Ronnie Screwvala loves asking people to rate things.  

“How would you rate this course on a scale of one to 10?” is a staple at meetings at Upgrad, his Mumbai-based edtech company. And the answer better not teeter at five, because Screwvala does not believe in midway averages. 

“Everything has to either be a two or a nine,” said a former executive at Upgrad. “If it’s a two, you better back it up. If it’s a nine, you have to explain why it’s not a 10.”

This intolerance for the middle ground extends beyond internal reviews. It shaped........

© The Ken