where they are hard to use and result in negative knee-jerk reactions from both employees and employers.

Most of these pre-existing platforms were built from an administration and management perspective and could often be confusing or counterproductive for employees. We have built HowNow from a learner’s perspective that will enable them to get real value from their training.

For example, whereas before an employee would have spent time searching for knowledge that is scattered across different apps, websites, systems and people, HowNow brings it all together into one searchable and smart platform, that is accessible everywhere you already work. 

It is important for us to think outside of the tick box. Learning cultures based on 80% compliance training and only 20% continuous learning will struggle to stay relevant in a rapidly changing, competitive market. We want to flip this balance placing as much emphasis as possible on continuous and self-directed learning.

What is the biggest lesson you have personally learnt so far while developing HowNow?

I’d say that the biggest lesson I’ve learnt so far is that the fastest learner wins. As a start-up business you have to figure out a lot of new things that you have no previous knowledge of, and it is vital to find a way to figure this out quickly and before the money runs out. After completing something I will always look back and say okay, I have learnt this, but how could I have learnt it faster and what can I take from this moving forward.

And what would you say is your best piece of advice to pass on to new entrepreneurs?

Again, this would be similar to the biggest lesson I’ve learnt and that is to continuously learn, fast. To take in as much as you can from books, blogs, podcasts and to speak to a lot of people, even from outside of your network that challenge your preconceptions and force you to see things from a different perspective. I strongly believe in the saying that standing still is being left behind.

What has been the most rewarding aspect for you with the growth of HowNow?

It has been incredible to see the range of companies that have adopted HowNow, our clients range in size from 50 to 50,000 employees and it has been great to see how these different companies across all sectors including technology, fashion, law and others have really taken this modern way of learning in their stride – and empowered their people to take control of their personal and professional development. 

Where next for HowNow? Is there a vision for where you would like to take the company?

We are confident that we have disrupted the space with one of the most innovative platforms available, but we know that there is a lot more that we can do. We don’t want to use technology for the sake of it, but to further leverage innovative technologies to create a learning experience that adds real value to people in a way that was never possible before. We have incredible clients across the globe, and we want to continue to expand our global footprint.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

My parents have undoubtedly been my biggest inspiration throughout my whole life. They fled Sri Lanka during the civil war leaving everything behind and started a whole new life in England. They are a continuous reminder and inspiration for me that you can start with nothing and build something from that if you have the will and the determination. 

In terms of entrepreneurs that have inspired me the most, it would have to be Richard Branson. I read his autobiography during my time at University and was fortunate enough to give a presentation to him on the future of media technology some years later. What struck me the most during this presentation was that I could see that he was still willing to learn by taking notes and he even asked questions afterwards.

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected HowNow?

Although the current situation has been completely devastating for the whole world and there is still no clear end date in sight, it has resulted in the largest ‘working from home’ experiment. As a consequence, we are seeing rapid digital transformation and greater appetite for technology that can help bring knowledge and people together. 

It is incredibly important for organisations to centralise and provide on-demand access to all the knowledge employees need to do their job well and we’re working with many organisations to put this in place quickly. Also, during these uncertain times, provide relevant training to empower them and create a space where they can share their knowledge and learn from each other. 

One of the allowances for employees that have been furloughed is training, and we’ve launched an initiative to offer our learning platform to organisations with 10+ furloughed employees on a pay-what-you-want basis so they can engage with furloughed employees and help them use this time to invest in their development. Not just professional development, but we’re also including free learning resources to help them proactively work on their mental health and financial wellbeing. Organisations can have it free of charge but if they choose to pay as much or as little as they like, we will be donating all of the proceeds to Room to Read to support 1.2 billion vulnerable children who are out of school globally due to COVID-19.

What is your best piece of advice for people who are new to remote working?

My best piece of advice to managers and employers for remote working is to ensure everyone has access to the knowledge they need in order to successfully continue to do their job. Set up a space where employees can share and discover the information they need.

I think when this initial situation arose many saw it as a short term solution, but now with the extended timeline employers should take this opportunity to identify new skill gaps in the business and to also invest in your employees by providing them with new training that will increase development.

How are you maintaining a work / life balance during lockdown?

This is an area that I know I need to work on, and I am still learning to get right. I find that if you love what you do, it is hard to call it work and when you are allowed to have creative expression while adding to other people’s experiences it is incredibly rewarding, yet hard to draw a line between business and pleasure. At the very least, when I’m not working I try not to think about working at all and be fully present in whatever it is that I’m doing.