𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸—𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 > Everything Else The right team is a game-changer. Research shows that startups with a strong, cohesive team are 2.9x more likely to grow faster. At Sveston, our team didn’t just work on tasks—they believed in our mission. When people share your vision, you’re not just building a company; you’re building a legacy. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 In a survey, 42% of failed startups pointed to a lack of market need as the reason they couldn’t succeed. Don’t just build products; solve real problems. Sveston’s foundation was built on listening. Every product iteration was guided by feedback from our customers, who helped shape our direction with what mattered to them most. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 In today’s competitive landscape, only 1 in 5 consumers will return if they don’t feel they’ve received quality. Sveston didn’t become Pakistan’s largest wristwatch brand by cutting corners; we focused on consistency and reliability. When you prioritize quality, you’re not just selling a product—you’re creating trust, and trust is the foundation of customer loyalty. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 Did you know that 65% of a company’s revenue comes from repeat customers? One-off campaigns create buzz, but real growth is sustained by building long-term relationships. At Sveston, we focused on customer engagement over one-time outreach, fostering loyalty that drives consistent revenue. Relationships last far beyond a single marketing push. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 Bootstrapping can be the ultimate teacher. Around 77% of successful startups were bootstrapped at some point, which fosters discipline and a lean approach. With Sveston, we learned to grow within our means, proving that you don’t need millions in funding to build something impactful. Bootstrapping can make you hyper-focused on value and resourceful growth. 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 Not every idea scales—knowing when to pivot is key. With DawaWala, we onboarded 50% of Karachi’s pharmacies but hit a roadblock with scaling due to tight margins and regulatory hurdles. Studies show that 30% of startups succeed because they pivot at the right time. Stepping back wasn’t a failure; it was a strategic move that allowed us to focus on projects with clearer growth paths. If I were to build again, I’d stay focused on value, team, and growth through genuine relationships. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆.
Finding a quality team is the major challenge.
SVP-I | Islamic Finance Expert | Leading Largest Shariah Audit of Pakistan | Shariah Compliance | Automation of 800+ annual Shariah Reviews & Audits | Product Development | Expert IB Trainer & Faculty | Fintech |
3moFew learnings within limited exposure: Customer is unpredictable. Sometimes excessive uncertainty in choices. Scaling is the key, and in particular the margins. Even enhancing customer base don't work many times. Cost of doing business in our adventure played a key-role initially until we find alternatives. Customer reach, reaching the customer is easy materialising is difficult and retention requires sacrifices in terms of financials, coupled with higher standard of customer services.