Every big startup once began as a small idea — often in a classroom, hostel room, or coffee shop. In this section, we feature inspiring stories of student founders who dared to take the first step. From their humble beginnings to the challenges they faced and the milestones they achieved, these journeys will show you what’s possible when ideas meet action.
Cofounders:
Praneeth Reddy Kuraparthi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/praneeth-reddy-825664113/
Prithvi Sai Kavuri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prithvi-sai-kavuri/
Location: Hyderabad
Started: August 2024
Current Stage: Early Customer Discovery & Product Development
Praneeth was still pursuing his MBA at SIBM Pune when the idea for StayBind first struck him. Like many students, he was juggling coursework, projects, and side hustles — but one of those hustles opened his eyes to a big opportunity.
While managing Airbnb properties for a client in Pune, Praneeth personally interacted with over 5,000 guests. He saw what went wrong when check-ins weren’t smooth, when communication lagged, or when housekeeping missed a step. He also noticed how stressed property owners were trying to manage bookings, coordinate staff, and keep guests happy — often with little help from technology.
Instead of just seeing problems, Praneeth saw a possibility. What if there was a platform that could take away most of these headaches and make property management simple, automated, and scalable? That’s how StayBind was born — not in a corporate boardroom, but in the middle of his student life.
In March 2024, he started talking to more property owners, brokers, and co-hosts to understand their pain points better. He mapped the entire guest journey, from discovery to checkout, and identified gaps where technology could make the biggest difference. By August, Praneeth incorporated StayBind and built a small MVP, which he tested on properties he personally managed.
The results spoke for themselves — StayBind helped generate over ₹1 Cr in revenue for clients, proving that the model worked in the real world. The early days weren’t easy, though. Getting integrations with booking platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com was a huge challenge. Praneeth solved it by manually building workflows first, treating it like a live experiment. This hands-on approach helped him understand what really mattered for owners and shaped the product roadmap.
What kept him going were the owners who trusted him and the guests who appreciated the improved experience. The positive feedback became his biggest motivation. Support from mentors like Arjun Panchal and access to the AIC Mahindra University Jumpstart Program gave him the guidance and structure he needed to take StayBind to the next level.
Being a student founder gave Praneeth a unique advantage — he had the freedom to experiment, pivot quickly, and learn fast without the fear of failing big. Balancing coursework and startup life taught him discipline and focus, skills that would prove crucial as StayBind grew.
Today, StayBind is focused on refining its features like automated guest communication, task tracking, and revenue dashboards. Praneeth’s vision is clear: within a year, StayBind will be the go-to property management platform for owners with five or more properties, automating 70–80% of their operations and helping them scale across multiple cities.
His message to other students:
“Start small and stay curious. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or perfect product. Talk to real users, validate your assumptions, and keep iterating. Student life is the safest time to experiment and fail fast — use it to build something meaningful.”
StayBind’s journey proves that student startups can solve real problems, generate real revenue, and create real impact — all while still in college.
