In this article, we shed light on the origin of Jatri and how Jatri evolved from an idea to a full-fledged operation based on our interview with Jatri Founder and CEO Aziz Arman.
Often solving a problem that you have is the best approach to getting startup ideas. The next best step probably is to build an MVP and test it.
“I always wanted to explore the field of entrepreneurship but I couldn’t decide which sector to enter. The solution came to me whilst I was doing something most people have to do on a regular basis- commuting.
I looked into the main issues that people come across when using public transport – inconsistent timetables, payment difficulties, and ever-changing routes.
Looking for ways to solve these issues, I began to explore potential ideas with my partners, Khandokar Taswar Zahin, and Zia U Ahmed.
After months of elaborate discussions, we settled on a plan to make commuting stress-free.
After makıng the MVP, we pıtched to our angel ınvestor Fahım Saleh and he guıded us to make ıt and thus, Jatri was born.”
If you are solving a hard problem, both upsides and downsides are likely to be higher.
“The fun part of being a tech start-up is that we had to focus on and micromanage a lot of factors simultaneously. On one hand, we were building a tech team to create the best product possible and on the other hand, we were contacting bus owners to introduce them to our services.
The first few months were pretty rough. It took a few missteps before we finally paved our way forward. We had an idea that had never been implemented before in Bangladesh, so we had to educate both commuters and transport operators on how our technology worked and how it could enhance their lives and businesses.
A notable challenge we faced whilst pitching our ideas to bus companies was that many operators didn’t initially grasp how our product could support their services. We made sure to take the time to establish how to present our product to demonstrate its ability to enhance bus operations and boost ridership.”
