How does Udoy distinguish itself from other digital service providers?
The honest truth about the Bangladesh internet market is that to build a large Internet business, you need to find a way to build it for the 70-80 million common Bangladeshis. In a developing market like Bangladesh that is observing such an explosive adoption of smartphones, most of them being low-end devices with minimal storage and computing capabilities, Udoy is providing an enticing value proposition. By integrating with multiple apps and services, Udoy gives users the opportunity to get multiple things through one app. We have made that possible by building an AI-powered personal assistant, the first of its kind. A combination of real humans, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing makes Udoy unique in this crowded space of digital service providers. From my personal experience, I have faced the problem with services that are being offered to me in various ways. I had to ask my friends and families to know the proper and full detailed information before taking it. Then I decided to create a platform where one customer enters and can grab all the services under one roof and can get instant assistance through customer services in every possible way.
What led you to create such a platform for consumers?
My idea is that most Bangladeshi entrepreneurs build products for people like themselves – elite and westernized Bangladeshis who think and speak in English. This is also why almost all Internet companies fight it out for the first million internet users. We wanted to build something that can someday resonate with the mass Bangladeshis who are adopting the mobile culture so rapidly. An app that can solve most of your day to day problems with a few taps.
“WE WANTED TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT CAN SOMEDAY RESONATE WITH THE MASS BANGLADESHIS WHO ARE ADOPTING THE MOBILE CULTURE SO RAPIDLY.”
What can you tell us about your business endeavours other than Udoy?
My business experience has been a bumpy ride throughout as I like taking difficult challenges. One of my first businesses was establishing an estate agency in Bangladesh, which was the first of its kind in the country at that time and we have faced numerous difficulties to come out from the traditional brokers to an institutional real estate brokering service. I have started SARCO Estate Agents Ltd. in 2011 and since then we have been trying to develop the mindset of property owners and seekers. Certainly, we have been successful in accomplishing our goal, now the urban areas have already adopted the concept of institutional real estate broking services, which is very much visible because a lot of big real estate corporates have recently opened up their own real estate agencies.
What Leadership traits are required to run such diverse businesses?
Framing targets by measures such as growth or services with continuous improvement of customer experience should be the foundation of any digital transformation. Excellence and innovation should be the traits to run such diverse businesses as a digital service provider.
What are you future plans with Udoy?
In future, Udoy will work towards a 100% customer oriented all-rounding platform. We have many plans and we are still building up strength and have a very long way to go, where the company will also engage at the highest level of professionalism in order to maximize profitability and improving its standard throughout the process.
What was the best Leadership advice you ever received?
Someone once told me “you win or you learn” a true leader never loses.
