1. Democratizing Access to Internet: An Interview With Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal, Founders, Bonton Connect
Bonton Connect is a Dhaka-based technology startup that aims to democratize access to the internet by enabling peer-to-peer wifi sharing through a marketplace “where the general people can purchase and sell their home internet”. Bonton effectively brings the sharing economy to the world of the internet.
In this excellent interview, we sit down with Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal, Founders of Bonton Connect, to learn more about their path to entrepreneurship, Bonton Connect, and lessons they have learned so far. Read the full interview here.
2. Why We Don’t Finish What We Start – a Psychological Exploration
“Finish what you start” sounds more like an admonition to many of us. We all, at least some of the time, are guilty of not finishing a project or an assignment or a task on time despite our best intention. Whereas to finish is quite simple: start > sit with the task and grind > Finish > Go back to step one. Finishing something is about patience and mindfulness. Read the essay here.
3. Techniques for Validating Your Startup Idea
Business happens in reality, which happens to be quite different from what you find exciting in your mind. Validating an idea means testing your hypothesis regarding your idea bringing it into contact with reality. It allows you to understand whether there is a real market need for your product. It helps you to refine your idea using the feedback from people who will eventually be using your product. Validating will save you time, money, and effort. Read the essay here.
4. Our first text-based Free Course: How to Start and Run a Startup
Over the years, we have interviewed hundreds of founders and learned a tremendous amount from their work, journey, and insight into how to start and build a company. We are working on using that knowledge to develop a course on how to start and run a startup in Bangladesh. This is an early draft of that initiative. The current version includes 100+ interviews, practical insights into starting and building companies. Go through the course here.
5. Why Do You Want to Build a Wildly Successful Startup?
Often our drive and desire come out of our need for the approval of others. A need most of us developed as a child when we needed approval and attention from our parents and adults. When we continue to submit to this need for external approval, we give up on our authentic self and we seek things that no longer serve or satisfy us.
When we develop enough self-knowledge we can come out of this trap and become more authentic to ourselves and the world. When we get there, our work becomes meaningful that can truly change the world for the better. The self that needs the approval of others will never be able to do work that brings us true joy and brings meaningful change to the world. Read the essay here.
