u/shashank74

I'll go first.
Was in a meeting with a potential CTO candidate last week. He asked me what database I was thinking of using for the platform.

I said "the regular one."

He stared at me for 3 seconds that felt like 3 years. Then patiently explained that there are hundreds of databases and they each serve different purposes.

I went home and spent 4 hours watching YouTube videos about the same. I still don't fully understand it, but I can now at least pretend confidently.

What's yours? Genuinely asking because I think this is something nobody talks about openly. Every non-technical founder is Googling terms under the table during technical conversations, but nobody admits it.

Background: Non-technical founder, working on a marketplace idea for the past 3 months. Finally started reaching out to developers and agencies to understand what it would cost to build.

Here's what I got back:

- Freelancer 1 (Upwork, India): ₹3.2L, 8 weeks

- Freelancer 2 (referred by friend): ₹7.5L, 12 weeks

- Agency 1 (Bangalore): ₹14L, 16 weeks

- Agency 2 (Delhi, "startup-friendly"): ₹11L, 20 weeks

- Agency 3 (Mumbai, big portfolio): ₹28L, 24 weeks

- Offshore team (Philippines): ₹4.8L, 10 weeks

Same brief. Same features list. Same mockups.

I'm not sure how to evaluate these. The ₹3L guy might be amazing, or he might disappear after taking the advance. The ₹28L agency may be worth every rupee, or they may be padding the quote.

Has anyone else been through this? How did you figure out who was actually giving you a fair price vs who was exploiting the fact that you don't have a technical background?

I feel like I'm walking into a used car dealership with no idea what anything should cost.

Hi everyone,
Looking for clarity on English proficiency requirements for MBA applications.
My profile:
• Indian applicant, engineering degree from English-medium institution (graduated 2020)
• GRE Verbal: 169 (99th percentile), taken April 2026
• 5+ years work experience in English-speaking corporate environment

But I’ve read that many schools waive this requirement for English-medium graduates, and some explicitly accept strong GRE Verbal scores as proof.

Specific questions:
1. Did any of you get a TOEFL/IELTS waiver at these schools with a strong GRE Verbal?
2. Which schools on this list genuinely required TOEFL/IELTS despite English-medium background?
3. Is a 169 GRE Verbal sufficient proof of English proficiency at these schools?
Thanks in advance.