Challenges We Face As Middle Class Start Up Hopefuls
If you’re talented, quick on your feet, and ambitious then running your own start-up would surely be an aspiration you have, but if you come from a middle class family, this might be easier said than done.
“Do what you love and the money will follow.” Marsha Sinetar
but is it really that easy?
In this article, I will be detailing my experience of launching my very own start-up, and the struggles I faced. It is not meant to be a cautionary tale or a tactic for discouraging you, it is simply meant to be a helpful insight into the struggle.
I am Mujeeb Arshad, recently graduated, and employed as a Software Engineer for a reputed organization in Pakistan. Though I was fortunate enough to attend a reputable university and secure a job prior to my graduation, this isn’t about my academic career, no. I’m not going to sit here like an elder privileged man, talking about the good old days and how my experiences were shaped. This is about my journey of trying to launch my own start-up.
I was a sharp student, eager to avail every opportunity I could, so throughout my four years at university, I came up with various start-up ideas, believing I could launch my own company and not have to work a corporate job anywhere. Two years into my degree, I came up with an idea that was sure to be a success, generating substantial revenue and a viable customer base. The idea came to while organizing a job expo at my university; I noticed students struggling with their interviews, not because they lacked expertise they were applying for, but because they didn’t have the right interview skills: they seemed unaware of the question types and how to tackle them effectively. I’ve found this is the case with many fresh graduates, at least in my experience so far.
So, I came up with the idea ‘why not create a platform where fresh graduates can get some practice and brush up their skills’. The platform contains questions gathered from different IT companies and organizations. I discussed the idea with many of instructors and all of them seemed happy with this idea. I didn’t give it a second thought and started developing the project. I came up with a prototype of my idea. Now, the next thing was the need of funds for advertisement and deployment of final product.
To get the funds, it was clear that some investors must like my idea as well. To approach an investor, there was no way other than pitching my idea to an incubation center. Now here is where real the struggles appear. You have to present your idea first to the people working for incubation center and second to the investors. There are two major incubation centers in Lahore, Plan9 and NIC Lahore.
Every incubation center selects 10 to 12 start-ups and works with them for almost 3 months. So after every 3 months, the cycle repeats and hiring of new ideas begins. I started with NIC, filled their long and hectic form, and then waited for nearly two weeks. I received the interview call and was ecstatic so I began to prepare myself well for the interview. When I went for the interview, the person asked me some very basic questions, e.g. how will you generate revenue? What will be your target audience? I was well prepared for the questions and I answered all of them as required. I was confident and the person gave me positive signal as well.
Time came for the second call, this time my prototype came into scene. They discussed how much work is done and how much time it will take. To their surprise nearly majority of the work was almost done. I was taken to a separate meeting room with the in charge and he appreciated my work as well but said something strange to me, “We hire 10 to 12 start-ups in one cycle and most of those are something like UBER, Careem, etc. Your idea is promising but Mr. XYZ started similar idea in USA and it didn’t work out there.” I was trying to understand what he was saying and finally I realized, ‘Oh! It’s a REJECTION!’
Well I was disappointed because everything was going fine but Mr. XYZ came between me and my dream of starting my start-up. This disappointment was short termed because one failure could not stop me. I decided to pitch my idea at Plan9. I waited a month and prepared even better this time. To my surprise I wasn’t even called up for the interview and when I saw the ideas which were selected I was surprised even more SIGH!
Till then my final year was about to start, so I thought maybe something is wrong with my idea (which was not the truth). So I along with my FYP (Final Year Project) group fellows thought of something new which can both produce revenue and attractive to explain. I came up with the idea that is combination of Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Web and Android (Sorry I can’t explain this idea publicly). All the geeky fellows reading this article must know the terms mentioned above. This idea was equally challenging to implement but I still believe that it will deliver someday. I started working on the idea along with my team mates.
We did all the paper work of the project and even started to implement it. I had 2 months before I could again apply at NIC. I knew I had given my best; I worked so hard this time. I did the working prototype of the project. A day before the interview, I prepared the presentation and I worked nearly half the night to prepare for the interview. The next day I prayed to God and went for the interview. I reached there almost 45 minutes before. I arranged all my setup and prepared myself for the interview, and it went brilliantly well. without wasting time I started working for the second interview as well and I made it to top 20 start-ups and finally they had to select 10 start-ups in that cycle. It all started well, and I did everything in my capacity to convince those people who held my future in their palms. They seemed convinced with my presentation and even tested the prototype which worked fantastically fine.
My application identifies facial expressions of a person using the mobile camera and I was asked a surprising and strange question about my application. “What if the user turns the camera upside down?” I answered something which I guess they didn’t like much. “Same like a Skype user turning the camera upside down during video call”. Well I was given some motivation (synonym of Rejection) by them and I left the place.
I still remember the last walk from NIC to the parking, I knew this was my last chance before graduation, I was fed up, I felt defeated. I had this thought: “why do I need funds from these people who can’t even understand the versatility of my idea and can’t even see my passion?”
I then completed my project and it was called to be one of the best FYP of the university. I chose to work in the industry for some time and honestly, that’s because I had no other option left. I am happy where I am right now, but a part of me still haunts me for not doing what I wanted but I have no regrets because I have done everything in my power to achieve my goals. For now, I will concentrate on what I am doing for 2 to 3 years at least and then I’ll see where the fate will take me.
Lastly, I want to mention that we listen a lot from motivational speakers, billionaires, and successful businessmen about success, earning money and launching successful startup. But if we look at their lives, the motivational speakers are one of the richest persons around us, the successful startup holders are sons or daughters of billionaires who fund their children to try multiple times and ultimately they succeed. As per my experience, the formula to success is:
Skills + Opportunity + Money
Apart from all the difficulties, always keep the conversation about what you did wrong as a positive one that you are accountable for and learned from. That’s how you use what went wrong to ace your career and your life.
