We often hear the phrase, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” but the story of Sarthak Dhawan and Rudy Arora is a living epitome of it. As college freshmen, the two childhood friends faced a universal student struggle: trying to actively listen to complex university lectures while typing comprehensive notes. Instead of just dealing with the frustration, they decided to solve it.
They built Turbo AI, an AI-powered study app that seamlessly turns any recorded lecture, PDF, or YouTube video into beautifully structured notes, interactive quizzes, and flashcards.
What started as a practical tool to help pay for their tuition quickly skyrocketed. Launched in January 2024, while Arora was at Northwestern University and Dhawan was at Duke, the app was generating a staggering $500,000 in monthly revenue by early 2025. This massive traction gave them the financial runway to comfortably drop out after their sophomore year and commit to their venture full-time.
This wasn’t their first time building something useful. Back in high school, the duo had experimented with smaller projects, including a marketplace connecting customers to Christmas light installers and a grade-checking application. While those early ventures were eventually discontinued, they provided the founders with a crucial masterclass in product development and handling customer feedback.
When it came to marketing Turbo AI, they began with approaching students face-to-face on campus. However, the real explosion happened when they shifted to TikTok. By posting three to four times a day, they eventually hit a viral goldmine. The momentum worked magic, encouraging them to double down on organic growth by collaborating with a network of student content creators.
Today, the company operates with a lean, efficient team of just 10 full-time employees and has crossed over $13 million in lifetime revenue.
Despite their unconventional path, the founders offer a grounded perspective on entrepreneurship. They caution other young builders against dropping out too early on a whim, advising that leaving college should only happen after a business demonstrates real, sustainable market growth. Ultimately, Dhawan and Arora haven’t just built a highly profitable company, they’ve proven that solving your own genuine pain points is often the fastest route to building massive market value and customer trust.
Muskan Singh
