JugaadXtreme Adventures: Changing the way India thinks about Outdoor Education.
You get up early in the morning and reach for your phone. You reply to messages, swipe reels, and lazily freshen up to start your day. It involves getting up and taking your place at the desk where you open your mail, hop between tabs as your eyes are glued to the screen, and your body doesn’t move. The sedentary lifestyle has become a staple feature of modern life, especially with the rise of remote work and the aftermath of the pandemic.
While this may provide great convenience, it has shifted us away from the natural outdoor habitats, something that Raini Junaid and JugaadXtreme are trying to reclaim. Raini identifies himself as an outdoor educator and trek guide. His hobbies involve outdoor games like athletics and cricket. Having completed a Bachelor’s in Electronics and Telecommunications in Bandra, a pivot included working with Decathlon Sports India for over a year. He also completed courses in mountaineering, basic and advanced search and rescue and rock climbing. high line and flatline, after his graduation degree to become a more credible figure in this space.
Since his college days, Raini loved hiking and going to the mountains. He also loved the word ‘Jugaad’. His desire to be innovative with limited resources and affection for the outdoors combined to birth the name JugaadXtreme. The simple motto – to connect sports and adventure.
The Core Idea behind the Business:
But the idea behind JugaadXtreme is more than just having a fun experience in nature. Raini Junaid believes that people should also learn practical skills that help them feel self-reliant when exploring the outdoors. The primary object he believes is to eliminate fear, because often it is the biggest obstacle in our lives. One of their core philosophies is that all schools don’t have four walls.
When it comes to sedentary lifestyles, Raini believes we have rewired our brains to stay indoors, mainly because of technology. He’s sympathetic to people’s work routine and other responsibilities, but pushes them to spend as much time outside their house as possible. Disconnecting from the screen, spending time in nature or getting some movement can be great anti-depressants in themselves.
Apart from making people experience nature, JugaadXtreme wants to inculcate the basics of outdoor activities, such as the right ethics, awareness and leadership required in the outdoors. These are skills easily transferable in everyday life. So, essentially, Raini is interested in building a great community of learners, of people willing to experience and tackle their fears.
Struggles and Advice:
Gaining trust is another key factor. Theories and knowledge are important, but theory without practical knowledge is of little use. When asked about the struggle, he pointed out that for a startup owner, most days are a struggle because you rarely get any days off. Developing trust was also another key struggle, especially in the earlier days. Getting that first sale and convincing people to come outdoors with him was a tough task initially.
Financial constraints were another major struggle during the building phase, but these are obstacles that shape your trajectory. Every setback should be used as a stepping stone to figure out your next move, and that’s exactly what Raini advocates. He also advises everyone to go with the flow and trust the process.
Authenticity and consistency, in his view, are the pillars of a solid foundation, whether in business or in life. One concluding thought he mentioned was that people will always remember how you made them feel. So never promise what you can’t deliver, and you ultimately attract what you put out into this world.
JugaadXtreme is trying to create not just outdoor experiences, but also to inculcate a healthier lifestyle while teaching key skills required in the personal and professional domains.