The Crumbled Hogwarts of the Indian Startup Ecosystem

Once upon a time, there was an institute known for its glory and its people. Those within called themselves Witches and Wizards, and for good reason. The institute became a beacon of aspiration, both for other institutions and for the outside workforce, all yearning to become glorified wizards.

With the Covid boom, this castle became even more glorified, as the dungeon alley was opened to anyone capable of magic.

But then, suddenly, the funding winter came, and we saw the Dementors—in the form of layoffs—swooping in, turning the once-bustling castle into a desolate place of fear. These layoffs kept occurring, each time with more frequency and ruthlessness. Amidst these relentless episodes and immense pressure from the Ministry of Wizards, all the good professors (leaders) abandoned the school to safeguard themselves from the Dementors. What was left was a handful of spineless professors to run this once-magical school, which is now rotting to the core.

If you're reading this and you've ever worked with this organization, you probably already know which one I'm talking about.

Let me now take you through the current scenario at Hogwarts and why it might crumble in the next few years.

The Ministry of Wizards now runs the school from the shadows, somewhere deep within the dungeon alley. The person at the helm—let's call him the Grand Master—operates everything from behind closed doors, running the entire castle based on whatever amuses him, regardless of whether it will improve any outcomes. Due to this, all the Quidditch matches are merely staged for his entertainment, with no consideration for whether the wizards enjoy them or if they feel enslaved.

The Spineless Professors

With the departure of all the great professors, only a couple of spineless and incompetent ones remain. One such professor is Professor Quirrell, who has absolutely no clue how to run a wizarding school effectively. All he does is summon everyone for supper and dictate orders as if he himself were the Grand Master. He knows nothing about how the business actually works—all he does is host the same Quidditch matches under different names like "Diwali Utsav," "Manzil," "Aarambh," etc. He lacks even the basic business acumen to do simple mathematics before organizing these matches. His primary motive is to praise the Grand Master because the Grand Master loves competing against another wizarding school based out of Noida—a competitor he doesn’t even publicly acknowledge.

Then there’s Professor "Mad-Eye" Moody. He once ran another house within the castle, but now it is crumbling to the core. He understands business about as well as you knew Ron would end up with Hermione. All he does is interrogate his L1's L1 and ask random questions that have no relevance to anything remotely magical. In simple words, he is the Muggle professor in a school of wizards.

The Witches and Wizards

Most of the witches and wizards left here are either not pure-bloods or, frankly, pure muggles. They know little to nothing about magic and are simply trying to find a new school, as they are being continually suppressed by both the professors and the Grand Master.

The Outlook

So, what happens next? The wizards with any spark of magic left in them will move to another school—they're already burned out and looking for Platform 9 3/4. These Muggle professors will stay because they have nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, the funding from the Ministry of Wizards will dry up, and what was once a glorified castle will become nothing more than a ruin of ashes.

If you think you've guessed the name of the organization, leave it in the comments.