Startup Guide Issue 17 | Page 15

Tel l us about your backgr ound and your j our ney t owar ds s t ar t i ng r nnr ? We s t a r t e d i n 2002 wi t h a s e r v i c e - ba s e d c ompa n y , Vi a duc t , doi ng we b de s i g n, br a ndi ng a nd s uc h a nd we r e qui t e s uc c e s s f ul , wor k i ng wi t h br a nds l i k e Uni L e v e r , Re c k i t t Be nc k i s e r , t he Da wood Gr oup , Ar i f Ha bi b , Ama de us a nd a n umbe r of c ome di a ns l i k e S a a d Ha r oon, Da ni s h Al i a s we l l a s s ome mus i c i a ns l i k e F a a k hi r a nd Ze b & Ha ni y a t o na me a f e w. I t wa s n' t t i l l 2009- 10 whe n t he " s t a r t up c ul t ur e " s t a r t e d t o c ome up a nd we s t a r t e d t he 1s t c o- wor k i ng s pa c e c a l l e d S ui t e 401 dur i ng t he s a me t i me , but g i v e n t ha t i t wa s " t oo ne w" f or t he t i me , we e v e nt ua l l y ha d t o wr a p t ha t up . I l a unc he d T e xt ua l y wi t hi n a y e a r of t ha t , a n S MS i nt e r a c t i on s y s t e m f or whi c h we won t he 1s t Runne r s up a s Be s t i n S t a r t ups a t t he P AS HA I CT Awa r ds 2011 wi t hi n a c oupl e mont hs of l a unc hi ng . Tha t ' s whe n t hi ng s s t a r t e d t o c ha ng e s i nc e now I wa s n' t doi ng a " bus i ne s s " a n y mor e a nd t he de f i ni t i ons c ha ng e d t o " e nt r e pr e ne ur " a nd " s t a r t up" i ns t e a d f or us . T e xt ua l y ha d a g ood r un whe r e we c a t e r e d t o Da r a z , F oodpa nda , Ka y mu, J a f f e r j e e s a nd a bunc h of ot he r mul t i na t i ona l s a s we l l f or t r a ns a c t i ona l me s s a g e s . S oon a f t e r we l a unc he d a ne w c owor k i ng s pa c e c a l l e d The HQ i n a ne w l oc a t i on a nd t hi ng s k e pt r ol l i ng on, t i l l 2014 whe n we l a unc he d Ha ppe ni ng PK' s f i r s t v e r s i on a nd a t t he e nd of t he y e a r my 1s t l og i s t i c s pl a y , F or r un. F or r un wa s t he l e a de r i n t he on- de ma nd de l i v e r y s pa c e a nd we a dde d t he t e c h i nt o t he us ua l me c ha ni s m f or t he " g e t a r i de r " t o do a de l i v e r y or a t a s k . Due t o our pr e v i ous r e l a t i ons hi p wi t h F oodpa nda , t he y g ot i n t ouc h wi t hi n mont hs of us l a unc hi ng a nd I r e me mbe r one of t he MDs a t t he t i me s a y i ng " i f y our de l i v e r i e s a r e a s f a s t a nd s moot h a s y our me s s a g i ng s e r v i c e , L a g ha r i we ' v e g ot s ome wor k f or y ou" . Tha t g e nt l e ma n i s now t he S e ni or Di r e c t or Ope r a t i ons a t Ca r e e m f or t he Mi ddl e Ea s t , j us t s a y i ng . And t ha t ' s how F or r un g ot a j ump- s t a r t a nd we s t a r t e d on- de ma nd de l i v e r y a l ong wi t h de l i v e r i ng f or F oodpa nda a nd e v e nt ua l l y Ea t Oy e a s we l l whe n we g ot f undi ng f r om a l oc a l i n v e s t or . F or r un de l i v e r e d a r ound 67% of F oodpa nda +Ea t Oy e de l i v e r i e s i n Pa k i s t a n whi c h t he y s our c e d t o 3r d pa r t y de l i v e r y s e r v i c e s , we e xpa nde d t o mul t i pl e c i t i e s a nd t he n a f t e r a r ound 2i s h y e a r s , I pa r t e d wa y s wi t h i t s i nc e I c oul dn' t s e e e y e t o e y e wi t h t he i n v e s t or s a t t he t i me - our v i s i ons a nd mor e j us t di dn' t a l i g n. A s t hi s wa s ha ppe ni ng , Ha ppe ni ng PK whi c h we ha d put on t he ba c k bur ne r due t o g i v i ng our e ne r g i e s t o F or r un, wa s r e - k i ndl e d a nd I wa s a s k e d b y t he Pr e s i de nt / CEO of TCS t o a dd t he s t a r t up f l a v or t o one of t he mos t i c oni c c ompa ni e s of Pa k i s t a n. I j oi ne d t he r e f or a pe r i od of s ome 2. 5 y e a r s a s t he Chi e f Di s r upt i on Of f i c e r a nd we di d ma k e s ome g ood he a dwa y , I l e a r ne d a whol e l ot mor e a nd whe n i t wa s t i me t ha t t he " e nt r e pr e ne ur i a l i t c h" c a me ba c k , I s t e ppe d a wa y . He r e c ome s r nnr . I t i s n' t F or r un 2. 0, i t i s n' t a n on- de ma nd de l i v e r y c ompa n y l i k e t he ma n y ot he r s t ha t c a me l a t e r on, i t ' s mor e . We ' r e wor k i ng on br i ng i ng t he t e c h of t he ne w a g e , a nd l a y e r i ng i t on t op of t he us ua l " c our i e r c ompa n y " . At l e a s t t ha t ' s t he v i s i on. The g oa l i s t o ma k e l a r g e s c a l e ( bul k ) de l i v e r i e s wi t h t he s a me e a s e a s book i ng a r i de i n t he l ong r un, a nd t he v i s i bi l i t y of t he s a me t o be a v a i l a bl e t o t he pe r s on doi ng t he s hi pme nt a s we l l a s t he one r e c e i v i ng i t i n a ma nne r whe r e t he r e i s no a mbi g ui t y . We c a t e r t o t he S MEs t ha t l a r g e c ompa ni e s wont de l i v e r f or due t o t he na t ur e of t he s hi pme nt s , t he pa c k a g i ng , t he ha nds - on a ppr oa c h t ha t ' s ne e de d a t t i me s a nd a mi x of a l l of t he s e a s we l l . We ' r e t he t e c h c ompa n y , doi ng l og i s t i c s , a nd we ' r e doi ng i t wi t h K. H. A. B. T . I . ( Knowl e dg e a bl e , Hone s t , Ada pt i v e , Ba l a nc e d, Ti me l y , I nt e r a c t i v e ) s e r v i c e a nd s uppor t pr omi s e . “W e' r e t he t ech company, doi ng l ogi s t i cs , and we' r e doi ng i t wi t h K. H. A. B. T. I . ( Knowl edgeabl e, Hones t , Adapt i ve, Bal anced, Ti mel y, I nt er act i ve) s er vi ce and s uppor t pr omi s e”