Imagine having the opportunity to learn at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, or having your own organisation-branded eLearning. Or even a system that addresses learner preferences, making existing features and tasks quicker, easier, and more user-friendly.

These are the features that Sam Suresh, ModernLMS founder, and CEO have built into his app to ensure learners have all the features they need – especially Gen Z.

As it turns out, Suresh was trying to solve a problem that he was facing. This is what led to ModernLMS in 2015 which is targeted at startups and brick and mortar companies.

“I began as a technology instructor and have since worked in many industries and sectors. Over the years, I found that one of the major challenges that I have faced is that most of the training conducted is usually “touch n go” whereby there is a classroom and a trainer and there are also certain days where you have to attend class,” said Suresh.

He felt that this process was not the best way to learn new software and generate skills. Hence, developing a platform that can be used as a tool for teaching and learning.

“Modern LMS is an e-learning software that helps you deliver your training. As a company you can use ModernLMS to manage training, teaching materials, and certification,” said Sam 

The pivot

According to Sam, the pivot away from offering learning content themselves was driven by the realisation that the way in which people are learning is changing. 

“Since we are living in a social media-driven environment, people are used to visiting the various social media platforms to seek information and learn new things. This is why we pivoted away from Go Class, which we launched in 2020 when demand for e-learning and digital skills skyrocketed, into becoming a platform where companies create their own content,” said Sam.

Basically, instead of offering content themselves, Modern LMS  decided to offer a platform so that businesses can create their own learning environment that caters to their specific needs in designing and delivering their learning courses, Sam explained.

A Memorable Milestone for ModernLMS 

Sam found out about the awards event through Malaysiakini Website. “I entered the category because I was confident we did some amazing stuff that is a good fit for the Pivot category,”

To his delight, ModernLMS won the Best Pivot startup category award of the inaugural Top In Tech Innovation Awards hosted by Malaysiakini and Digital News Asia, with support from the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).

“The award has definitely made a huge impact on creating trust between customers and our brand as well as setting us apart from the crowd. It also boosted our reputation. Since then we have received multiple projects from corporations and international companies.”

Moving forward Sam is looking forward to working with potential content creators. “Plus, we would also want to work with private and government sector players to come up with useful and meaningful content for the public,” said Sam.

Key lessons learnt during entrepreneurial journey 

Most entrepreneurs typically experience a steep learning curve to success, with many lessons being learned along the way.

“In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges for startups is to hire new talent because most would prefer to work in big firms. From my experience working with new talent, I would tell them that working in a small startup allows you to make a big difference. However, if we work in a large firm one will likely not make a difference because there are too many people,” said Sam.

Sam’s second lesson is about investing in people. “Don’t just invest in the business. Remember, if you do not invest in your people, the dedication of your staff will gradually drop and this will greatly impact your business,” said Sam.

Participating in the  Top In Tech Innovation Awards was a wise decision Sam said. He encourages businesses to join too. Just go ahead and apply for this year’s award. I met an amazing lineup of judges, and received much encouragement, tips, and also a lot of questions that made me look back on my business and its process,” he said.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t win, take the experience forward and go after your dreams he encourages.

This year’s category sees Chen Chow, Co-Founder of Fave as the Lead Judge and together with Lennise Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of Dropee, and Johnson Lam Hooi Liang, Chief Innovation Officer of SOLS247 and Founder of KakiDIY/KakiRepair as the panel judges. 

Submissions for the Top In Tech Innovation Awards are ongoing until the 30th of November 2022.

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