Pujan Joshi
5.0
(11)
Chief of Staff at Arch | CoS + BizOps Recruiting Expert | Kellogg MBA
26 followers
Admissions Committee at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
Works at Arch
Successful clients at
Available Tuesday at 9:30 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Pujan's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $99/hr
Get help with AI Automation, AI Fundamentals, and .
Pujan also coaches for MBA and Chief of Staff. View all.
Pujan’s free events
Live interactive sessions you can join for free.
Breaking Into Startups Without a Typical 'Startup Background'
Jun 4 at 10:00 PM UTC
19 people going
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Pujan’s Startup Careers Qualifications
Experience level: Manager
Pujan has helped clients get into these companies:
Breaking into startups is harder than it looks: the roles are often unlisted, the processes are inconsistent, and your background (MBA, Consulting, IB, etc.) doesn't automatically qualify you the way you'd expect. During my MBA at Kellogg, I recruited for BizOps, Chief of Staff, and Strategic Projects roles across ~15 startups, ultimately accepting a Chief of Staff offer at Arch, a Series B FinTech. Before that, at Human Capital, I worked directly with startup recruiters to place talent across a Series A–D portfolio so I understand what hiring managers are actually looking for, and how to succeed in an interview process. I help MBAs, consultants, and operators with: - Positioning your background for generalist startup roles - Building and executing a networking strategy to get into roles - Resume and application prep that speaks the startup hiring language - Interview prep for long, ambiguous, multi-stage startup processes If you're trying to break into a BizOps or Chief of Staff role at a startup, book a free intro call.
Pujan can help with:
AI Automation
AI Fundamentals
Competitive Analysis
Cover Letters
Interview Prep
LinkedIn Review
Networking Strategy
Resume Review
Pujan also coaches for MBA and Chief of Staff. View all.
About Pujan
I've spent my career at the intersection of talent, operations, and startups. Today I'm Chief of Staff at Arch, a venture-backed Series B, doing high-impact generalist operator work. But before that, I spent two years at Human Capital, a multi-stage venture firm, evaluating talent and supporting founders across a portfolio of Series A–D companies. These experiences have given me a clear view of what great operators look like and what startup hiring managers actually want. Before both these experiences, I was a Consultant at Deloitte Consulting. I hold an MBA from Kellogg (where I served as an Admissions Liaison) and a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois. I coach two types of clients: Startup Recruiting — MBAs, consultants, and talented operators looking to break into generalist roles at startups: primarily BizOps and Chief of Staff. I help you understand how your background fits, how to network into roles that are never posted, and how to interview through long and often rigorous processes. MBA Admissions — Prospective students targeting M7 programs. My specialty is Kellogg, and I have a particular edge working with Deloitte Consultants. I make sure the schools you're targeting fit what you're trying to do next, and I help you articulate your story so you can gain admission.
Why do I coach?
I grew up the son of two Indian immigrants who ran a Dairy Queen in the suburbs of Chicago. The values of education and entrepreneurship were instilled in me at an early age. Throughout my life, I have strived to learn more and build something of my own in order to carve out a better life for my family, friends, and myself. I've had a lot of help along the way: people who gave me honest feedback, made introductions, and told me what I actually needed to hear. I coach to pay it forward and play a small role in helping others reach their aspirations.
Work Experience
Chief of Staff
Arch
September 2025 - Present
Strategy & Operations MBA Intern
Teamworks
September 2024 - December 2024
Teamworks is a provider of collaboration software for sports teams and organizations, with tools to streamline operations for athletes, coaches, and staff. As a Growth Strategy Intern, I helped identify and evaluate opportunities to drive revenue growth. I conducted research, evaluated market trends (e.g., market size), and formed recommendations for increasing penetration with existing clients and attracting new clients.
Senior Associate, Portfolio Operations
Human Capital
November 2022 - May 2024
Human Capital is a stage-agnostic venture firm with more than $1.6B in capital committed. The portfolio includes many transcendent companies like Brex, Commure, and Snowflake. As a Senior Associate on the Portfolio Operations team, I developed expertise in platform operations, compensation, and data analysis through projects with companies across stages (Series A-D) and industries (e.g., Consumer, Healthcare). This experience deepened my affinity for the startup world and formed me into a stronger operator with more diverse skills and an aptitude for learning quickly.
Consultant
Deloitte
May 2021 - October 2022
Hiring Manager
Deloitte Consulting is a global management consulting firm that provides strategy, technology, and human capital solutions to help organizations tackle complex challenges and drive transformational change. As an Analyst and Consultant, I developed expertise in M&A integration, workforce transformation, and process optimization. My experience spanned Technology, Industrials, and Healthcare, where I supported clients through M&A transactions, enterprise transformations (e.g., operating model, org design), and change management. Along the way, I built core consulting skills like data analysis, executive communication, and project management. In addition, from 2021 to 2022, I was on secondment with the Deloitte’s US Innovation group, where I led initiatives at the intersection of technology and the future of work (e.g., return-to-office).
Analyst
Deloitte
August 2019 - April 2021
Pujan was also given offers to work at
Nike
Kaseya
HealthScape Advisors
Barclays
Jump Trading
Plante Moran
Monevate
Education
Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
Master of Business Administration - MBA
2024 - 2025
Admissions Committee Experience
Activities and societies: Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, 1Y Admissions Liaison, Kellogg Comedy Club, Resident at The Garage Venture Capital Investment Competition - 1st Place at Kellogg, 1st Place at Northeast Regionals One year accelerated program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science - BS, Finance | Minor in the Hoeft Technology & Management Program
2015 - 2019
Admissions Committee Experience
Activities and societies: Phi Chi Theta Professional Business Fraternity, Business Honors Board, Illinois Enactus, College of Business Student Ambassadors, Hoeft Technology & Management Program Dean’s Scroll, Business Honors Program, James Scholar, Dean's List
11 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
5.0
Value
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Supportiveness
5.0
Pujan has helped clients get into these schools:
Pujan has helped clients get into these companies: