Times of Youth: Do tell our readers about your work in brief for those who may be unaware.

Sure thing. Well, my name is David Uzumaki and I am known as “8gaming” online. I have a Facebook page and also am YouTuber that does a variety of things. On my Facebook, I post video game facts and trivia that many people would have not known about before. On YouTube, I dwell deeper in the whole video game world of things. (‘Let’s play…’, funny moment videos, informative gaming videos, etc). Essentially it’s just me having fun with video games.

Times of Youth: When did you decide that being a gamer was your calling?

Quite recently actually. I’d say around 2013 when I started 8gaming. I’ve played for many years before that of course (the earliest I can recall is ‘Sonic on’ of the original Sega system and Crash Bandicoot and Tomb Raider on the PS1). I feel the creation of 8gaming made me a more focused gamer as I invested quite a lot of time in it subsequently increasing my love for the hobby.

Times of Youth: ‘8gaming’ is an unusual name. What made you choose it for your project?

I get this one a lot actually. It’s really simple actually. The 8 represents an infinity symbol so technically you can call me infinite gaming. It represents the never ending love for video games that we all have. However, originally the name was derived from “8fact”. A partner of 9gag who essentially does the same thing but posts more general content. I noticed nobody made an 8gaming page so took the chance to make it.

Times of Youth: How did you conjure up the idea of revealing gaming facts using web and mobile apps as a portal?

I got to give credit where credit is due. 8fact. As I previously said they posted general facts and trivia of life, I simply did the same thing but refined it to video games (which I recently expanded to YouTube).

Times of Youth: From where do you gather all these facts? How authentic are they?

Among the positivity of the ‘m8s’ (what I name my supporters). There is always the one or two who try to disprove everything I say. The facts are gathered in 3 ways:

I simply look for pre-existing facts that are already confirmed (but this is difficult to do now since I’m using everything up)

I use different apps and sites to try and learn something nobody has mentioned before or I would use the said apps to post current interesting information. An example is the built in Google Now Cards installed on my phone which provides me with information about things I regularly search. This sometimes provides sources for posts. I also use an app called “Flipboard” which allows me to specifically look for video game related news which I use on the page.

This is the more interesting method. However, I should tell you a bit more about me. I have a keen intrigue when it comes to Physics. As a hobbyist and in formal education. So I use this knowledge and the knowledge I already have of video games to “create” a fact. An example is when I posted about Portal 2 and compared portals to real life using the knowledge I know from physics. However, this is longer process when it comes to gathering information as I must 100% make sure what I say is 100% coherent in a short manner.

Regarding their authenticity, I wouldn’t post something if it was false and this is something that those few people who say otherwise don’t realize. They can simply confirm the information by researching it themselves so I would never post something non-genuine.

Times of Youth: What is your idea of a perfect game?

One that applies real-life theoretical physics in a world of its own to a finite degree. A light example would be the idea behind Delsin Rowe’s (Infamous Second Son) powers being introduced into a real-world environment. Basically anything that is not about real-life but can be explained by real-life (which is why I don’t like Grand Theft Auto).

Times of Youth: Which has been your most favorite game of all time?

“The Last of Us”

Times of Youth: Any achievement of yours which you’re most proud of?

Definitely! I won a national animation competition twice in Ireland and got to travel to Microsoft to their Games localization division to spend a week with them including the Windows team. Although, I am also more proud of 8gaming as a whole. As one can deduce I am still trying to find myself, still trying to carve myself in the gaming world and I’m only in the early stages of that. There’s still a long journey for me ahead!

Times of Youth: Has your work ever been criticized? How did you handle it?

Yes. A lot. Specifically YouTube. For the main reason being when I first got into YouTube, I was clueless (like any other YouTuber). My videos were frankly sub-par and I was having a hard time getting peoples’ attention. This is due to the size of my Facebook page and people comparing it to my YouTube. They ignore the fact that my Facebook page was once small and are condescending regarding my YouTube. In the back of my head though, I know that the hard times will be over as I experienced it with my Facebook page. Recently, things have been going well with my YouTube and I’m in the budding stage of becoming something noteworthy. It’s only a matter of time until both my YouTube and Facebook are at the same level.

When it comes to handling the critics I simply shrug them off (or so I try) as I’ve been hardened from many in the past. You become so used to the positive comments that one negative comment will get to you. 99% of what they say is lacking in background knowledge and they ramble on about things they don’t understand. This goes for both my YouTube and Facebook. I usually block people who say things that simply don’t make sense and their sole intent is to loathe me.

Times of Youth: What advice would you give to the young emerging gamers who still have a long way to go?

Well, since I’m a young emerging gamer myself and am tasting small snippets of success, I’d say (and I know this is cliche) have fun. I feel my short time on YouTube has thought me this. People can sense when you’re not real. When you don’t like what you’re doing. Plus, it would be a waste of your time and you’ll ultimately get nowhere. Whether this is YouTube, Facebook or even just you as a person. The thing you have to do is find something you like and stick with it. There’s no real specifics I can discuss unless you’re super rich and can just advertise your image everywhere (and even that wouldn’t work so well).

Times of Youth: Any message that you would like to share for the youth via Times Of Youth?

Sure! I wanna first thank you for reading this far and I’ll like to tell you one thing. Don’t give up. Once again, cliche as ever but these sayings exist for a reason. Whatever it is you’re passionate about, you will fail and fail over and over again in the beginning. I mean, I still fail all the time. It’s the fact that you can learn from your mistakes and become a better person.
Side tip: Be original or originally recreate something that already exists, make it better.

Times of Youth: Do tell us how fans and admirers can contact you to share their appreciation and feedback.

I reply to ‘m8s’ on a variety of platforms. My personal Facebook page (David Uzumaki)
Snapchat: m8gaming
Youtube: 8gaming
Twitter: @8gaming
PSN: narutouzumaki16

For those who don’t know about you and your work, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a 20 year old from Ohio exploring the world of art. I did not attend college or study art in a classroom past my high school. Through this journey, I’ve gotten to exhibit in London and Barcelona in the past year. Hopefully many more trips will be taken to exhibit my art through out the world. The opportunities I’ve gotten through art has also helped me grow as a person. It’s forced me to become a more outgoing person, which naturally I keep to myself. At first I was just making art because I loved it, and then some people in the art community took notice. So now It’s become a pursuit of a career.

How would you describe your work to someone who has never known about it?

My work consists of various styles and subject matter, as I experiment a great amount with my art. The majority consists of vibrant colors that highlight the emotion I feel from the subject matter. Some of the subject matter includes portraits, animals, water, and city street views. Older artwork was created mainly with charcoal, which has helped tremendously in creating paintings. My more current artwork is done in oil and acrylics on canvas.

What sparked your initial interest in arts?

There isn’t a specific moment that set off my interest. Most kids have a favorite thing to kill time, and mine just happened to be drawing. I continued to draw more and more, and as I got older I grew in talent due to the practice. In my last year of high school, I really began to take it more seriously, as I was taking many art classes.

At what age did you start doing all this work? Has your family always been supportive of this choice of career?

I’ve always been creating art. At 17, I started making the majority of the artwork that is featured on my website and captured the attention of others. My family has been very supportive during this adventure. They have even let me use a room in the house for a small studio space. I think most parents don’t take the news of their children wanting to become artists very well. To parents, the phrase, “I want to be an artist” can be interpreted as “I’m going to have no money”. But this thinking isn’t always true and my parents recognize that.

If not this, what else would you have taken up as your 2nd career of choice and why?

My second choice would be computer programming. I’ve always been interested in why and how the technology works. Since I have a great interest in this field, I’ve taken it upon myself to study it through free online resources and books. My hope is to integrate my creativity and experiences in art with my programming knowledge, to help other artists.

Do tell us how has your experience has been in your current field so far.

I can tell you right away, that it is not easy. There are plenty of times that I don’t want to do anything creative, or a project that is taking a lot longer than I had planned. Forcing myself to work on projects is very important, because practice is necessary to become better. Another challenge is having ideas. Writers may have writers’ block, but a painter has “painters’ block”. This field is also hard to make an income with, if you’re like me and just create original artwork. Others rely on selling prints or paintings. It’s possible though! All it takes is the right person seeing your artwork to really get things moving forward. All that being said, it has been an incredible experience. Unique opportunities have been made available that are just so exciting to be a part of. Getting to exhibit internationally has got to be my favorite part and also, meeting other crazy artists and people from all over the world united by the love for art.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself as an artist, honestly?

Currently, I would rate myself a 6. It doesn’t seem very high, but there’s a reason for that. There is ALWAYS more room to improve, so I could never reach 10. Some artists are in the studio almost every day. Right now, that’s just not me. I have many things I am interested in. So I can’t dedicate every hour to my art. I have just set a new goal for myself to help me improve, create one new piece of work every 10 days.

Which of your projects are you most proud of and why?

I am most proud of my recent paintings of Barcelona. It challenged me to step away from just doing unrealistic colors and portraits for a time, and try to expand my talent. These paintings included more natural colors, and new subject matter. The biggest part of why I’m so proud of these paintings is I captured the atmosphere I felt while I was there, which is extremely important to me.

Where do you see yourself in next 5 years?

In 5 years, I see myself with a more professional art studio space. Getting the right atmosphere to create my art is very important to becoming better. I hope to be exhibiting at 2 international exhibits a year by that point. Teaching art classes might be something I see myself doing as well. Referencing what I had talked about earlier, I hope to have developed a website to really help artists get discovered and connect them with job opportunities.

What is one question nobody has ever asked you— that you wish they asked you?

“What were you thinking about/what mood were you in while you created this piece of work?” is a question I at least don’t remember being asked before. Most people ask questions such as, “Why did you use this color?” or “How long did it take?”. These questions don’t really have answers that provide any depth to a work of art. Sometimes I choose a color, just because it looks good. The question about what mood or what I was thinking about while painting a particular piece can provide something more than just the visual aspect, and add a better understanding of my work.

Any message to your fans or followers via TIMES OF YOUTH?

I would encourage everyone to pursue their passion relentlessly. I even know many people who have given up on what they love, simply because they doubt themselves. It’s not fair to yourself to limit yourself by fear of failure, and it’s also not fair to everyone else who is prevented from witnessing your unique talents. I firmly believe that choosing a career that you are passionate about will allow you to maximize your potential, because when you’re passionate about something, you will work harder towards it.

Do tell us how can fans contact you to share their appreciation/feedback/suggestions.

Anyone can contact me through my Facebook art page, “Levi Boulis Artist”, or through my website www.leviboulis.com

Times of Youth: In brief, could you enlighten our readers about yourself for those who may be unaware?

I am CEO of this company. My name is Sundas Jabeen and I am a software engineer. I started working as a freelance writer when I was 16 years old. Before that, I use to write poems, stories and content for my school’s newsletters and magazines. I also contributed for free in national digests, newspapers and magazines. When I finished my college, I got admission in Software engineering on my best friend’s advice. At that time I never knew it would suit me so well. I so loved this field that I started learning from online trainings, did many courses from distant learning universities from abroad, participated in many events, competitions and was able to bag National Youth Icon award in 2012. Since then, I earned many titles as Youngest Entrepreneur Award Best Female Entrepreneur, Women in business – Face of Pakistan award etc.

Apart from social aspects, I started grabbing development projects and became a full time freelancer. At a very young age, I have been working for brands like Zara (UK), Dell (UK), Silicon Valley Innovation Center (USA) and hundreds of small to large companies from all over the world. I use to share projects with my friends too. With an intention to create employment opportunities in Pakistan, I made a company. Initially I had only few people from Pakistan and most of them from abroad. But by now, most of my team is from Pakistan.

I am Microsoft certified and also a trainer. I conduct workshops and seminars to train people about how they can earn money online using internet. I keep people aware about high tech solutions and how to make technology common in Pakistan, starting from their homes. I run a blog named Likho Pakistan, where I post tutorials and motivational material for the ones who are planning to launch a startup or looking to raise funding. In coming year, you will see another startup of mine that will create a big impact if everything went well. I am a pure patriot and I always make sure to represent a positive Pakistan. I play my part to contribute to a better Pakistan and I also encourage others to promote a positive Pakistan.

Times of Youth: What is the name of the startup? 

Name of this innovative startup is “Devstroke”. We say it like “Devstroke – Innovation at its best”. The name comes from two different words, Development and Stroke. Just like an artist creates a magic with his strokes, we digitalize businesses across the globe with our development stroke.

Times of Youth: What is your startup, what does it do?

We are a design and development company, innovating the traditional design and branding in different parts of the world. Devstroke started in December 2014 with a vision to create a first in its kind entrepreneurial firm that gathered talented and creative young entrepreneurs and freelancers at one platform. We are a team of certified professionals who are experts in their own respective fields and possess a great experience as a freelancer or entrepreneur serving people all over the world. We are now united as TEAM DEVSTROKE and provide state of the art IT services to the people all over the world. Our success lies in our ability of being multi cultured and able to bring out the best solution within the budget. Working with Devstroke will be a unique experience for employees as well as clients as they will meet a team virtually connected from different parts of the world understanding them the better way and uniting different ideas to come up with a magical masterpiece.

Times of Youth: Who are the founders and key team members of your startup?

I am the founder and sole proprietor of Devstroke. We have Project Managers, designers, developers, writers, virtual assistants, book keeper, spokesperson, legal consultant, strategy analysts, business development team, auditors, coordinators, helpers and event organizers (They help us conduct workshops and seminars for learning in different cities). We also have a lot of members (freelancers who attend our training) that we keep on recommending to our clients for their freelance jobs that fit their skills.

Times of Youth: How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors, what makes you different?

We provide everything at one place. From brainstorming to testing, we have people from all over the world with different skills. We never say “NO” to anything just because it is NOT our domain. If there is anything that is relevant to your company’s digital identity, we offer it. We are making it affordable for people to digitalize. Big companies are offering good services but they charge a high amount so their target market is rich customers. Small companies are asking for less fee but they are doing the things the traditional and old way and their target market is the customer with low budget and NO idea of latest techniques. We not only make our customer realize the importance of using the latest techniques, we provide them those quality services in the same rates that they pay to get the obsolete ones. We want to make sure that everyone gets the best solutions and make most out of their websites. If your website is not bringing you leads and business, it’s not the fault of your business or idea, it’s a fault of your website. With us, you don’t need to pay something you cannot afford to get the services you deserve.

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from?

I was already developing websites and was a writer. I had contacts with good designers, app developers and SEO experts. I had a huge network of freelancers from different parts of the world who became my friends during my freelancing tenure. I wanted to unite them at one place and grab more projects. Doing that, Allah almighty helped me and we got more than expected projects. This was the time when I wanted to hire more freelancers. I hired Pakistani people because I wanted to create employments here. I noticed that expert freelancers were already getting projects and they knew all the tools and techniques that are being less practiced in Pakistan. I made them managers and hired those struggling ones who were not able to get the jobs because they were not yet ready or didn’t knew much or were simply taking freelancing wrong. I, along with managers, trained them, told them what to do and what not to do. How to apply, how to behave and everything they wanted to know. We then conducted many events and taught people how to become successful freelancers. They are now earning well and teaching their friends. This way, they not only work for us, they get even more projects and create opportunities for their friends and family too. This way Devstroke is changing the vision of foreign clients about Pakistani Freelancers.

Times of Youth: What is your vision for the company?

My vision for Devstroke is to be a Pakistan Based international Company in IT industry. I want to expand the setup to other countries and promote the “made in Pakistan” label. Also, to contribute my part towards Pakistan’s economical and digital development. To bring business in Pakistan and empower the current businesses. To make technology common and affordable and to take the Pakistani Businesses to reach international market.

Times of Youth: What is the actual addressable market?

We have a huge market. Anyone, selling anything or selling nothing at all is our lead. We tell people how they can get benefit by turning their passion into money. Suppose you like cooking and I will make you a blog where you would share your recipes, get followers and generate revenue. Would you be able to resist? See, you are my lead too.

Times of Youth: Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?

We help you grow digitally. We do industry analysis, market analysis, research and follow ups to make sure you are making most out of your digital identity. We offer,
 Web development (HTML5, WordPress, PHP, Magento, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, Foursquare, Wix)
 App Development (Android, HTML5, IOS, C#, ASP.NET, JAVA, Unity 2D, Unity 3D)
 Design Services (Web design, graphic design, print media design)
 Writing services ( Articles, web content, blogs, press release, seo content, product reviews, product description, biography, ebooks, reports)
 Internet Marketing (SEO, SMM, SEM, Email Marketing, Content Marketing)
 Maintenance Services
 Web and Blog administration
 ERPs ( Point of sales, school management, hospital management, clinic management, restaurant management)
 Virtual Assistants
 Skill Training through seminars and workshops
 Testing Services (Scrum Testing, Agile Testing, Unit Testing, Integration Testing and System Testing)

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from? What was the inspiration behind the business?

I always wanted to something extra ordinary. I wanted to strengthen myself because I was told that girls are fragile. Growing up as a girl, circumstances were always different. On one hand, women empowerment was rising, people were offering more jobs to girls etc. On the other hand, parents were not satisfied with their daughters earning money. On one side, it was a proud to see our women rising, on other side harassment was a big threat. Though society was changing in favor of girls but parents were still afraid. I wanted to be an example.

I wanted to change the perspective of parents so that they can proudly get their daughters educated and allow them to rise and shine. My parents didn’t wanted me to join any office. They didn’t wanted me to work along with my studies because they felt I don’t need to earn because they are earning for me. I wanted to change this mind set by telling them that it’s not about earning, it’s about being able to help others and be a responsible human. I took this path to stand out while sitting at home. Today I am running a company and planning projects that can make a big impact on entire nation. My parents are now proud of me. Alhamdulillah, I am glad that I have made many housewives, single mothers, students and widows freelancers. They now earn by sitting at home. Few are Devstroke’s employees too.

Times of Youth: What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?

I am bought up in a family with business background. My family and friends encouraged me throughout. I always wanted to do something big but I never thought it will be so early and this good. I started freelancing to bare the expense of my university. I wanted to feel financially independent. Eventually, things turned this way around. I always helped people, even before the startup. When I learn something productive, I teach it to others too. So, when I got much projects, I thought to share them. When people completed projects for me, I was never satisfied and I use to refine them my way. The difference was due to the level of technology in abroad and here. Then, I thought to make a company and get everything done in a modern way. So I trained my team accordingly. I always hire the one who is determined and wants to learn, not the one who wants to count their hours and get the salary. This way I got the most productive team. However, it took much hard work to achieve this level of productivity.

Times of Youth: What are the major product milestones/achievements?

We were founded in December 2014 and within 5 months, we were labelled as one of the Top 100 startups of Pakistan. I get a lot of invites to attend various organizations and conduct learning sessions. My team as well as clients are very happy with us and this is what I consider the biggest achievement. They own Devstroke and Devstroke owns them.

Times of Youth: How did you initially raise funding for your company?

We had no physical office. I only invested few hundred dollars to get my website ready and register the company. Initially, for projects, I used freelancing platforms to grab projects. Those clients became our happy customers and outsourced their entire development departments to us. We work 24/7 and this is the reason most of the companies have outsourced us their work. Apart from companies, many individual clients contacted us for their websites and referred us. The only thing that get us clients is quality of our work and my best ever Team, specially my project Manager.

Times of Youth: What early traction has the company gotten (sales, traffic to the company’s website, app downloads, etc., as relevant).

We have been able to get trusted by people and companies all over the world. They gave us their projects. Most of our clients are recurring and long term. We are capable and ready to deliver as much work as a client needs. There is no limit when it comes to Devstroke.

Times of Youth: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?

Luckily, satisfying the clients was never the problem for me. The biggest challenge for me was to gather the best team. I knew the importance of good team since the start. It took me months to gather the cream at one place. It was very difficult to find the gems. You always have to dig deep to grab one.  Now, I have the best team. I value them, encourage them and I feel glad that they all love Devstroke and are working here because they find it a better place to grow and achieve.

Times of Youth: What will the company look like in a year? From any and all perspectives — product, people, team, revenue?

In a year, I see Devstroke innovating the local Pakistani Market. We are already working for foreign clients. In the year 2016, we are planning to cover and digitalize the local market. We will reach empower maximum local businesses and launch them with a great force in the global market. Making Pakistan go Global will be our New Year resolution for 2016.

Times of Youth: How can investors in your idea make a profit?

Investors can help us reach our business in different parts of the world and then, they can sit back and see us innovating businesses in that area and generating a decent profit. Devstroke have a best team, ability to handle load, ability to learn new things and adapt to new culture, and ability to say YES to every challenge. What else would a client need? All we are expecting from investors is to connect us with potential market and clients in different developing as well as developed countries. This way, we will be able to connect technologies and techniques from all over the world to one place i.e. DEVSTROKE.

Times of Youth: Finally, If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?

For anyone who is looking to start a business, I would say that if you are not doing something because you think it’s not the right time, please do it. There is no such thing as “the right time”. The moment you think of something indicates that God wants you to do it. I will also say that if you are afraid of risks, there is no such thing as “risk”. If you play wise, and use your brain the smart way, there is no risk in anything. You never need investment or money to start a business. You have internet, it’s worth treasure. Use it to minimize the risk and always trust the right people to build a team. In a long span, a stranger might be more helpful than your best friend. So take wiser decision, minimize the initial costs to as low as possible and wait for the public’s interest in your product/service to make any big investment.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DevstrokeTech

Questionnaire was filled by Founder of Devstroke – Miss Sundas Jabeen

Times of Youth: In brief, could you enlighten our readers about yourself for those who may be unaware?

A Big Hello to the readers! My name is Dr. Musstanser Tinauli. I am the CEO of Fori Mazdoori. I would like to define myself as an innovationist committed to the idea of creating sustainable, smarter and safer Cities. I believe in slow-change in a bottom-up way. You could also know me as a traveler. I travel whenever I can as I believe its is the best teacher, it teaches you, it changes you. I am very reachable and easygoing person –  I have been told often by the youth that my sessions are enlightening and highly motivating.

You put me in a room with 50 people and we would come out with several good ideas with high societal impact. I can help particularly young people think differently.  I have given several keynotes and workshops (focused on innovation. design thinking, social innovation, social entrepreneurship and smart Cities) in flagship events of the American Embassy such as Global Entrepreneurship Week and International Youth Alumni Conference as-well as with several prestigious Universities (such as Punjab University, NUST and Kinnaird College Lahore). I have also been a TEDx speaker.

One of the best projects that I have ever lead would include Trash Track at MIT – a project that made the concept of “Internet of Things” a reality and also presented the world with a scenario where 100 percent recycling was a possibility.

I have a couple of degrees including a PhD in Design from Politecnico di Milano, Italy; a Masters by Research degree from Multimedia University, Malaysia and a Bachelors (CS) from Muhammad Ali Jinnah University. I have also worked in different capacities with academia of various Universities including Qassim University (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), University of Sydney (Australia) and Multimedia University (Malaysia) and Politecnico di Milano (Italy).

Times of Youth: What is the name of the startup? 

The startup is named Fori Mazdoori within Pakistan, and Skill Bazaar for rest of the world.
We are available online through forimazdoori.com and skillbazaar.co (currently in beta) as well as our iOS and Android apps.

Times of Youth: What is your startup, what does it do?

Fori Mazdoori is a labour welfare system designed to transform how a person finds work. It bridges the gap between an employer and a worker by providing an easy to use ICT-based platform for searching and hiring everyday workers such as drivers, maids, electricians, and plumbers, among a host of similar blue-collar / non-formal professions. Finding the right help at the right time is a cumbersome task and considerable effort is required to track down people with the desired qualities even through existing contacts. Fori Mazdoori provides fast and easy access to potentially millions of workers through the web and mobile apps. It enables users to not only search for nearby workers but also provides a mechanism for adding new workers who do not yet have access to modern technologies (welfare). By completing the feedback loop through employer reviews and leveraging social media, Fori Mazdoori provides access to quality workers that you can trust.

We are a social enterprise registered as a private limited company and help truly empower the youth, women and the underpriviligaed communities. We are particularly a ray of hope for women wanting to find jobs through our system when their norms, culture and tradition discourages them from using the ways of men to find jobs.

Times of Youth: Who are the founders and key team members of your startup??

Fori Mazdoori is the brainchild of Dr Musstanser Tinauli, an acclaimed innovator and researcher whose core interests lie in creating sustainable, smarter, and safer communities. Dr Tinauli has been associated with various universities and research labs around the world in different capacities and has led some very high profile projects including Trash Track at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA. Dr. Tinauli can be followed on twitter @musstanser & facebook(mustanswer1).
At Fori Mazdoori, he is joined by his two other co-founders; Surayya Obaid, a development management specialist with years of experience in the development sector ; and Shaji Ahmed, a technology and design specialist who has led multiple large scale research and development projects in both the government and development sectors.

Times of Youth: How does your startup stand out against its competitors, what makes you different?

Fori Mazdoori is primirarly targeting the informal job sector. We present a model where workers do not need to be actively seeking jobs instead the onus of recruitment is always on the employer (similar to LinkedIn). The workers (with a mandatory access to a simple phone) just need to ensure their most updated profiles are available in our system.

The employers in our case are primiarily individuals or households, and not companies or head-hunters. We cater to the low-income and shot-term job market where requirements for candidates are not as stringent.

Moreover, our target audience (in case of workers) are mostly offline, do not have ready access to modern technologies (smart phones), and are not very highly educated. Their access to the system is ensured through pseudo profiling either by their employer(s) or someone they may know with a smart phone and/or internet access. We enable the workers to get incentives of using social-media by allowing our community to create and maintain their pseudo-profiles that enables them to be found, contacted, and employed. These profiles lets the world know who they are and what they can do. If and when they improve their economic status to where these individuals can afford smart phones and get online, they gain access to control their own profiles.

Strong community engagement is key to the success of Fori Mazdoori. The act of profiling a worker translates into increased employment opportunities for the workers. Our users not only feel a sense of accomplishment but are also rewarded for their contribution in generating employment in both monetary and social terms.

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from?

Dr Tinauli is a design thinking and smart-cities specialist. The need for a potential service that could facilitate the blue-collared workers was identified in a couple of his co-creation sessions. That point onwards Dr Tinauli made it his mission to create a system that would truly empower the largely illiterate community and help them get access to better jobs.

Times of Youth: What is your vision for the company?

Fori Mazdoori believes that ICTs can be leveraged to improve the lives of billions. In the modern world, basic physiological human needs can only be met through a consistent means of employment. ICTs have the power to deliver on this need, but only if they can be harnessed in yet unimaginable ways. Fori Mazdoori is one such endeavour.

Times of Youth: What is the actual addressable market?

The directly addressable market is anyone who is online. They in-turn have access to tens if not hundreds of people who are offline but are connected through mobile devices (feature phones). Hence, anyone who can be contacted through a mobile phone can potentially be profiled.

Times of Youth: Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?

• Fori Mazdoori connects workers (help providers) with employers (help seekers) through ICT-based systems using the web and smart phone apps
• Users (employers) can search for individuals (workers, other users) with specific skillsets
• Users can create their own profiles or profiles of those individuals who are offline, but connected via feature phones
• Offline workers can now be located, contacted, and hired for any kind of work
• Employers can rate and review worker performance

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from? What was the inspiration behind the business?

I have been focusing on the creation of smart cities and sustainable communities for about a decade now. After working on and participating in several smart-city events around the globe, I realized that a smarter world cannot subsist without a smarter Asia, and for which South Asia would have to become smarter and more sustainable.

South Asia is home to a significant portion of the world’s population as well as poverty. Access to better employment opportunities though technology could strongly contribute towards poverty alleviation, which in turn could improve their perception of what is possible through good use of technology. A connected South Asia could pave the way for a smarter and sustainable world.

Times of Youth: What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?

I have no business background or have a history of family businesses, but as a preacher of innovation and social entrepreneurship I wanted to do something that could change the world. Startups have the power to change everything, I believe mine would too!

Times of Youth: What are the major product milestones/achievements?

Fori Mazdoori is the first-to-market and has so far received the following awards as a recognition of our innovation:
• Winners (Utility) at Apportunity 2015, Telenor, September 2015
• Best Startup at Startup Expo Islamabad, May 2015
• Top 15 Startups of Europe and Asia at Startup Istanbul, November 2014
• Runners-up of the National Innovation Grants Challenge 2014 by Pakistan Innovation Fund (PIF) in collaboration with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF)

Times of Youth: How did you initially raise funding for your company?

I was able to raise the first round of funding through the support Simula Research Labs (SRC) in Norway, where I was employed as Innovation Manager.

Times of Youth: What early traction has the company gotten (sales, traffic to the company’s website, app downloads, etc., as relevant).

We have had good early traction including 1,000+ app installs, 2,000+ registered workers, social media outreach to more than 10,000 users, and a conversion rate of about 25%.

Times of Youth: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?

Moving to Asia after being spoiled in Europe was biggest challenge. Also I miss having a salary.

Times of Youth: What will the company look like in a year? From any and all perspectives — product, people, team, revenue?
2016 hopefully will be a big year for us. We are planning to raise some Round-A funding to continue our development and expand the outreach campaigns. Opening up the platform to other more accessible countries is also on the cards.

Times of Youth: How can investors in your idea make a profit?

We have planned for multiple revenue streams, including but not limited to transactions, advertising, and subscriptions. In some projections we also estimated profits ranging from 100-200 percent. With a lean start and low overhead, we are all set to become financially viable within a short span of time. Given the potentially large number of users and our progressive activities, it shall be nothing less than an ideal investment opportunity for investors to join us. I would like to say, “join us, and I promise together we will change the world”.

Times of Youth: Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?

Only you and you alone can make it happen –Your belief in yourself and your idea is all that you require rather than anyone’s approval. Yes, you will need a team to pull it off but your intensity of self-belief will drive the success of your idea. As an entrepreneur you need to hypothesize weather an idea will fail or fly but no projections can truly give you the end-results. The end-results would be a consequence of all the things you do once you embark on your new journey. Even if you fail in your first idea, your knowledge and experience would increase your worth and value exponentially. So, just do it! If you believe you can, “you can!”.

• Aditya Sharma, Vedang Patel, Rohin Samtaney (The Souled Store) – Co-founder of The Souled Store, Bachelors of Engineering (Mumbai University)
• Siddharth Shah  – Founder, SP Shah Consultants (UAE), MBA (Wharton), Bachelors of Technology (IIT-Bombay)
• Gautam Udani  – Founder, Infini Systems Pvt. Ltd.,Master in Information Systems (N.J.I.T.)
• Yuvek Mehta  – Analyst, Microsoft technologies (Redmond), Bachelors of Engineering (Mumbai University)

• Access to user-friendly, niche games on one single platform
• Ability to invite friends and follow their activities on the platform
• Sharing brand discounts and games to earn even more Frapees (free promotion for brands and games)
• Leader boards with features to track your friends’ position on the board
• Lottery that provides free Frapees to one user per day
• Redemption of Frapees earned to receive discounts or free coupons against the brand(s) of choice

• 900+ downloads, without any marketing efforts being initiated yet
• 80 brands with 400+ discounts or free coupons
• Increase in #games from 2 to 9 within one month

Times of Youth: What is the name of the startup? 

HS Comics – which created Pakistan’s first super hero comic book called “Pakistan Man”

Times of Youth: What is your startup, what does it do?

My startup is basically a creative art company that has created Pakistan’s first super hero comic of “Pakistan Man” a super hero character comic book that is inspiring, educating and helping the youth to be more creative.

Times of Youth: Who are the founders and key team members of your startup??

My name is Hassan Sohail Siddiqui and I’m the creator and founder of this startup, I’m also building a team but it is still in progress.

Times of Youth: How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors, what makes you different?

My Startup is completely different from a lot of other startups and similar companies in this region simply because a super hero comic book has never been made and released before my startup. Our focus is the young generation and helping them bridge this huge gap in Pakistan where no comics or fun things to read are available for the youth.

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from?

I have been drawing and making small comics since I was very young. I used to draw characters for my friends and cousins all the time. After I graduated from my university I decided to try and launch this comic book character I had drawn when I was a kid and that’s how this startup was born.

Times of Youth: What is your vision for the company?

The vision for this company is to have creative and fun entertainment for the young generation and also change the image of Pakistan around the world. Children also learn from fiction characters and storybooks so we are trying to educate the young generation, teach them the use of English language and also tell them about their social issues through the use of a fun comic book, which has super heroes to inspire the youth.

Times of Youth: What is the actual addressable market?

Our market is the young generation ages ranging from 8 year old to 15 year old. But also people in university,colleges and even older people enjoy this comic book because of its unique style and humor.

Times of Youth: Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?

Our key features of this product are to motivate and inspire children towards the joys and rewards of reading for pleasure, imagination and information. Giving them education of what’s right and wrong, Social issues, Helping the youth be more creative with creative writing and drawing; English language learning, art/murals; comics and cartoons; digital literacy, arts and crafts activities

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from? What was the inspiration behind the business?

I created this startup in 2014, but I have been drawing and doing creative arts and making comics since I was 10 years old. I loved reading comic books and I was inspired to make my own as soon as I graduated because there was no Pakistani comic book available in Pakistan. The youth in Pakistan didn’t have their own super hero who could inspire the people. I had the idea of Pakistan man when I was very young around 11 years old and I remembered this idea from my childhood and decided to make and publish my own comic book.

Times of Youth: What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?

I don’t have a business background I was a student and I completed my BBA in marketing from Islamabad. I had no idea about startups or the business world. But as soon as I graduated I wanted to create and publish my own comic book without any prior experience and that’s how I got into the world of business and dealing with every day situations that a startup has to face.

Times of Youth: What are the major product milestones/achievements?

After I launched my Pakistan man comic book it has managed to create attention in the media as well as made some great achievements only being a year old startup.

We have managed to sell more then 2,500 copies just in Islamabad

It is the only Pakistani comic book to be ordered by multiple universities in USA for their libraries.
Including “Harvard University” and the biggest library in the world “the library of Congress”

It was voted in the top 100 startups in Pakistan in 2015 (Startup magazine)

It has been featured in Big newspapers and magazines including: Dawn news, Express tribune, The National (Biggest newspaper in the UAE)

Times of Youth: How did you initially raise funding for your company?

Initially I didn’t receive any funding because this was a brand new startup and nobody knew about it so I had to put my own money in to get started and a good friend of mine also helped with some of his money and we pooled together and got started.

Times of Youth: What early traction has the company gotten (sales, traffic to the company’s website, app downloads, etc., as relevant).

In these early stages of the company we have managed to sell more then 2,500 copies just in Islamabad. The sales are mostly through book store sales, event sales and any event or festival that is happening in Islamabad where we have a stall of Pakistan man. Our App and website is still in development so we have generated no sales from e-commerce so far.

Times of Youth: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?

The biggest challenge for any startup is to work hard every day and be consistent. Most startups fail simply because the person and owner does not try hard enough and gives up easily. So that is one of the biggest challenges is not to quit and do something unique, which no one has done before.

Times of Youth: What will the company look like in a year? From any and all perspectives — product, people, team, revenue?

The vision of this company is to build a long lasting company that continues to provide entertainment to the youth and continue launching more issues and other creative products in the future. We are currently making a team so there will be an art department, marketing department and other people working in the company in different sectors. The revenue is hard to predict in this early stages of the startup but we have not been in loss since the beginning of our startup we have always broken even and made some profit every month. So we hope to keep doing that in the future as well.

Times of Youth: How can investors in your idea make a profit?

We have been cash flow positive since our second issue launch in a matter of a few months after starting a brand new startup and we have steadily made a profit. Any investor that invests in this company would be getting his profit hopefully in year two of our startup as we are growing the company and we are planning monthly issues with lots of sponsors and schools, universities on board which will help us make more this company even bigger and better.

Times of Youth: Finally, If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?

Anybody who is thinking of starting a new business should know that it is a lot of hard work so you should be prepared for that and also to do something unique which no one has done before. Another thing, which is very important, is to find what you love to do and build a business around that and don’t try to copy others. You will be successful if you do what you love and work hard and be prepared not to make money at least in the first few stages of your startup.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HScomics/

Questionnaire was filled by Founder/Creator of HS Comics  – Mr. Hassan Sohail Siddiqui

Times of Youth: What is the name of the startup? 

Sehat

Times of Youth: What is your startup, what does it do?

Our startup is an online pharmacy with a supplementary call centre, that delivers medicines to customers all over Pakistan (200+ locations). Sehat also offers home vaccination services in 4 major cities of Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi)

Times of Youth: Who are the founders and key team members?

The founders are Nadir Mumtaz, Yusuf Mumtaz, Akbar Mumtaz, Hyder Mumtaz, and Bilal Mumtaz (part of the 4th generation of the Fazal Din Family, a healthcare conglomerate operating in Pakistan since 1948).

The Key team members include Nadir Mumtaz (CEO), Yusuf Mumtaz (Director of Cold Chain), Shoaib Qureshi (General Manager), Faheem Sarfraz (Head of Pharmacy), Talha Hassan (Head of IT), and Nadeem Abbasi (Head of Procurement)

Times of Youth: How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors, what makes you different?

Our startup stands out against brick and mortar pharmacies by (1) offering nationwide delivery (2) procuring medicines directly from the manufacturer (3) offering a multitude of different payment methods, including mobile banking, online banking, credit card payment, and cash on delivery and (4) speedy delivery within the hub of our operations, Lahore

We also go a step further by standing out among notable e-commerce sites selling similar products. This is in the form of creating noteworthy salient features, such as (1) order scheduling (2) store credit deposit (through prepayment methods)  (3) same day local delivery and (4) prescription verification for relevant items on our portal (other e-commerce sites don’t abide by the laws set forth for retail sale of such items)

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from?

The idea from the startup came collectively from the five founding members of Sehat. They felt that since their family was already heavily involved in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, and that they were already successful in their respective healthcare ventures (namely medical equipment agencies), that it was only logical for them to bring their family business to the e-commerce space

Times of Youth: What is your vision for the company?

Our vision for the company in terms of horizontal expansion include satellite warehouses in five major cities in Pakistan within the next five years, and allocated ATM’s for medication. Vertical expansion plans include diagnostic labs for drug testing. In terms of more immediate product oriented goals, we plan to expand to (1) optician products (2) beauty/wellness products and (3) consumer household items

Times of Youth: What is the actual addressable market?

The actual addressable market is repeat and recurring prescription medicine users. This has translated into roughly a third of the population of the country

Times of Youth: Can you state, in clear language, the key features of your product or service?

The key features of our service include the following:
• Timely delivery of medicines all over Pakistan
• Pharmacist-controlled verification of prescriptions for prescription drug processing
• Multiple payment options for ease of use and convenience in purchasing medicines
• Supplementary call centre (0800 73428) and website (www.sehat.com.pk)
• Superior packaging materials for delivery
o Namely cold chain packaging materials for temperature sensitive items, which maintain the temperature of the parcel between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for up to 48 hours during delivery

Times of Youth: Where did the idea for the startup come from? What was the inspiration behind the business?

The idea for the startup came from the father of the five founding members – all five are brothers. The inspiration was to create a portal that provided authentic medicines to Pakistanis all over the country, and to end the trade of spurious drugs in the market (30% of all medication in the the trade is deemed ‘fake’)

Times of Youth: What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?

I myself am a Finance Major from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and what actually got me interested in startups was my first job – a part time gig in sales at a Groupon-esque startup based in London, Ontario called Scratchd. I learned the ropes of making sales in a ‘do-or-die’ quick paced environment .It was from then on I was up to the challenge of returning home to Pakistan to help build Sehat in December 2013 – the website was officially launched in April 2014.

Times of Youth: What are the major product milestones/achievements?

Our major product milestones have been our Twitter Following – one of the top 5 among startups in Pakistan -, our inclusion in to notable Pakistani Tech Magazines list of Top Ten Early Age Startups with Huge Potential, our corporate clientele (which are among the top 50 performing companies of Pakistan), and our home vaccination program (initially started as a collaborative effort with a renowned multinational pharmaceutical company). We are also the first startup ever in Pakistan to create an anthem for the Pakistan National Cricket Team (De Chakka).

Times of Youth: How did you initially raise funding for your company?

This has been a family funded venture from the start.

Times of Youth: What early traction has the company gotten (sales, traffic to the company’s website, app downloads, etc., as relevant).

We have managed to dominate SEO for medicinal products among e-commerce sites in Pakistan, which has lead to the bulk of our orders. We have also managed to supply medicines directly to corporate clientele either through (1) medicinal sales to their dispensaries, (2) direct medicinal sales to their employees, and (3) vaccinations of corporate employees. We have also managed to get exclusive PR deals with renowned Pakistani newspaper companies and tech blogs to further promote our brand. Through extensive Facebook campaigns, we have managed to increase our customer base by 400% in the past six months.

Times of Youth: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?

As a startup owner, the biggest challenge has to be dealing with our supply chain team. Medicines are not items that can be obtained on a Just-in-Time basis, so our supply chain team has to work around the clock to obtain medicines not available from other retail outlets not just in Lahore, but in Pakistan as a whole.

Times of Youth: What will the company look like in a year? From any and all perspectives — product, people, team, revenue?

In a year, the company will hopefully have a website development team and an upated ERP. We will expand our product line to consumer household items and beauty/wellness products, and we will be making a profit with our (1) organic customer sales (2) corporate/institutional sales and (3) home vaccinations

Times of Youth: How can investors in your idea make a profit?

Investors in our idea can help us make a profit by improving our system to further speed up order processing, and by giving us a reasonable marketing budget to promote our brand offline to all corners of Pakistan. A revamp of the website is also necessary, and collaborations with telecom/payment partners all over the country will further consolidate our brand. They can also invest in stationing doctors at our premises so that customers can receive prescriptions from us and purchase from us as well

Times of Youth: Finally, If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?
 
 If I could give someone  a piece of advice who thinks about starting business, I would urge him/her to have a very hands-on approach to his model. Careful Financial Planning, Proper Marketing Strategy, and a ‘never-say-die’ attitude are key, but ultimately, a sound business model revolves around a product that is not only disruptive, but has a lot of demand – that’s the tricky part about building a business from the ground up.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sehatpharmacy/ 

Questionnaire was filled by Founder of  Sehat – Mr. Bilal Mumtaz