One of the pioneers of incubation and co-working spaces in Karachi is DotZero, a facility that aims to foster innovation and creativity by bringing diverse startups into a shared environment. Initially conceived by a team of four entrepreneurs, DotZero has the goal of creating and catalyzing an ecosystem for technology startups, and aims to be an all-encompassing “community space” for entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts and other individuals interested in being part of the sector.

What first got DotZero off the ground was its driven, committed founding team. All four members – Imran Moinuddin, Yusuf Jan, Atif Azim, and Farzal Dojki – have impressive track records of building tech companies and were eager to spread their vision and insight to the wider ecosystem. The hope is that it would lead to a multiplier effect, as they helped early-stage startups to grow and scale, their ideas and execution would also gradually trickle down to other entrepreneurs. Overall, it would give something back to the community.

Pakistan certainly has an extremely vibrant entrepreneurial spirit which DotZero aims to capitalize on. In 2013, online marketplace Freelancer.com declared that Pakistanis were the third-biggest user base of its platform, closely tailing India and the United States. The trend is echoed when you look at an aggregation of data from other portals as well, such as Elance, Odesk and Guru. The fact is that there is a steady pool of qualified professionals in Pakistan willing to work for themselves, whose specializations range from software development to graphic design. These professionals are also not necessarily restricted to the major urban centres of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, with a large proportion also present in tier-two cities.

There is a rigorous process for startups looking to be part of DotZero’s shared workspace. Each application is thoroughly reviewed by the management team, who analyse the sustainability of the business model, future plans, and also undertake background checks of team members to make sure that they will add value going forward. For DotZero co-founder Imran Moinuddin, the ambition of the startup is key and may ultimately determine whether they are accepted to be part of the program or not. “The business plan can be tweaked and remodeled to best encapsulate the appeal of the product,” he tells Tech in Asia. “What is pivotal is an unrelenting desire to succeed as an entrepreneur can never allow himself to fizzle out. If he believes in himself, his idea, and his team, then half the battle is already won.”

DotZero co-founder Imran Moinuddin

Charting an entrepreneurial journey

Moinuddin, who is a data analytics professional and the CEO of Nexdegree, believes his entrepreneurial journey puts him in an ideal position to mentor and guide the fledgling startups that DotZero currently houses. A graduate of Stanford University, Moinuddin quit a coveted job in New York working as a biometrics consultant and moved back to Pakistan to start his own company. “In 2006 there was a steady rush of foreign direct investment in Pakistan as well as friendly policies for entrepreneurship and business growth,” he says. “I believed it was an opportune time for me to take the plunge and work on something I was truly passionate about.”

Initially Moinuddin partnered with two of his former colleagues to set up shop and establish operations. However, after a few months Moinuddin and his partners decided to split the company after realizing that they didn’t share the same vision. With that, Moinuddin became the sole leader of his own startup.

The early stages were nerve-wracking, he recounts. “I had to pull up my socks and bootstrap to the best of my abilities as projects were simply not available,” he adds. Success came in the form of the first assignment that he completed, an automated backup solution for a client in the United Kingdom. Total remuneration? A grand sum of fifty US dollars. An ecstatic Imran took his entire team out for dinner that night and reminded them that initial traction would always trump money. “Success first, money later,” he affirms.

However, the lack of opportunities for mentorship and guidance did inhibit Moinuddin’s progression as an entrepreneur. He laments that there were no avenues for help with things like finance, operations, and marketing. He had to fail repeatedly before he found the right formula for his company. It is precisely this experience that convinced him of the utmost importance of the incubation process. “Many early-stage startups believe that they have a groundbreaking idea and it is essential for them to jump in immediately,” he says. “However, before pumping out lines of code, it is overwhelmingly important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. How will my solution work? Who is my target audience? Am I solving an actual problem, or is it just a figment of my imagination?”