The young generation has made Bangladesh proud once again as seven Bangladeshis have made it to the prestigious 'Forbes 30 under 30' Asia class of 2022. Among the brainiacs who made it into the list, there was a visionary whose creation has surpassed the borders of Bangladesh. In this regard, this writer discussed with the 'Forbes 30 under 30' inductee under the category of Enterprise Technology, Shuvo Rahman.
"I am a father of three-- one daughter, one son and MyAlice," his introduction of himself shows where his priorities lie. In addition to being a successful businessman and an exemplary entrepreneur, family is what matters the most to him.
What is MyAlice: For many days, shop owners, retailers and entrepreneurs with online businesses had to suffer a massive problem that is proper communication with customers. Maintaining a clear path of communication among the innumerable stakeholders of business operation is something that was missing in Bangladesh. Usually, in the e-commerce sector, customers can reach out to owners via so many channels but at one point, it gets hard for them to keep track of the data and orders. Due to this lack of proper communication, businesses were losing large chunks of customers.
With such a problem prevalent in Bangladesh, Shuvo Rahman looks for a solution and comes up with MyAlice.
MyAlice is a medium that brings all the communication channels under one dashboard and helps owners navigate through it. It also has a built-in system that helps to keep track of data, analyse those and make automated responses according to the needs of the customers.
Where it all began: Hailing from BUET, a fresh CSE graduate, Shuvo Rahman kicked off his career the way one would expect, with a high-paying job and a fancy office. However, the idea behind the birth of MyAlice came to him in his humble abode.
At home, he noticed that his wife had to tackle a lot of challenges in handling her own business. He realised a lot of these challenges stem from conventional business communication. So, family-man Shuvo wanted to help his wife and bring major changes to the persisting communications channels used in her business. Consequently, the idea behind MyAlice was born.
Leap of faith: Coming from a middle-class family, he knew the risks and problems regarding leaving a well-paid job and starting his own business. When asked about what made him take the risk, Shuvo took us back to his childhood when he was only a student in sixth grade. He told us about a little sixth grader who used to write in his diary about big dreams; dreams to do something new. The dreamer in him never left him, instead, it pushed him to take the risk so that he could face that ambitious little boy he was at the end of the day.
While talking about risks, He told us there were many but he was lucky enough to have a good team and a supportive family. He gives credit to them for what he is today. "I never stopped trying because I had this hunger in me, a hunger to do something better and new," says Shuvo Rahman expressing how motivated he was throughout his journey.
With challenges come mistakes and Shuvo is no different. However, mistakes have not slowed him down. As he put it, mistakes are lessons in disguise that he learns every step of the way.
Basking in the success: When asked how MyAlice took off so well, he replied with three simple words, "Consistency, Innovation and Hunger." It's the hunger for success and the consistency in service to every client wrapped in innovation as much as possible. Following these simple guidelines, MyAlice has gone from a mere idea to an organisation dealing with big names in Bangladesh and overseas.
A humble Shuvo expresses his delight and gratefulness for being included in the 'Forbes 30 under 30' list. This inclusion has been on Shuvo's bucket list for quite some time. However, he wants to use this honour as an opportunity to take MyAlice to an even higher level, "Recognition gives you a chance to show what you have on your plate."
Words for the young: To the young minds out there who want to do something on their own, Shuvo has a bit of advice, "Know your sector, be consistent and have that hunger. You'll be better off."
Keeping alignment with his vision of consistency, innovation and hunger, Shuvo insists current and future entrepreneurs do the same.
What's next for Shuvo: For the next couple of years, Shuvo Rahman plans to take MyAlice to a much bigger place than it is now. It is his plan to have a proper growth phase. After that, he plans to work on a solution to reduce unemployment in Bangladesh to a great extent. With a bright mind like Shuvo working on a crucial problem like this, one can hope for a big change.
Bangladesh has always been a breeding ground for young minds who have taken the world by storm. Entrepreneurs like Shuvo Rahman have been the torchbearers for Bangladeshi youths for generations. We can only hope that the future generations take a good look at him and become worthy to carry the torch themselves soon.
The writer is a freshman studying BBA at IBA-DU.
mrahmanshafin3532@gmail.com