Startup Guide Issue 16 | Page 6

EDI TOR’ S NOTE I n our l at est i ssue, we l ook at soci al ent er pr i se suppor t syst em i n det ai l t hr ough a r epor t or i gi nal l y publ i shed by t he Soci al Devel opment Pol i cy I nst i t ut e. Ther e ar e numer ous pol i cy i ni t i at i ves t hat var i ous depar t ment s i n Paki st an can t ake t o suppor t compani es t hat oper at e usi ng t he soci al ent er pr i se model . Umar Sai f , f or mer Chai r man of t he Punj ab I T Boar d, i s a vi si onar y who has done t r emendous wor k on bui l di ng t he I T i nf r ast r uct ur e i n Paki st an, speci f i cal l y f or t he Punj ab gover nment . I n a f i r esi de chat wi t h Khur r am Rahat at Daf t ar khwan Lahor e, Umar Sai f t al ks about i nnovat i on, st ar t ups and t he ent r epr eneur i al ecosyst em i n Paki st an. Di gi t al Ki san i s a st ar t up t hat i s wor ki ng on di gi t i zi ng f ar mi ng f or t oday’ s wor l d - t he f ounder , Anas i s an I T pr of essi onal , who r eal i z ed t he i mpor t ance of agr i cul t ur e f or a count r y l i ke Paki st an and st ar t ed a busi ness ar ound i t . I n t oday’ s day and age when t he uni cor ns ar e i deal i zed and t her e ar e onl y a handf ul of t hem, t her e ar e al t er nat i ve busi ness model s and amongst t hem i s t he cockr oach st ar t up. We i nt r oduce you t o t hi s par t i cul ar speci es i n det ai l and make a case f or why st ar t ups shoul d st r i ve t o be cockr oaches i nst ead of uni cor ns . We br i ng you cover age f r om Nat i onal I ncubat i on Cent er ’ s gr aduat i on cer emony and t he I nvest or Summi t t hat t he NI C r ecent l y or gani zed t o showcase 18 st ar t ups f r om al l over Paki st an i n f r ont of a r oom f ul l of VCs, angel i nvest or s, ( al most conver t ed) angel s, cor por at es, execut i ves and obser ver s . The FATA Economi c Revi t al i zat i on Pr ogr am w as r ecent l y l aunched f or young aspi r i ng and exi st i ng ent r epr eneur s f r om t he newl y mer ged di st r i ct s - dur i ng t he pr ogr am t he ent r epr eneur s wi l l go t hr ough one- mont h i ncubat i on t r ai ni ng, f ol l owed by a gr ant pr ovi si on af t er appr oval of t hei r busi ness i deas . Al l t hi s and mor e i n t hi s i ssue - happy r eadi ng! SHEHAB F ARRUKH NI AZI