This week’s compilation presents five key articles for insightful reading, covering various aspects of the startup and business landscape in Dhaka.
1. Understanding What’s Happening in Dhaka’s Startup Scene
Dhaka’s startup ecosystem has experienced a notable period of quietness over the past two and a half years, marked by inconsistent funding, a decrease in new company formations, and reduced ecosystem activities. While some observers might conclude that the startup era is over, or attribute the slowdown to temporary political factors, a deeper analysis reveals that the situation is influenced by both global and local forces, suggesting a more complex reality than simple failure or political shifts.
2. 7 Takeaways from The Art of Enterprise Interview with Mir Shahrukh Islam
Building a company involves distinct challenges at different stages. The initial phase, from zero to one, focuses on survival, while the subsequent stage involves the complex task of successful scaling. Many companies struggle to achieve meaningful growth after surviving the early stages. In a recent discussion, Mir Shahrukh Islam shared insights on growing a business 15-fold amidst market difficulties. A key lesson from the interview highlights that transitioning an early-stage company into a scalable organization requires a different mindset and presents unique challenges. This article extracts seven key takeaways from the conversation on growth, scale, and building significant organizations. For more details, the full interview is available here.
3. 15 Takeaways from The Art of Enterprise Interview With Raisul Kabir
In a recent interview with Raisul Kabir, founder and CEO of Brain Station 23, the discussion centered on the challenging aspects of business growth and scaling. Since 2019, Brain Station 23 has expanded from 185 employees to nearly 1000, becoming one of Bangladesh’s largest software services companies. Many ventures falter or collapse when attempting to scale, making the navigation of growth an essential question for ambitious businesses. The conversation with Raisul Kabir provides practical insights into the mechanics of growth and scaling, covering topics such as partnerships, organizational structure, hiring, and building systems for sustainable expansion. This article summarizes 15 key lessons from his experience in building consequential organizations.
4. 11 Lessons From Fahim Mashroor on Entrepreneurship, Patience as Capital, and Work Ethic
Fahim Mashroor, Founder and CEO of Bdjobs.com, Bangladesh’s first online job portal, holds a significant and influential position in Dhaka’s internet entrepreneurship landscape. He has successfully built one of the country’s pioneering local internet technology companies and continues to impact the tech ecosystem through his insights, mentorship, angel investments, and activism. Fahim launched Bdjobs in 2000 when internet adoption in Bangladesh was minimal. His journey offers profound lessons on establishing a sustainable technology venture in a challenging market, highlighting the importance of patience, passion, and persistence. Drawing from discussions over the years (specifically from this and this interview), this article presents 10 key lessons from his nearly three decades of building businesses.
5. nopStation: How a 130-Person Business Unit within Brain Station 23 Became the World’s Leading Enterprise Ecommerce Partner
When Comalytics sought to reduce its technical staff in Johannesburg and establish a technology department in Bangladesh, it required deep expertise, long-term strategic thinking, and partners focused on business optimization rather than just billable hours. This need was met by nopStation, a 130-person enterprise e-commerce unit within Bangladesh’s software services giant Brain Station 23. Today, a dedicated team at nopStation in Dhaka manages Comalytics’ entire marketplace platform, which serves over 300 e-commerce sites across South Africa.
