Home Business GITC 2018: Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion

GITC 2018: Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion

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Kathmandu, October 19, 2018: Small Minds! Big Impacts! Entrepreneurship is about following your passion and working to create an impact. Understanding the perspective of teen Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship enthusiasts and bringing them into light has always been our primary concern. We believe that teenagers are like flicker of flame that can spark great thoughts and help in shaping our workings and enhancing creativity. Small ideas bring great results and so do we believe that Teenagers, although considered young in age, have great minds that can change the world.

In the panel discussion, Moderator was Mr. Narottam Aryal who is Executive Director of King’s College. The international speakers were Ahmed Sajidan Jarjis Rafsan from Bangladesh who is 14 years Founder and President The Dream Foundation, Sachin Dangi from Nepal who is 18 years President, Sharemywrite and Wai Wai Glocal Teen Hero 2017, Abul Bashar Rahman from Bangladesh who is 16 years Founder and Chief Executive Officer Green and Feed’Em and Heet Shah from India who is 19 years Student, Bachelors of Engineering in Information and Technology.

The panel discussion goes like this:

Moderator: Good Morning, it’s always a pleasure to be with the youths. I’m pleased to talk to the panel of teenagers. It was an amazing story from the speaker before us. Thank you, Glocal for this opportunity. Thank you, Ashish, Alina, Kajol. Please share your stories, everyone. And yes, anyone can Start.

Heet: I am an Engineer. I have been also coordinating with state universities which are affiliated with more than 200 colleges. We help students from around the state to get funding and start their startup.

Bashar: I’m Abul Bashar Rahman. I’m a CEO and founder of Green and Feed’Em. I think I have shared about my company with all the people yesterday. We use an AI-based technology to make Hunger Map. Then we share the leftover food with these hungry and poor people. I was also nominated from my nation to APICTA Awards in relation to ICT. APICTA is the oscar of ICT. And I hope I win in the program.

Sachin: Morning. I’m into writing, reading, creating. I’m new to entrepreneurship. I was interested in physic and I wanted to be a physician. But recently I have been interested in entrepreneurship. I work in as a founding member of Teenage Society of Nepal. We started SharemyWrite last year on the same day with 10$ but now the organization is worth 1000$.

Ahmed: Good Morning everyone. You didn’t pay the fee to know me you aid to know how and why we are here on stage. I a representative of UN-Water. We created an app to show leakage in the building. We created this app in a relationship with teams of Norway, Northern Island and Pakistan. We created Dreams Foundation to develop education. I created a school in Bangladesh. And so, when I used to leave school and when people asked where I was the answer would be running my own School.

Moderator: Let’s make the session informal and in a more conversational manner than in a formal manner. Now let’s get the opinion from the audience for what you want from the session.

Audience: I want to know about challenge and problem of Entrepreneurship.

Audience: I want to know about Time Management.

Moderator: We will try to manage the answer in the panel. The idea of entrepreneurship is now in Nepal. Everyone has a dream to be an entrepreneur in Nepal. Let’s ask you all why you want to be an Entrepreneur.

Sachin: I had a dream to be Tony Stark. He has a lot of money and power. He is involved in science but still, he needs money for the work to bring the workout. So even scientists need to be an entrepreneur to get the work done. You need to bridge the gap between the two organizations. For example: If you are a Doctor. And if you create the medicine of Ebola you need to be able to deal with the supply and the mass production of the goods to.

Moderator: So, you want to be an entrepreneur for money or for the change?

Sachin: Everything needs money, Social Service needs money. Everything needs money. Social Entrepreneurship needs money too. You can’t keep money out of the equation.

Moderator: Different people have a different definition of entrepreneurship? What’s yours?

Sachin: The definition “a person who brings out new ideas and helps people in different firms”

Moderator: Anyone else ones to jump in?

Bashar: I remember when my dad used to bring vegetables from the market. I used to then sell the same vegetable to my parents. At 5 when I was a normal person I wanted to open a vegetable shop. I wanted to earn money back then but now I fell dedication and determination in my idea is what makes my entrepreneurship. Money doesn’t matter. But forgetting the idea true I do need money.

Moderator: We need to study but also need to manage other acts. The society doesn’t expect students to do such acts so how do you manage in time.

Bashar: I’m really lazy. I don’t like to work. Last weekend I woke up at 12 PM. So, time management is important. But it can be done through dedication. For example, at this conference also I slept at 3AM last night but today I woke up at 7 AM to be here. This was because of my dedication. When I applied my parents of coming to Nepal today, my parents didn’t like it but with your dedication, I did get the permission.

Moderator: Would you like better grade or work?

Bashar: I would like to work because in future I would remember the work but not remember the grades.

Moderator: Anyone Else?

Ahmed: In today’s world 2 out of 5 people claim to be an entrepreneur but I think everyone is an entrepreneur. It is in our DNA. We all have an interest in entrepreneurship. For me, the definition of entrepreneurship is the thought that I will make it not immediately but definitely. So that is the real motivation for an entrepreneur. You don’t need to be smart you just need to be focused and you need to take initiative. You need to believe that you are the captain of your own ship. A few months ago, I was in Malaysia and the case was quite unique. I was a 14-year-old speaker among a group of graduates.

My journey started a few years ago. I met a homeless person a few years ago. I went to the man and gave him my tiffin but he didn’t take it saying he won’t eat bread today. He questioned asking who will give me food and bread like this tomorrow. And that’s where my entrepreneurial journey began. Today I help many homeless people.

Moderator: Great. So, you said you want to make a difference and help people. You can change the world in many ways why entrepreneur?

Ahmed: Everyone is an entrepreneur. Freedom fighters are entrepreneurs. Doctors are entrepreneurs. I would specifically talk about social entrepreneurship. Facebook Microsoft and others are commercial entrepreneurs but they also are social entrepreneurs as they connect the world. Muhammad Yunus once said “Let’s imagine a world where people need to go to the museum to understand Poverty.” and that may be frictional today but that is what the world should look like. It is time for us to write social-frictions like science frictions. And like the world has brought science friction of the past to life in the present let’s bring social friction to life today.

Moderator: Heet could you tell us a bit about your inspiration?

Heet: Yeah so, my inspiration comes from two people. Firstly, it’s my uncle and then it’s Steve Job. Everyone wants to be like Steve Jobs. So, what I learnt from him was you need to jack of all trades but master of one. I come from a group of people can Baniya (Traders) and we are all entrepreneurs. I believe entrepreneurship is a way of life. It’s about taking responsibility. It’s about taking your idea and bringing it out to the real world. It’s about coming out of the comfort zone.

Moderator: Yeah so, it’s about coming out of the comfort zone so yeah can you guys tell us a little bit about how you can leave your comfort zone and get things done.

Heet: Not all have the guts to do what they want to. But first, if you believe in your idea and can convince people about it then the world will too. And then it’s easy to bring your idea to life if people believe in it. My uncle is a Bachelor’s degree holder. He once had an idea. He had to compete with masters and PhD holders. He had pressure for getting the idea funded. He was pressured by everyone and unmotivated but he did it.

Moderator: This story reminded me of Padman the story. He didn’t study IIT but IIT did study him. Everyone thinks they have a great idea but they don’t have money. So how can you get funding?

Ahmed: Basically, we are in the 21st century. Entrepreneurs can get grants and money. But you need to be able to do research. Most people don’t do this. People create a small idea and then they don’t work to mature it. People don’t do enough research and create boastful claims about the concept without proper research and planning. However proper research and planning can get you the funding if you present a proposal paper.

Moderator: So, everyone will like to hear your story. So, guys please share your story.

Ahmed: Education in the world today isn’t good. The system has a problem. So I decided to build a new and better school. It’s a system where students get paid to work. Children get money to teach. I pay money to students to study as students get to develop and learn when they teach. A good teacher is a good student. Students teach once a week. And for the question of “How do I get money?” is Sir, when you have a great idea people will help you fund it and make it happen. Today Donations are provided by people and organization. So basically, I’m working to re-establish the education system.

Moderator: Anyone else.

Sachin: Life has problems and challenges. I am in a society where there are many challenges. The society doesn’t accept it. Organizations don’t have the equal distribution of power. People can’t take the decision. 5 people in lower level can’t take a decision but if an upper-level person says no it’s no. So, it’s difficult to get your story outside and it’s difficult to share our idea. One year ago, on Sept 1, I started my organization SharemyWrite. It was built by people who I met at GTH and GTC. And now we just went to the USA. I am now sponsored by UNDP. I also launched a program in association with UNDP. I started the whole organization with people from GTH. I only needed $10 for the domain and now we take more than $1000.

Moderator: Heet can you add.

Heet: An idea is a very important thing in life. People may or may not invest in it but you need to develop your idea. Bring your idea to the market. You need to have a good idea, you need to develop it and then you surely will find funds for it.

Moderator: How did you find funding for your company?

Heet: I haven’t gotten my funding yet. I don’t have a company. I am working to make a great idea, Then I will make my company and will try to get funding for it.

Moderator: Question from the audience now maybe?

Audience:

  1. To All- How do you manage different function if company? How can I share my company idea while also securing the idea?
  2.  To All- What do you regret about your first start-up and how do you cope up with it?
  3.  To All How do you manage funds and Budgets?
  4.  To All- When you are investing in a company it’s not just your effort it’s also money. How do you say money is nothing?
  5.  To All- What kinds of problems do you face and how will you solve it?
  6.  To the moderator and all- How do you get a buzz about your organization?

Bashar: Networking is the key. You can meet people around the world and they can help you get things done. People good with code can make you a website, people good with physics can get you blueprints and plans and so on. You can make a company and group quite easily.

Sachin:

  1.  Networking can help you make a plan.
  2. I have no regrets from my first company. I will just suggest you make a company that offers something new and good.
  3. You can manage to fund from different people by having a good idea
  4.  Money isn’t everything but it is important.
  5.  We need to learn to bridge the gap between different occupation and entrepreneurship.
  6. You need to use social media to create buzz.

Ahmed: We can’t make a press conference but I suggest you guys write the research paper to make an idea secure. Even if people copy your idea you will have the paper as a proof to make a lawsuit to prove it’s your idea.

The first company is special for everyone. It is pure. It is like first love. You need to learn from the mistakes and the story and then grow.

Dr Yanus said,” People should wake up and say I’m a job creator, not a job seeker.” If you are a job seeker you need to have a certificate but as a job creator, you don’t need the certificate.

Criticism is a problem but it drives me too and that’s the solution.

Bashar: Share your idea with everyone you meet. Share it with everyone. No one can copy your idea. You are the only one who knows the path and the idea to get the idea completed. And so, your idea is only possible for you. No one can do right for your idea except you.

Bashar: See do you think breathing is important? Does anyone have to tell you that? Money is the same thing. It’s important. It’s like breathing for a company. You need to have it to make your idea come true. You need money to make ideas.

Heet: Plagiarism is very difficult. Use Bashar’s idea. Share your idea in 60 seconds. But however, don’t tell the whole idea. For example, Tesla is an open idea. People know 50% of what the idea is and how the company works still the people can’t steal the idea.

Bashar: You need to understand that people will work with you. There are many challenges for the people. Parents don’t need to worry about it. Sell your idea to your parents and convince them. Especially if they are old school. If you can convince an old-school entrepreneur you can convince everyone.

Moderator: Audience could you share your idea?

Audience:

  1.  Pazarism and protection of an idea.
  2.  Entrepreneurs struggle between giving and take.
  3.  A person’s need for good communication.
  4.  Your age and field don’t matter.
  5. If you can put your idea on a table you can get funded.
  6.  Protection of intellectual property.

Moderator: Okay now the panel three success keys.

Heet:

  1. Good Idea
  2. Timing
  3. Business model

Bashar:

  1. Dedication
  2. Faith
  3. Success

Sachin:

  1. Idea
  2. Time
  3. Networking

Ahmed:

  1. Sleep
  2. Good Idea
  3. Hard Work

Ahmed: (Falls) So in your life if you fall like I just have what do you do. Do you say get up or do you just stay there? And if you rise then it’s a success. It is the same with business. Rise, my friend. Rise.

Moderator: An amazing session. Thank you, everyone.