Best methods are boring in nature—speaking to prospects, being crucial about price, doing weekly WBR, following up with potential prospects, writing down the processes, and so forth. We function two fascinating articles on what efficient methods appear like in observe on this week’s e-newsletter—how BeshiDeshi has used a handful of time-tested methods to construct a profitable enterprise and complement that with quiet methods corporations like Xiaomi, bKash, and Walton used to construct industry-dominant companies.
Within the interview part, we function an interesting dialog with BVCL CEO Shawkat Hossain to unpack the state and way forward for the enterprise capital ecosystem in Bangladesh, his ambition for BVCL, and his tackle what separates nice founders and corporations.
Out there deep dive, learn an in-depth evaluation on the state and way forward for the MFS {industry} in Bangladesh. Since its inception in 2011, MFS has developed from facilitating fundamental cash transfers to a variety of monetary transactions—serving greater than 200 million registered prospects, successfully disrupting Bangladesh’s monetary {industry}.
On the identical breath, we take a stab at understanding main MFS participant bKash. bKash is an interesting firm for a lot of causes. It’s Bangladesh’s largest MFS supplier, has remodeled the nation’s monetary companies panorama, and is the nation’s first tech unicorn. Nevertheless, crucial components concerning the firm are those typically ignored—its extraordinary self-discipline in avoiding distractions whereas remaining doggedly centered on its core mission, and its flawless execution prowess. bKash exemplifies quiet execution at its most interesting.
Discover all of the hyperlinks under.
10 Boring Classes in Constructing Profitable Companies From BeshiDeshi
Once we first coated BeshiDeshi in 2019, it was a fledgling e-commerce platform with 350 artisans and 12,000 merchandise. Because it grew, the corporate noticed that high quality product pictures are a problem for a lot of of those artisans. After making an attempt a couple of approaches, it launched a cellular pictures coaching course, instructing artisans to seize skilled product pictures utilizing their telephones. Immediately, virtually all of its product pictures are taken by cell phones by the artisans.
Just a few years into the enterprise, the corporate realized that artisans must design and make merchandise which might be in demand and match the present design traits to draw prospects and achieve reputation. Thus it launched a design session and course to show design pondering to artisans in order that they’ll align their crafts with market traits.
In 2020, when COVID-19 pandemic introduced the world to a standstill, the corporate discovered that entry to finance is a large problem for artisans. To deal with the problem, it shortly launched a financing program supporting artisans with working capital.
BeshiDeshi has since developed right into a complete ecosystem addressing lots of the challenges artisans face in Bangladesh. Immediately, the corporate has greater than 4,000 craftspeople and over 30,000 merchandise on its platform and has turn out to be an essential participant in Bangladesh’s artisanal economic system.
BeshiDeshi’s journey gives glorious classes on navigate complicated markets, preserve high quality throughout a distributed manufacturing community, obtain operational effectivity, and extra importantly, it reveals what it means to do issues that don’t scale.
Constructing a enterprise is a fancy downside. Naturally, there are lots of alternative ways to do it. However profitable corporations like BeshiDeshi which have solved for his or her market present us with concepts about what works and what doesn’t. In most cases, profitable companies appear to be constructed on timeless concepts, typically thought-about boring, slightly than flashy improvements or stylish fast fixes. BeshiDeshi’s journey reveals a number of elementary ideas which might be ceaselessly ignored however important for constructing sustainable companies.
We just lately featured an interesting two-part interview with BeshiDeshi founder and CEO Zeeshan Khurshed Mazumder, which is stuffed with such boring however important classes throughout entrepreneurship, enterprise constructing, and operations.
BVCL CEO Shawkat Hossain on The Ambition of BVCL, The State of Bangladesh’s Enterprise Capital Ecosystem, and Helpful Founder Traits
In Bangladesh’s quick evolving startup panorama, few organizations have been as constantly current as Bangladesh Enterprise Capital Restricted (BVCL). Since its inception in 2013 as an funding arm of Daffodil Group, BVCL has been an lively participant in Dhaka’s early-stage funding scene, backing all forms of corporations.
On the helm of BVCL immediately is Shawkat Hossain, a former banker turned enterprise capitalist who brings years of expertise navigating Bangladesh’s complicated regulatory atmosphere for various investments. Beneath his management, BVCL is working to shut its first influence fund of 100 crore taka whereas persevering with to make investments from its steadiness sheet.
On this in-depth dialog, we sit down with Mr. Hossain to unpack the state of Bangladesh’s enterprise capital ecosystem, the coverage hurdles hampering its development, and why regardless of having greater than 25 organizations with various funding licenses, solely a handful are actively investing. He shares knowledge gained from his journey as one of many pioneers of the enterprise capital ecosystem in Bangladesh, talks about BVCL’s thesis and strategy to early-stage investing, how the agency scouts and assesses startups to speculate and displays on what separates founders who persevere by challenges from those that do not.
The State of Cell Monetary Providers (MFS) Business in Bangladesh on the Starting of 2025
bKash, valued at over $2 billion greenback in its final funding spherical, is Bangladesh’s first and solely tech unicorn. The MFS firm posted a revenue of Tk 315.77 crore in 2024, a staggering 67% year-on-year improve. By all means, the corporate is simply getting began because the MFS, the {industry} it operates in, can be simply getting began.
The Cell Monetary Providers (MFS) {industry} in Bangladesh has skilled outstanding development, turning into an indispensable element of the nation’s monetary ecosystem, increasing the formal monetary {industry} and driving the digital economic system.
Since its inception in 2011, MFS has developed from facilitating fundamental cash transfers to a variety of monetary transactions. It has additionally seen the ballooning of its person base, exceeding 200 million registered prospects. An unlimited community of brokers that partly allow the complete ecosystem has created a singular phenomenon.
Key gamers like bKash, Nagad, and Rocket dominate the market.
The regulatory framework established by Bangladesh Financial institution has been instrumental in guiding this development. Whereas the present regulatory regime has performed an essential position in guaranteeing shopper safety and compliance, it has additionally stifled innovation and competitors in some cases.
Technological developments, notably the rising use of smartphones and cellular purposes, alongside the continued relevance of USSD-based companies, have performed a major position in shaping the {industry}’s trajectory.
Regardless of its successes, the MFS {industry} in Bangladesh faces challenges akin to agent community administration, safety considerations, buyer schooling, and the necessity for higher interoperability.
Whereas a number of main suppliers compete for market share, many {industry} insiders wish to counsel that there’s a lack of significant competitors within the {industry}.
Trying forward, the way forward for MFS in Bangladesh is promising. The market has room for additional development, MFS gamers are repeatedly increasing their service choices, and new traits like digital banking will probably create new alternatives.
On this report, we take a stab at providing a complete overview of the present state of the MFS {industry} in Bangladesh, its historic improvement, key gamers, regulatory framework, market dynamics, technological infrastructure, challenges, aggressive panorama, and future outlook.
A Temporary Historical past of bKash: Trajectory, Funding, and Classes
bKash is an interesting firm for a lot of causes past the plain. Sure, it’s Bangladesh’s largest MFS supplier, has remodeled the nation’s monetary companies panorama, and turn out to be its first tech unicorn. As we now have famous in these pages earlier than, these well-known components obscure what actually makes bKash such a formidable participant in Bangladesh’s monetary companies sector.
Crucial components concerning the firm are those typically ignored—its extraordinary self-discipline in avoiding distractions whereas remaining doggedly centered on its core mission, and its flawless execution prowess. bKash exemplifies quiet execution at its most interesting.
Based in 2010 and launched in 2011, bKash has emerged as Bangladesh’s dominant cellular monetary service (MFS) supplier whereas many rivals have come and gone. Many of those rivals launched with a lot hype about constructing “tremendous apps” and all that.
bKash, whereas has a practical potential to turn out to be a superapp in Bangladesh, by no means toyed with these distractions. As a substitute, it focused on the duty at hand, methodically constructing its core companies. And this dogged focus has delivered a convincing win for the corporate.
Born from an ambition to deliver monetary companies to the unbanked majority, bKash patiently scaled by strategic partnerships, an intensive agent community, constant service diversification, and user-first know-how and improvements. It has maintained a measured strategy to know-how improvement, growing options that meet precise person wants slightly than chasing traits.
The corporate has been equally modest about its fundraising achievements. With out fanfare, bKash grew to become Bangladesh’s first unicorn, exceeding a $1 billion valuation with investments from the Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis, Worldwide Finance Company, Ant Monetary, and SoftBank Imaginative and prescient Fund.
Whereas bKash’s success stems partly from first-mover benefit and robust model constructing efforts, its timing and centered execution have confirmed most important. Launched when cell phone penetration reached crucial mass in Bangladesh, the corporate executed its mission with precision, quietly leveraging partnerships whereas pursuing steady innovation.
Presently the chief in its vertical, bKash continues increasing its companies in Bangladesh’s digital monetary ecosystem. Cell monetary companies have gained important traction in Bangladesh, remodeling the best way folks conduct monetary transactions. bKash has been a pioneer on this transformation.
When many fintech corporations nowadays typically appear extra involved with disruption than sustainability, bKash gives a compelling counter-narrative of regular development, strategic persistence, and relentless concentrate on execution.
On this evaluation, we look at bKash’s journey from its origins to its present market dominance, tracing its development trajectory, funding historical past, and key components which have formed its outstanding ascent, whereas additionally inspecting the challenges it has encountered and the teachings its journey might provide for the remainder of us who’re making an attempt to construct enduring enterprises.
Quiet Methods That Helped Corporations like Xiaomi, bKash, and Walton Win Their Markets
Widespread sense is commonly the primary casualty within the pursuit of enterprise success. Entrepreneurs chase shiny traits, over-engineered options, or fixate on vainness metrics, solely to marvel why their ventures fail.
The tales of profitable corporations typically present that essentially the most enduring corporations persist with elementary ideas.
Listed here are 10 methods, gained from years of expertise protecting companies, to floor your online business in actuality and set it up for long-term success.
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