News

Public sector needs to work with experienced founders to develop the startup ecosystem: MAGNiTT CEO

n a recent podcast conducted by Karavan VC’s Amad Mian and CEO of MAGNITT Philip Bahoshy, Pakistan’s fairly new yet exciting startup ecosystem was discussed in great depth. Philip discussed MAGNITT’s outlook of Pakistan, how the country compares to other regional ecosystems in the Middle East and North Africa, what it can learn from them, and much more. Here are some key takeaways from Amad and Philip’s discussion.

To start with, there is a lack of transparency and legal information on how an international startup can penetrate the Pakistani market and set itself up here. The entry of international startups is, of course, crucial for the overall health and growth of our own local startup ecosystem as it allows us to learn from what has worked abroad.

Moreover, a sense of clarity with respect to our startup ecosystem is lacking. For instance, the government hasn’t looked at legal entities, safe agreements, and other vital aspects of a healthy startup environment. Amad and Philip realize that conversations on these matters are certainly taking place, but it will take time for people to become more aware of them.

It was also agreed that Pakistan could learn quite a bit from startup ecosystems present in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries, especially if it wants to bring in people from outside markets. Once we gain a solid understanding of MENA and other markets that have experienced a burst of startup activity, we can understand what pain points need to be addressed and how they can be solved.

The two experts touched upon the role of experienced founders in the startup ecosystem as well, and it was agreed that while politicians continue to create policies and legal frameworks to promote the growth of startups, it was only going to be effective with experienced founders and leaders at the helm of those startups. Philip recommended that the public sector work with experienced founders to help define startup policies.

Finally, it was realized that one of the biggest advantages that Pakistan has is in terms of its population and the fact that it has single government, thus entrepreneurs only need to deal with a single entity to help solve issues. However, MENA involves a total of 17 regulators, 17 governments, and a host of different legal frameworks. If Pakistan wants to become a significant part of MENA, it will have to address the challenge of dealing with all these different entities.

Sponsored
Hamza Zakir

Platonist. Humanist. Unusually edgy sometimes.

Share
Published by
Hamza Zakir

Recent Posts

VPN Ban Could Cost Pakistan’s IT Industry $1 Billion, Warns P@SHA

The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has raised alarms about the severe impact of the…

12 hours ago

WhatsApp Trials Group Chat Mentions in the Latest Status Update Feature

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature in its latest Android beta version, allowing users…

13 hours ago

PTA Chairman Confirms No Orders for Mobile Service Shutdown

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (retd) Hafeez-ur-Rehman, confirmed that no…

14 hours ago

35,000 Students to Receive Free Laptops Under Punjab Government Scheme

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced the launch of a new initiative aimed…

14 hours ago

Meta Introduces New Features to Messenger: AI Backgrounds, HD Video Calls, and More

Meta has unveiled a set of new features for Facebook Messenger, designed to improve call…

15 hours ago

PTA Seeks Stakeholder Input on VPN Registration

Islamabad (21st November 2024): PTA hosted a stakeholder consultation on VPN registration, with key participants…

17 hours ago