Every 15 days, the Apni Pathshala family comes together for Team Talks, a space where teams openly share their progress, challenges, learnings, and a little behind-the-scenes reality.
Since this month marks the last month of the year, the past 15 days were especially packed. Most of the team’s time went into meetings, preparing yearly and quarterly reports, and brainstorming next year’s goals, strategies, and priorities.
With many core team members on leave, the pace slowed at times, and the workload felt heavier than usual. But breaks don’t last forever; the team is now back with a bang, recharged and ready to move fast again.
There were no big launches or chaotic rollouts this cycle. Instead, it was a thinking-heavy phase filled with planning, reflection, and what we like to call a true brain-bursting quarter.
And wait… You won’t believe this, the police visited Apni Pathshala.
Before imaginations run wild, don’t worry, let me tell you it turned into an unexpected but positive moment. Curious? Watch this video.
Here’s how each team spent the last 15 days.
POD Management Team
The last 15 days were no joke for the POD Management Team. With most team members on leave and responsibilities piling up, the pressure was very real. Right on time, Atharva Chorghe, our new team member, stepped in and helped the team hold the fort and share the load.
Despite the chaos, the team successfully stabilised AP 2.0 POD operations and kept everything running smoothly. The effort didn’t go unnoticed; it wrapped up on a happy note with a well-earned pizza party from the CEO, proving once again that teamwork (and pizza) can fix almost anything.
Achievements
- Stabilised AP 2.0 POD operations out of 34 PODs, 24 PODs submitted their weekly reports, improving coordination and follow-ups.
- Collected one-year achievement data from 17 PODs, helping build a clearer impact picture.
- Successfully completed 6-month achievement data collection for AP 2.1 PODs, with all PODs submitting their data.
- Conducted November’s Growth Session, which almost went off-track due to last-minute prep and limited availability, but the team pulled it off smoothly.
- Initiated work on the Weekly Report Automation Workflow and documentation to reduce manual confusion and delays.
Challenges
- Team coordination became difficult due to frequent changes and limited member availability.
- Hiring and onboarding new team members proved challenging.
- Delays in weekly reports from some PODs continued.
- Difficulty receiving clear photos and original videos from a few POD leaders.
- Google Form issues and workflow mismatches caused confusion during data collection.
Tech Team
The Tech Team, covering Website, Computer, and Student Safety Software, focused on strengthening systems, fixing foundations, and preparing for smoother execution in the coming months.
Website Team
The Website Team spent this cycle testing systems, improving planning accuracy, and laying the groundwork for automation, all while working in less-than-ideal conditions.
Achievements
- Actively tested the PMS software, planned for an upcoming launch.
- Created a new Target Sheet for clearer planning and tracking.
- Began automating the KPI sheet using n8n, reducing manual dependency.
Challenges
- Development slowed due to poor network connectivity while working remotely from a village.
- Adjusting to a new work environment impacted speed and coordination initially.
Computer Team
The Computer Team focused on deployments, complaint resolution, and tightening internal processes.
Achievements
- Completed shipments to 2 new PODs in the last 15 days.
- Resolved multiple POD complaints by reallocating assets from repossessed PODs when required.
- Created 2 new SOPs: Shipment SOP and Complaint SOP to ensure smoother workflows and faster resolutions.
Challenges
- Complaint resolution slowed when PODs did not follow the proper complaint format or missed details.
- Multiple follow-ups were required, delaying timelines.
Student Safety Software Team
The Student Safety Software Team focused on scaling enrollments while tightening safety controls and improving internal workflows.
Achievements
- Successfully enrolled 842 students across PODs.
- Enrolled 530 machines under the SSS system.
- Implemented gaming website blocking to ensure focused and safe usage.
- Resolved multiple POD issues remotely, reducing downtime.
- Added a faster complaint resolution workflow.
- Introduced a workflow for AP 2.1 PODs, ensuring SSS is pre-installed before PC shipment.
- Began work on the Super 100 project alongside regular responsibilities.
Challenges
- Delay in receiving accurate data from 2 PODs impacted planning.
- Backlogs slowed task completion.
- Rollout pace reduced due to coordination and operational challenges.
- Multiple minor and major technical issues surfaced across PODs.
- Delayed coordination from some POD leaders affected resolution speed.
Social Media Team
The Social Media Team focused on consistency, fixing processes, and experimenting with feedback-driven content while closing month-end reports.
Achievements
- Launched the Eklavya AI Student Feedback Initiative.
- Increased followers organically without paid ads.
- Fixed errors across multiple blog posts, improving content quality.
- Successfully prepared and conducted the growth session.
- Closed all pending reports (with revisions, but fully completed).
- The top 10 NPO POD blogs performed well, showing stronger storytelling.
- Created a new process for sharing success stories via blogs.
- Promoted the Super 100 program actively on Twitter.
- YouTube showed a strong recovery 5+ videos crossing 1k views, even after facing a strike.
Challenges
- Most team members were on leave at the same time, reducing capacity.
- December became a heavy reporting month, limiting future planning.
- Tracking the Top 10 POD blogs became harder as POD numbers increased.
- One POD’s internal challenges impacted content flow.
- Instagram temporarily restricted content sharing.
- The blog workflow slowed while the website manager was on vacation.
Galti Se Mistake
Because growth is incomplete without owning up to what didn’t go as planned, here’s a quick look at our “Galti Se Mistake” moments from the last 15 days:
- We underestimated how much team availability would be impacted when multiple core members went on leave at the same time, which suddenly increased the workload.
- Some last-minute preparations, especially around the Growth Session, added avoidable pressure that better planning could have reduced.
- Being too lenient with some PODs led to delayed responses and missed timelines, making it clear that flexibility without clear boundaries can sometimes be taken for granted.
- Reporting workflows and Google Forms still confused a few PODs, highlighting the need for simpler, clearer systems.
- Small coordination gaps between teams resulted in misunderstandings and mess-ups.
The upside? Every mistake turned into a learning experience. These insights are already helping us tighten processes, set clearer expectations, and move into the next cycle stronger and smarter. Do you want to know our hidden challenge? Watch this video.
Conclusion
The last 15 days at Apni Pathshala were less about launches and more about thinking, fixing, and planning.
Despite limited manpower, connectivity issues, and reporting pressure, every team showed resilience, adaptability, and strong collaboration.
From stabilising POD operations and improving safety systems to tightening workflows and planning for the year ahead, this cycle laid important groundwork for what’s coming next. As the team regroups and gears up for the new year, one thing is clear: the foundation is stronger, the vision is sharper, and the energy is back.
If you enjoy audio-visual stories, don’t miss our Internal Gupshup series on YouTube and Instagram for behind-the-scenes highlights, candid moments, and the latest updates straight from our teams.
If you want to dive into our previous adventure, read our Team Talks Of Apni Pathshala: Ep-7, and if you are a new reader and curious about this journey, read our Team Talks Of Apni Pathshala: Ep-1 and feel free to comment on your thoughts.
