Startup Guide Issue 17 | Page 17

For anyone who want s t o vent ur e out i n t hi s mar ket , what woul d be your s ugges t i ons ? F or ne wbi e s , who a r e a t t he s t a r t up l e v e l a nd wa nt t o g e t i nt o a l l t hi s , t hi nk t wi c e . The n t hi nk one l a s t t i me be f or e y ou do. I ' v e r e c e i v e d t hr e a t s t o my l i f e ov e r a c upc a k e t oppl i ng ov e r , de l i v e r y a g e nt s g e t ha r a s s e d, t hr e a t e ne d a nd be a t e n up i n s ome c a s e s , ha ndl i ng hug e a mount of c a s h whi c h i s owe d t o y our c us t ome r i s a c ha l l e ng e a nd t he n c ome s t he pa r t whe r e " r i de r " t e r mi nol og y a l ong wi t h t he ba d t r e a t me nt ma k e s t he pe opl e doi ng a l l t he ha r d wor k s e e m l i k e a 3r d r a t e huma n be i ng . I t i s n' t e a s y nor a wa l k i n t he pa r k . At t i me s i t i s s o t oug h t ha t y ou' d wa nt t o qui t a nd wonde r wh y y ou ha t e d y our s e l f s o muc h t o g e t i nt o a l l t hi s . Ha v i ng s a i d t ha t , i f i t ' s s ome t hi ng t ha t y ou' r e dr i v e n b y a nd ha v e a g oa l a nd s e e t he l i g ht a t t he e nd of t he t unne l de s pi t e a l l t he obs t r uc t i ons , t he n b y a l l me a ns , we l c ome . I be l i e v e a s ol i d ba s e i s r e qui r e d, whi c h i s pl a c e d i n t e c hnol og y . F i r s t s t e p s houl d be t ha t . L og i s t i c s i s a huma n- powe r e d bus i ne s s , but t hos e f e e t s houl d mos t l y be a l l out on t he s t r e e t s de l i v e r i ng y our pa r c e l s , not i n t he of f i c e s be c a us e y ou l a c k t he s y s t e ms i n pl a c e a nd ha v e t o do i t a l l ma n ua l l y . F i g ur e out t he ni c he y ou wa nt t o be i n, or t wo. Don' t t hi nk y ou' r e g oi ng t o be a bl e t o do i t a l l . A de l i v e r y g uy wi t h a me a l i n hi s ba g won' t be a bl e t o de l i v e r a ba g of g r oc e r i e s wi t h i t a l ong wi t h i c e c r e a m a nd doc ume nt s a t t he s a me t i me . B ui l d a s us t a i na bl e bus i ne s s f r om t he s t a r t , don' t g e t i nt o t he g a me whe r e y ou' r e i ma g i ni ng bur ni ng a mi l l i on dol l a r s wi t h no a i m i n s i g ht whe n y ou' l l e v e r ma k e mone y or how. W hat i s your t ake of t he cur r ent ent r epr eneur i al l ands cape of Paki s t an? P os i t i v e . But wi t h t ha t , we ne e d t o be t hi nk i ng of wa y s a nd f i ndi ng t he r i g ht i n v e s t or s whe r e i t ' s not j us t a n " e xi t " g a me f or t he i n v e s t or s a nd t he f ounde r s . I f one c a r e s s o muc h f or t he i r v i s i on a nd t he mi s s i ons t ha t t he y quot e a t t he be g i nni ng of t he s t a r t up , t he n t he s e s houl dn' t t a k e a ba c k bur ne r a s s oon a s a c a s h- out i s a v a i l a bl e . Thi s i s a n i nf i ni t e g a me a nd s houl dn' t ha v e a pl a c e f or pl a y e r s wi t h a f i ni t e mi nds e t . The g a me mus t g o on f or t he be ne f i t of t he pe opl e t ha t g i v e t he i r bl ood, s we a t a nd t e a r s t o t he or g a ni z a t i on, t he be ne f i t of t he c us t ome r s f or whom t he c ompa n y wa s s e t up i n t he f i r s t pl a c e ( t he pr obl e m y ou s e t out t o s ol v e ) a nd t he be ne f i t of t he c ompa n y i t s e l f . I n your vi ew, whi ch ar e s ome of t he ar eas t hat ar e cur r ent l y bei ng over l ooked and need mor e wor k when i t comes t o pr oduci ng s ucces s f ul ent r epr eneur s out of Paki s t an? We ne e d t o di a l ba c k on t he f l uf f t ha t we a dd t o e a c h s t or y f or e v e r y e nt r e pr e ne ur / s t a r t up . The l i t mus t e s t i s whe t he r t he s t a r t up i s c a pa bl e of ma k i ng mone y whi l e de l i v e r i ng on t he i r pr omi s e t o t he c us t ome r . Y ou don' t bui l d a " s t a r t up" , y ou' r e bui l di ng a " bus i ne s s " , a nd a s s uc h i f i t doe s n' t s ol v e a pr obl e m a nd i s i nc a pa bl e of ma k i ng mone y , t he n a l l t he f e e l - g ood s t or i e s we we a v e a r e of no us e . S e c ondl y , l e t ' s s t op c ompa r i ng t o t he S i l i c on Va l l e y f or e a c h a nd e v e r y l i t t l e t hi ng . We ' r e c ompa r i ng i t t o a c ount r y whe r e a s y ou t ur n of a g e , y ou' r e no l ong e r l i v i ng a t home wi t h y our pa r e nt s , y ou' r e wor k i ng mul t i pl e j obs ma y be a nd a l r e a dy ha v e s t ude nt l oa ns t o wor r y a bout i n t he l ong r un whi l e f e e di ng y our s e l f . We s poon f e e d our own a nd c r e a t e t oo muc h h y pe s ome t i me s , whe r e unde r a l l t he f l uf f i s a hol l ow s he l l . I ' d muc h r a t he r wi s h f a i l ur e t o t he s e s t a r t ups a nd e nt r e pr e ne ur s a nd t a l k a bout t ha t , wi t hout s ha me , wi t hout j udg e me nt . I t ' s a l e a r ni ng c ur v e a nd y ou l e a r n a l ot mor e f r om f a i l ur e a t t i me s t ha n y ou do whe n t hi ng s g o y our wa y pe r f e c t l y a l l t he t i me . “ The r e i s a n a r t t o f l y i ng , or r a t he r a k na c k . The k na c k l i e s i n l e a r ni ng how t o t hr ow y our s e l f a t t he g r ound a nd mi s s . ” - The Hi t c hhi k e r ' s Gui de t o t he Ga l a xy