Guest Interview with Kanika Bhatt

Let’s start at the beginning – Where did you grow up, and how did your environment shape the way you see opportunity, ambition, or limitations? 

I was born in a village in northern India where the birth of a girl is still not celebrated. I was told that when I was born, my grandmother and her family didn’t even come to the hospital to see me. My mother is a homemaker and my father is the sole earner for our family of eight. My sister and I attended government schools (regional language-based), while only my brother was sent to an English-medium school because we couldn’t afford more than that. Growing up, I encountered many situations within both my family and society that made me feel unwanted and unwelcome simply for being a girl. Perhaps it was these experiences that shaped me. I’ve always had to fight, and I still do, every single day.

ID: A happy lady with long dark hair, sitting on a char wearing a light coloured suit.

You’ve spoken about the education system and early career experiences failing you. What kept you going when the system said “no” — and what did you discover about yourself in that process? 

Because of financial constraints, I studied in government schools. These schools often lack infrastructure, good teachers, and global competitiveness due to their local-language and outdated curriculum. I remember staying in the same grade for three years because my family couldn’t afford the fees for the next class. The same story repeated in college. I worked part-time jobs to fund my first year of a Bachelor’s degree, and then had to consider dropping out. Thankfully, my Head of Department helped by waiving off my fees for both my Bachelor’s and later my Master’s. There have been some kind souls who helped me when I needed it the most. 

In another incident during college, most students didn’t get placed. A few seniors started charging students like us, promising to help us find jobs. I joined the group without any fees but in exchange provided help with operations and I never got a job through them. Later, I interned at two different places but still had no luck. If you look at the bigger picture, the system doesn’t give you resources to build real skills, and then demands all your savings for a degree that holds little value. I remember crying and feeling completely worthless. But I’ve always had faith in God. Something inside me told me to build something of my own instead of giving up. Now, after working on GoStudio.ai and connecting with so many people who’ve faced similar struggles, I’ve come to realize: “It’s not my failure. It’s the system’s failure.”

You chose to stay close to home for your family — while still building a tech product from scratch. What does this decision mean to you personally, and how has it shaped your view of success? 

Yes, I received job offers from companies in Delhi-NCR and Bangalore. But my mother is often unwell, my brother is studying in Mumbay, and my father works in Gujarat. I stay with my mother and sister in Chandigarh (all these are different states of India, 1000–2000 kms apart). As the eldest sibling, I have responsibilities at home and can’t leave town for a few years. Most companies I interviewed with didn’t offer remote work for interns or freshers. I’ve always been interested in tech.

So I turned to YouTube tutorials and discovered Twitter IndieHackers like @levelsio, @dannypostma, and @wesleyytain, and marketers like @t_hennau. I reached out to my mentors who have always helped me in my career — I started learning AI and built my first product, GoStudio.ai, inspired by players in the market Aragon.ai, HeadshotPro.com, and BetterPic.ai. I’m not successful yet. I’m still struggling to make it sustainable. Once I find success, I’ll have a clearer answer about my view of success.

What does it really feel like to learn and build in public, especially as a woman in tech in India, outside of traditional tech hubs? 

I didn’t initially build in public. I started by cold messaging people on LinkedIn to try the product. Some influencers suggested I stay active on the platform. So, I began posting once a day for 2–3 months now. From what I’ve seen, many men in tech still assume that women are bad at logic or can’t code. I want to prove them wrong by scaling GoStudio.ai into one of the top five products in its category.

What core values guide you in your life and work? 

I read somewhere that core values are something that we discover as we grow. For me, I think I am still discovering my core values but there are a few that I know I can’t live without — my self-esteem. There have been instances when people have tried to offer me extra money considering my current situation but I ensure from my side, I should be charging only for the product or services I offered — not more, not less.

What role does community play in your work? Have there been key people or groups who made a difference? 

Community plays a big role in any business. I have noticed, in India, the communities that work together do create more wealth and have better lives — strong communities that you would find thriving world-wide like Gujaratis, Keralites, Marwari etc. In my opinion, the community should be extended family for the business and I am fortunate enough to get the support from my family, mentors and my customers. I would like to mention a few customers who are equally dedicated to my success — Jeffrey Jones, Mimi Bland, Andrea Paige, Jess Toft, Alinnette Casiano and many others.

What is your current dream or aspiration whether personal, creative, or professional?

GoStudio.ai has become my personal identity now. My vision for GoStudio.ai is to become the go-to brand and community for the creators — it should provide products and services that make their life easy and help them stay focused on creation. Headshots, Portraits are just the beginning — I would want GoStudio.ai to become the strongest community for the creators around the world.