Pitch your idea: Participants of tech product competition upbeat about their ideas
Over 100 students, professionals taking part in the three-day competition
Over 100 students, professionals taking part in the three-day competition. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
“Follow your passion and don’t be afraid,” said Faizaan Ghauri, a tech entrepreneur, while concluding the opening session of a three-day technology product development start-up challenge, the Throwathon.
More than 100 IT students and professionals, divided into more than 20 teams, will take part in the competition aimed at promoting not only entrepreneurship but also women in technology.
The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is hosting the event, organised by NetSol in collaboration with Plan 9 and the LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Ghauri says such events give value to product ideas and bring various elements of the technology industry together. He says many people have business and product ideas but are unable to execute those.
“A majority of people don’t even try to execute their ideas. Don’t get discouraged if there is already an idea similar to yours out there. Try and figure out a different execution path instead of abandoning the idea,” says Ghauri.
Teams will have to develop their products over the weekend and present their final pitches before a three-member panel on Sunday.
The competition will include brainstorming and code development sessions. It will also engage participants in mentoring workshops.
“We aim to focus on women in technology,” says Usman Naeem who oversees the digital marketing platform at NetSol and mentoring component of the competition.
“This is something we want to focus on even after the competition by reaching out to women in universities,” he says. Only a few girls are participating in the event. Naeem says it’s just a start. Mentoring sessions will focus on value proposition, user experience, franchising, project and financial management and back-end development. “The idea is to cover all aspect of the business model canvas,” he says.
One of the teams aspiring to win the top prize of $3,500 aims to create digital linkages between food donors and NGOs in the sector.
The five-member team from the LUMS has brought the idea, titled Feeding Pakistan, to the competition. It is a web and mobile phone app that will connect donors and distributors to help address food shortages. “We hope to provide a portal connecting donors and NGOs,” says Shahroze Tariq.
The Plan 9 team Home Foodies, from the sixth cycle at the technology incubator at the Punjab Information Technology Board, hopes to develop the idea of creating a web and mobile app for homemade food suppliers.
“The idea is inspired by our love for homemade food as boarders during college years,” says Rana Waleed. “We have always valued homemade meals but there has never been a platform giving information about suppliers.”
Naeem and Adeel Noor, LUMS graduates, say the Punjab Food Authority’s crackdown on restaurants has strengthened people’s belief in homemade meals. “There is a perception that homemade meals are not only delicious but also hygienic. We tend to build on that idea,” says Naeem. More than 100 homemade food suppliers have registered with the team which hopes to launch its product simultaneously in Lahore and Karachi in two months.
Umaira Sajjad and Wardah Riaz, a two-member team from the LUMS, are among the few young women participating. They are introducing the idea of creating a portal for borrowing and lending of various items.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2015.
“Follow your passion and don’t be afraid,” said Faizaan Ghauri, a tech entrepreneur, while concluding the opening session of a three-day technology product development start-up challenge, the Throwathon.
More than 100 IT students and professionals, divided into more than 20 teams, will take part in the competition aimed at promoting not only entrepreneurship but also women in technology.
The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is hosting the event, organised by NetSol in collaboration with Plan 9 and the LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Ghauri says such events give value to product ideas and bring various elements of the technology industry together. He says many people have business and product ideas but are unable to execute those.
“A majority of people don’t even try to execute their ideas. Don’t get discouraged if there is already an idea similar to yours out there. Try and figure out a different execution path instead of abandoning the idea,” says Ghauri.
Teams will have to develop their products over the weekend and present their final pitches before a three-member panel on Sunday.
The competition will include brainstorming and code development sessions. It will also engage participants in mentoring workshops.
“We aim to focus on women in technology,” says Usman Naeem who oversees the digital marketing platform at NetSol and mentoring component of the competition.
“This is something we want to focus on even after the competition by reaching out to women in universities,” he says. Only a few girls are participating in the event. Naeem says it’s just a start. Mentoring sessions will focus on value proposition, user experience, franchising, project and financial management and back-end development. “The idea is to cover all aspect of the business model canvas,” he says.
One of the teams aspiring to win the top prize of $3,500 aims to create digital linkages between food donors and NGOs in the sector.
The five-member team from the LUMS has brought the idea, titled Feeding Pakistan, to the competition. It is a web and mobile phone app that will connect donors and distributors to help address food shortages. “We hope to provide a portal connecting donors and NGOs,” says Shahroze Tariq.
The Plan 9 team Home Foodies, from the sixth cycle at the technology incubator at the Punjab Information Technology Board, hopes to develop the idea of creating a web and mobile app for homemade food suppliers.
“The idea is inspired by our love for homemade food as boarders during college years,” says Rana Waleed. “We have always valued homemade meals but there has never been a platform giving information about suppliers.”
Naeem and Adeel Noor, LUMS graduates, say the Punjab Food Authority’s crackdown on restaurants has strengthened people’s belief in homemade meals. “There is a perception that homemade meals are not only delicious but also hygienic. We tend to build on that idea,” says Naeem. More than 100 homemade food suppliers have registered with the team which hopes to launch its product simultaneously in Lahore and Karachi in two months.
Umaira Sajjad and Wardah Riaz, a two-member team from the LUMS, are among the few young women participating. They are introducing the idea of creating a portal for borrowing and lending of various items.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2015.