Karachi based Tayub Bilwani dragged himself on rough paths; built a Nest for upcoming IT entrepreneurs
Muhammad Umar Waqqas
HIGHLIGHTS
Entrepreneurs are the economic engines who not only contribute to a country’s economic prosperity but also drive social change through their innovative ideas, services, and business models. They challenge the status quo, bring about disruption in industries, and set the pace for others to follow.
Founder & CEO UrApp Technologies Tayub Bilwani, a young and dynamic Pakistani entrepreneur represented the audacious human spirit during his struggling journey, he has been brave enough to confront uncertainty in the pursuit of making his objectives come true. He still works incredibly hard for further achievements of his professional goals.
He isn’t just a businesspeople; he is visionary, innovator, risk-taker, and, above all, relentless pursuer of opportunities. A graceful character to learn for upcoming entrepreneurs.
This article about a Pakistani entrepreneur, reveals some of his lessonful and intriguing attributes which are essential to adopt for young entrepreneurs.
While talking to The Financial Daily, Tayub Bilwani shared some key-Tips for youth and upcoming entrepreneurs, he highlighted some significant foundations of success. He says:
The Sacrifices: “You should have a gently focused approach and your life should be in-order when you start a business. I personally adopted these fundamentals to reach my present level. You should keep a strong focus on work, eliminate the distractions. The sacrifices that you have to go through transform your business successfully. The genuine sacrifices you make to run your business play a vital role to make you able to think out of the box to provide unique solutions to your clients.”
Value of Time: “Time is money. Time is important because it’s a valuable resource that can’t be replaced, and it affects many aspects of our lives. You must have to manage your time wisely, you have to sacrifice the time with friends and family. You have to limit your hobbies to make your business model successful.”
Role of Family: “The role of the family is highly important in this journey, they motivate you, they support you ethically and sometimes practically. For example, my wife started to take charge of a lot of things that are basically my responsibilities, because she knows that I remain hectically busy at work.”
Enhancement of Skills: “Enhancing skills is important for personal and professional growth. Develop new skills and improve existing ones which help you. Try to learn from everything, learn from every interaction that you have, learn from every sales call that you make, learn from your every interaction with your employees, improve your management. I believe it contributes a big part in your journey.”
Embrace Modern Technologies: “One thing that differentiates one company from another or one business leader or CEO from another is their willingness to embrace new technologies and embrace the direction the world is adopting for example AI. This is modern technology so we are going toward AI. We are doing a lot in AI and fulfilling the demands of our clients with advanced technological features. I observe that still a lot of Pakistani IT companies are operating with old version mindset & technologies. They are just focusing on designing the traditional websites. They are not embracing modern inventions. They must have to embrace new technologies, they have to embrace the direction the world is adopting. AI, Crypto currency, Block chain, Web 3.0 and much more are the new age interventions in technology, that’s what we are actually heading toward as well.”
Bilwani’s entrepreneurial zeal compelled him to shift gears and steer his career toward something futuristic, an IT company with ambitious goals for catapulting Pakistan’s IT exports to record levels. He founded UrApp Technologies as a launching pad for his vision to succeed and rally the country’s IT sector toward unprecedented growth. Founder of UrApp Technologies envisions an IT sector that plays a primary role in Pakistan’s economic recovery and progress.
Pakistan’s Information Technology (IT) exports have soared to $3.2 billion in FY2024, marking a solid 24% year-on-year increase from the previous fiscal’s $2.59 billion. The latest data, released by the State Bank of Pakistan, underscores the sector’s resilience and growth amidst global economic challenges. For June 2024 alone, Pakistan recorded IT exports worth $298 million, up 33% compared to the same period last year. Despite a month-on-month decline of 10%, June’s exports surpassed the twelve-month average of $262 million, highlighting sustained momentum in the sector. People like Tayub Bilwani contributed a vital role in this noticing growth of Pakistan’s IT sector.
Journey before Success: Tayub Bilwani’s journey is punctuated by significant stages – the germination of a business idea, relentless market research, meticulous business planning, securing the much-needed funding, assembling a skilled team, developing the product or service, launching into the market, keeping the patience and then the unending cycle of growth and scaling. Each stage is fraught with its own set of challenges and triumphs, shapes the entrepreneur and the business in profound ways. There were the highs and lows, the twists and turns in Bilwani’s journey before success but he never gave up.
Birth of Idea and Correct Execution: Tayub Bilwani’s entrepreneurial journey begins with an idea. Such ideas, often born from a problem you’ve identified, are innovative, viable, and capable of filling a gap in the market. To keep refined the business idea, Bilwani asks himself these questions: What problem am I solving? Who is my target audience? How is my product or service different from what already exists in the market? He believes that creativity plays a key role in this process. He considers divergent thinking methods like brainstorming, mind-mapping, and even daydreaming to spark unique ideas.
Tayub Bilwani emphasizes the fact that ideas don’t really have any value, it’s all about execution. He says “A good idea with bad execution” means that a concept or plan itself was potentially strong and promising, but when it came to putting it into action, the implementation was poorly managed. Specially in this business when you realize that people come to you with their ideas and want to design their websites and apps for their new venture, i built websites and apps for lot of such newly launched companies that couldn’t pass even six months because their execution was bad, their idea was good but the execution was full of flaws, at the end their money wasted, their precious time also wasted that way. The Success lies in the Focus for the youth, your focus should be on such a level that execution of business could be succeeded. Everyone can have an idea, Ideas are a dime a dozen, people who implement them are priceless. Ideas are everywhere but correct execution of the idea is a must.”
Market Research and Competition: Once Bilwani’s business idea was clear, he delved into market research. This step involved him in understanding his target audience, analyzing the competition, and assessing the market’s size and potential. To truly understand the target audience, Tayub considered their demographics, behaviors, needs, and pain points. Surveys, focus groups, and social media analysis provided him invaluable insights. Simultaneously, studying his competitors helped him to identify market trends, uncover gaps in his offerings and position his business uniquely.
Business Planning: With refined ideas and market research in hand, the next step of Tayub Bilwani was to formulate a robust business plan. This document served as a roadmap, guided his struggle from the startup phase through establishment and business growth.
The business plan details your business structure, product/service description, market strategy, competitor analysis, organizational structure, and financial projections. This significant document not only guided Tayub’s decision-making process but also proved crucial in securing funding for his business.
Composition of TEAM: No entrepreneur can walk this journey alone. Building a competent, committed team is a key step in an entrepreneurial journey. The right team will complement your skills, share your vision, and be willing to weather the ups and downs that come with starting and running a business.
At the time of assembling the team, Tayub Bilwani looked for individuals with diverse skill sets, a problem-solving mindset, and a passion for his business idea. He remembers, his early hires played a significant role in shaping his company culture, so now he chooses more wisely.
Development of Product/Service: Now came the phase of actualizing his business idea. Whether it’s a product or service, it needs to be developed, tested, and refined before it’s ready for the market. This phase may involve building prototypes, beta testing, user feedback, and several iterations.
Tayub believes the goal isn’t perfection but rather to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) that solves the problem you’ve identified. Customer feedback from early users has been crucial in refining and improving his offering.
Launch of UrApp Technologies: With his product & service ready after challenging hardships, it was the time to introduce it to the world. A well-calculated launch built momentum, attracted customers and generated buzz in the marketplace.
September 2022: Tayub Bilwani planned his launch carefully, he considered factors like timing, promotional strategies and the mediums he wanted to use to reach his audience. He taught his team that the aim is not just to sell the product/service but also to care and understand the customer.
Embracing Risk & Uncertainty: The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with risk and uncertainty. It’s a winding path that often leads through uncharted territory. Successful entrepreneurs like Tayub Bilwani understand this and embrace it. Tayub views risk as an inherent part of the process, not something to be feared. He understands that uncertainty often signifies untapped opportunities, waiting to be discovered.
Embracing risk doesn’t mean being reckless. It means carefully evaluating potential risks, preparing for them, and being willing to take calculated risks when the potential reward justifies it. It’s about seeing beyond the uncertainty and focusing on the possibilities it presents.
Innovation & Creativity: Innovation and creativity lie at the heart of entrepreneurship. In a rapidly evolving world, successful entrepreneurs are those who continuously innovate, staying ahead of the curve and setting trends rather than following them.
Creative mindset of Tayub Bilwani’s team involves questioning the status quo, thinking outside the box, and finding unique solutions to problems. They see connections where others don’t, identify opportunities in challenges, and constantly seek ways to improve and innovate.
Leadership of Tayub Bilwani: Entrepreneurs are, above all, leaders. They inspire their team, manage resources efficiently, and drive their business towards its goals. Strong leadership and team management skills are essential for any entrepreneur. Tayub Bilwani is such a business leader who is not just visionary; he is also an excellent communicator who can clearly convey his vision to his team. He knows how to motivate and inspire their team, build a positive work culture, and bring out the best in his people. Successful entrepreneurs understand that their team is their most valuable asset. They invest time and resources in hiring the right people, developing their skills, and creating an environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and productivity.
Lifelong learning & continuous improvement: The world of entrepreneurship is dynamic and ever-changing. To keep pace, successful entrepreneurs commit to lifelong learning. They’re constantly seeking new knowledge, skills, and perspectives that can help them adapt and thrive. Continuous improvement is a guiding principle for successful entrepreneurs. They’re always seeking ways to improve – be it their product, their processes, their knowledge, or their skills. They are receptive to feedback and open to change. They understand that in the pursuit of excellence, there is always room for improvement.
Conclusion of the Story: In conclusion, the mindset of a successful entrepreneur is characterized by a willingness to embrace risk and uncertainty, a resilient spirit that persists in the face of failure, an insatiable drive to innovate, strong leadership and team management skills, and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. This mindset, coupled with the right skills and resources, can pave the way for a successful entrepreneurial journey.
