In this edition, we cover:
A Message from our Partner: Probaho
To put it simply, Probaho is the Mailchimp of Bangladesh. Only that it is Made in Bangladesh, smaller and scrappy and designed for businesses in Bangladesh. Don't worry about paying in dollars for sending mails or long distance support. Use Probaho, use the power of email newsletter to grow your business without hassle, pay in taka. Learn more.
What I Learned From Tazin Shadid of AmarLab About Building Enterprises From Scratch
A few months ago, during an interview for our Founder Stories series, I asked Tazin Shadid, founder and CEO of health-tech startup AmarLab, about his lessons in building organizations. Mr. Tazin is a serial entrepreneur, routinely mentors and advises founders and has seen enough organization building to offer useful insights.
Now there is a difference between building a business and building a company. Business can be something you built solo. A freelancing gig. A one-man consulting firm. A company, on the other hand, is an altogether different matter. It is an entity that can run independently. It does not rely on any one person. While in a solo gig, the founder is indispensable. In a company, the founder must be redundant in order for the company to grow and scale. Building a company requires a vastly different mindset. Read the full story.
How Rokomari Has Become an Important Player in Ecommerce, Complex World of Selling Books Online, and Digital Platform
Over the past several years, Dhaka has produced some fairly notable ecommerce companies such as Daraz, Chaldal, Pickaboo, Ajkerdeal among others. But few players have managed to build complete category domination as Rokomari. The only other company that comes to mind is Chaldal in the online grocery vertical.
While Rokomari has become the destination for books on the internet — an advantage that the company could leverage to expand into other verticals, it has so far deliberately stayed away from premature expansion. For growth, it uses an unorthodox strategy. Operationally, it has devised a model that is unique and efficient. It has built a people-first culture where every member of the team takes ownership and enjoys the authority to take initiative. Most importantly, it has helped the book industry to take off, creating momentum for the publishing industry, and fostering a new reading culture in Bangladesh. Read the full article.
Inside Go Zayaan’s Ambition to Dominate Local Travel in Bangladesh
Over the last two years, the global tourism ecology has shifted to local travel under the pressure of the coronavirus pandemic. In response to the change, Go Zayaan, the Dhaka-based fast-growing travel-tech company, has doubled down on domestic tourism. It launched several products that address the need for inspiration and logistics for traveling Bangladesh.
As the local future of travel manifests more clearly across markets, the company aligns its strategic ambition and plots big to dominate the domestic travel market in Bangladesh. In this article, we go deeper into Go Zayaan’s domestic travel ambition and strategy. Read the full article.
Using the Power of AI, CopywriterPro Promises To Make Creating Good Copy and Content Easy and Inexpensive
The challenge of creating high quality content — and growing demand for copywriting and content creation online — has given rise to a new generation of products looking to automate copywriting and content creation.
This is where CopywriterPro, a writing and marketing automation tool created by four Bangladeshi software engineers, comes in. Read the full article.
6 Agri-tech Startups to Watch
There are roughly about 20 million farmers. 80% of them are smallholders. The majority of farmers are unbanked. Financial institutions don’t loan to farmers. They are not considered creditworthy. The sector is considered to be unorganized. Lack of education hurts productivity. A middlemen-dominated supply chain hurts the profitability of farmers. In a nutshell, farmers struggle to access finance, market, quality inputs, and information.
Several startups in Dhaka have been trying to solve some of these problems using the power of technology. Read the full story.
Future Startup Marketing Solutions. Tell your compelling brand story. Connect with the most influential audience in business and tech in Bangladesh. We are taking partners for 2022. Learn more here or simply reply to this email.
What is your plan for 2022? Moz Ali on twitter. Link
The future of digital innovation in China. Link
Ben Evans on the future of tech. Link
Book: I'm enjoying Shail Lavingia's The Minimalist Entrepreneur. Link
Sheraspace is a tech-first home improvement services company based in Dhaka. Founded in 2019, Sheraspace offers a number of services related to interior design, including online interior design consultation, complete end-to-end interior design solutions, and custom furniture design for full interior design projects.
AmarLab brings the diagnostic lab to the doorsteps of people in urgent need of medical tests. The company has partnered with reputed diagnostic centers with an ambition to make healthcare easily accessible to everyone, everywhere. Learn more.
Future Startup Content Marketing Service: Tell your compelling brand story. Connect with the most influential audience in business and tech in Bangladesh. Learn more.