Startup Guide Issue 18 | Page 17

Whi c h t ool s a r e y ou us i ng t o s t a y pr oduc t i v e a nd f or k eepi ng i n t ouc h wi t h y our t ea m? We a r e us i ng Sl a c k , Z oom, T r el l o, Gi t L a b a nd Wha t s App a s t ool s t o ef f e c t i v el y c ommuni c a t e a nd hel p us a s a t ea m s t a y pr oduc t i v e. Wh a t a r e y ou doi ng t o s t a y pos i t i v e? MUHAMMAD HARI S BI N NAEEM CO- FOUNDER SNAPTHAT How ha s t he c ur r ent COVI D s i t ua t i on a f f ec t ed y our bus i nes s ? A l l our bus i nes s de v el opment a c t i v i t i es ha v e c ome t o a ha l t . As our bus i nes s i s f oc us ed a r ound t he e- c ommer c e f a s hi on i ndus t r y i n Pa k i s t a n a nd mos t l y i n t he Eur opea n r e gi on, we e v en l os t one of our hi gh v ol ume dea l s whi c h wa s our bi gges t s our c e of r e v enue. Wh a t a r e y ou doi ng t o k eep y our oper a t i ons up a nd r unni ng dur i ng t hes e t i mes ? We ha v e es t a bl i s hed pr oc es s es f or a l l our t ea m t o wor k r emot el y a nd ha v e r es t r uc t ur ed t he t ea m. We ha v e c ut down a l l our c os t s t o t he mi ni mum. We don' t k now f or c er t a i n i f we c a n s us t a i n our empl oy e es f or t he ne xt qua r t er or not . We a r e ga t her i ng i nf or ma t i on on t he de c i s i ons i nt er na t i ona l or ga ni z a t i ons a nd c ommuni t i es a r e t a k i ng t o c ont a i n t he pa ndemi c . Al s o, we a r e a na l y s i ng di f f er ent da t a s et s t o figur e out how we c a n bui l d up on t hem t o c ont r i but e s omet hi ng t o c ont a i n i t f or our pe opl e i n Pa k i s t a n. As T e c hnol ogi s t s , we k now how net wor k i ng a f f e c t s wor k a nd t ha t e xponent i a l gr owt h c ur v es us ua l l y de c l i ne f a s t , t ha t gi v es us hope t ha t t hi ngs wi l l s oon be c ome bet t er . Thi s c r i s i s ha s s hown us t ha t t he wor l d wi l l be di f f er ent onc e we mov e pa s t t hi s s i t ua t i on. How wi l l y ou pi v ot a nd wha t woul d y ou do di f f er ent l y i n a pos t - Cor ona wor l d? Y es , we t hi nk t he wor l d i s goi ng t o be a l ot mor e di f f er ent i n t er ms of our t r a j e c t i on a s huma n bei ngs a nd s pe c i es on t hi s pl a net . We hope t ha t t oget her we a l l wi l l l ea r n a nd wi l l wor k our wa y t owa r ds a mor e democ r a t i c a nd env i r onment - f r i endl y wor l d a s a whol e. We ha v e a l r ea dy ma de our de c i s i on t o pi v ot our bus i nes s a nd ha l f of our t ea m ha s a l r ea dy s t a r t ed wor k i ng on i t . I n a pos t Cor ona wor l d we wi l l pr oba bl y s t r i v e t owa r ds c r ea t i ng di s t r i but ed e c onomi c oppor t uni t i es f or pe opl e f r om di f f er ent ba c k gr ounds .