There’s a line I caught myself repeating a lot this year:
“Culture is like fixing a car while it’s moving.”

A couple of months ago, we were in a meeting and someone casually mentioned Formula One. It stuck with me. I went home, read a little about it, and the more I dug in, the more I realised something unexpected:

F1 isn’t that different from running a company.

Or raising a child.

Or trying to keep a team together in the middle of a tough season.
We didn’t get a break

It was the middle of the academic year.
Admissions were open. Tech was sprinting.
Half our leadership team was new.

It wasn’t the time to stop and rebuild.
But it was exactly when rebuilding was needed.

Most leaders wait for the “right moment” to fix what’s off.

When things calm down.
When the quarter ends.
When the new system is ready.

But life doesn’t gift us those perfect pockets of silence.

So instead of waiting, I shifted my own role first.

I went from operator to observer.
From approvals to accountability.
I stopped signing every small decision.
Set clear financial limits.
And stayed quiet even when I felt the urge to jump in.

Because control doesn’t build ownership.
Trust does.

And culture doesn’t start in a meeting.

It starts the moment you let people steer (even if the drive feels a little shaky at first).

I learned this at home before I applied it at work.

Years ago, when my son Hrriday was in nursery, his teacher complained that he kept wandering out of his seat.

When I asked him why, he simply said:
“Papa, why can’t I study in the courtyard? Why do I have to sit at the desk?”

He wasn’t resisting learning.

He was resisting a structure that wasn’t built for him.

That day taught me something: sometimes people don’t need more rules.
They just need a little space to find their own rhythm.

When I read more about Formula One, I also realised something I never noticed as a kid:

Growing up, we all glorified the driver.
But the real secret of winning is the team behind the driver. The people we never see. They are the ones who create rhythm, not the person holding the wheel.

And that felt very close to what we do at work and at home.

So the way I see it now, culture is built like a pit stop… in motion. Not in a garage.

Here’s how we approached it:

Exactly what an F1 crew does.

They don’t interfere while the driver is racing, but they’re fully watching.

Leaders and parents do the same. You observe without smothering.

Only then do you notice where the real friction is.

A good pit crew doesn’t rebuild the entire car mid-race.

They make tiny but precise adjustments.

That’s what we did at 21K School.

Simple financial controls. Clear limits. Faster decisions.

Small levers. Big change.

No F1 team shouts instructions at the driver every minute.

They trust the driver to make calls.

Parents do that with their kids.

Leaders must do that with their teams.

When I stopped answering every question, people started finding their own answers.

Repairing in motion isn’t chaos.

It’s culture in practice.

We’re opening up five first-of-their-kind roles at 21K School — the kind of roles where you don’t inherit a system…you build it.

If you want to apply or know someone who should, just forward this email or reply to me directly.

Our first product leader outside of me.

You’ll shape the product philosophy, own the roadmap, and build the product function from zero, with full freedom, trust, and a blank canvas to create your own team.

The first performance marketing head in 21K School.

You will build the entire demand engine, including channels, funnels, analytics, team, and own the growth math end-to-end. You get to create it.

Our first dedicated brand + social lead.

If you’ve ever wanted to define the voice of a company, not just manage it. This is that moment. You’ll set the narrative, build the playbook, and later grow the brand team around you.

Our first hire to take 21K School into new geographies.

You’ll open markets, build offline alliances, and shape our global footprint from the ground up. A true builder’s role — high trust, high ownership, zero legacy constraints.

Our first creative leader.

You’ll craft the storytelling engine for 21K School, including video, design, content, campaigns, and eventually build a full creative team around your vision.

I have a special place in my heart for the subscribers of this newsletter—you are my go-to community. And I sincerely hope to fill at least a few of these positions from my community.

We all have a place where we’re trying to guide without gripping too tightly. Where is that for you right now?

Reply and let me know. I’m genuinely curious.

With love and joy,
Yeshwanth

Founder and CEO, 21K School
Connect with me: linkedin.com/in/yeshwanth
(Even better, let me know what you think about this post.)

P.S. What’s a word that comes to your mind when I say Excellence? I’m asking you because I can’t stop thinking about it. It means a lot to me at every level — personally, as a father, and as a CEO. Let me know what you think about Excellence (or anything I said in this edition or past ones).

P.P.S. I want to make this newsletter better. What’s ONE THING you’d like me to include or exclude to make this better? Thank you for your support (and your advice)!

So, where do you want to take this next?

Some of you love the leadership side:
How to rebuild rhythm, trust, and accountability without hitting the brakes.

Others connect more with the parenting lens:
How to give kids space, confidence, and autonomy without stepping away.

So tell me this:

What should the next edition go deeper into — leadership or parenting?

As I sign off this one, the word that’s haunting my head is Excellence.

Just hit reply. I read every message myself, and your note will shape where we take this.

You don’t stop the car to fix culture.
You tune it, refuel it, and trust it — while moving.