Introducing Startup Picnic breakfast talk speaker, Irfan Pardesi, tech-startup investor and co-founder of ACM Gold
It is with great excitement to introduce our speaker at the Startup Picnic breakfast talk.
He is Irfan Pardesi. Irfan is an avid entrepreneur born in Pakistan but now settled in South Africa, a tech-startup investor, the CEO of ACM Gold, founder of traming.com and has business interests in other industries.
Successful in his own right, a few small exits, a few complete failures, living the life and enjoying the journey. He made his mother proud by taking ACM Gold from 22K USD, without funding or financing, to a group valuation of over $450 million.
With several setbacks in his entrepreneurial journey, he has always strived to be greater than them. Below are some very key tips we picked up from his feature interview with Entrepreneur Mag.
- Even big brands start small. You don’t need millions to launch a company. Make some strategic partnerships that everyone benefits from, start small and be patient.
- Localisation is everything. You can be a big, multi-national company, but always take the current, on-the-ground clients into account. Design your business offering with their needs in mind. What works in one market won’t necessarily work in another.
- Shift the business when the market changes. Don’t hold onto something because it worked well in the past — times change, move with them.
- Don’t make assumptions. You’ll only understand a market once you’re actually operating in it. Launch your business or local office, but be prepared to shift your model as you learn about the market and what it wants.
- If your business allows, build a network of re-sellers that believe in you and your products, and help them achieve their goals — you will automatically achieve yours.
- If you want to get the best out of people, appreciate their efforts lavishly and give them a path to grow and prove themselves. The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
- If everything seems to be under control, you’re not going fast enough.
- Focus on what you know best. The best businesses aren’t masters of everything — they’re specialists in one key area, and invaluable to their clients as a result.
Here is the full Entrepreneur Mag feature interview Irfan Pardesi http://www.entrepreneurmag.co.za/advice/success-stories/entrepreneur-profiles/the-midas-touch-hina-kassam-irfan-pardesi/
Book your tickets to Startup Picnic at Computicket (Money Market counter at Shoprite and Checkers). Do it ASAP. Bring your friends, office and associates.
Please connect Startup Picnic on Twitter @Startup_Picnic and our facebook page www.facebook.co.za/startuppicnic
It is with great excitement to introduce our speaker at the Startup Picnic breakfast talk. He is Irfan Pardesi. Irfan is an avid entrepreneur born in Pakistan but now settled in South Africa, a tech-startup investor, the CEO of ACM Gold, founder of traming.com and has business interests in other industries. Successful in his own…