The covid 19 outbreak has stopped the world. Organizations, as well as small businesses, struggled to stay afloat. While the shutters were closed during the Covid 19 Outbreak in many places, the Ascii System kept the clock ticking.
Mr. Sourav Baul, the founder of Ascii System, shared their journey with us.
Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Ascii System.
Sourav Baul:
My educational background was from a different sector. I completed my B.Tech in ECE (Electronics & Communication Engineering) from Netaji Subhash Engineering College, India.
Opening a business platform was my dream.
We all know that we had gone through an “Industrial Revolution” and passed many significant eras. Almost every day, people invent something new that helps us live an easy life. It is the 21st century. And, the term “Information Revolution” has started already.
Before opening the door of my dream, I worked for almost two years under different companies. Also, I trained myself as an SEO specialist, which is my personal interest. These helped me gain real-life experience dealing with people and running a business smoothly.
And I had immense courage from my elder brother Mr. Suphal Baul.
Finally, my elder brother and I set up the Ascii System, a Full-Stack IT Consultancy Company. Yeah, it’s easy to present the founding story now, but then the path was challenging. As a Co-Founder, I supervise the SEO & Online Marketing Sector, and my Elder Brother supervises the Technical Part.
So, people will get Technology solutions from Ascii System, including SEO & Online Marketing services.
Tell Us more about the innovation story of Ascii System
Sourav Baul:
Well, though the journey was stimulating, we enjoyed it because both of our primary goals were to become an entrepreneur. However, my elder brother, another founder of Ascii System, had long professional careers in technological innovation projects.
The company took its first step with only six people. Day by day, the team got bigger and then recruited people from around the globe. Though we are not the first mover, we left no choice to deliver the strongest service.
We design and develop websites and applications, which is our field of expertise, including other services like Cloud Computing, SEO, DevOps Practices, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet Of Things, etc.
Mostly, people want an IT solution to craft an effective business. We are constantly putting our ears on the ground to understand our customers’ needs and wants. We usually polish each step before finalizing it with our clients. Our team wants to deliver powerful automation that helps them find a proper resolution. After completing the development phase, we test run each project to find unwanted errors.
Besides, we run very active R&D activities to improve our skills as our serving industry is dynamic. So, to reduce the chance of getting backdated, we always keep ourselves updated.
Also, we are continuously analyzing to build in-house applications which will add extra value to the market. However, we have the vision to open another startup that will deliver a 360-degree digital solution.
How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business operations?
Sourav Baul:
Truly speaking, we have the experience to deal with freelancers who are remotely working from different countries. Currently, over 20 freelancers are collaborating with our in-house team. But this pandemic gave us some minor drawbacks. However, the lockdown restrictions didn’t affect our innovation and business processes that much.
We used video-conferencing technology to educate our clients regarding the projects. But sometimes, we missed the joy, which is our office culture. On the other hand, we spent a very lazy time at home and had nothing to do except work. So, it somehow made our life boring.
But, at this moment, everything is just fine, including our entire team of Ascii System and me.
Even though the time is still tough here in Bangladesh, we are trying to accept the new normal term and overcome all barriers. If you are talking about my overall lifestyle, yeah, it has dramatically changed, of course, in a positive way.
Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?
Sourav Baul:
I have always believed in this phrase, “If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.” We made hard choices to give our business a crown. As we hold our primary operation in Chittagong (a city of Bangladesh), it’s hard to find skilled people who lead their portion.
At the same time, we had to say goodbye to a few people from our Ascii family because of their unethical behaviors or other issues. The same things go for our clients, vendors, and other resources. Frankly, I have learned to make tough choices for my company to excel and grow.
For this reason, before expanding our team, we are now more focused on communicating with candidates. Also, we follow at least four recruitment stages before hiring and onboarding the final candidate.
People learn from mistakes. And we make mistakes to learn new things. The same thing goes for the whole team and me.
How do you measure success?
Sourav Baul:
I believe, “The greatness is not what you have; it’s what you give.”
The term success varies from person to person. Success is completely mental satisfaction. For me, every achievement is a success, no matter how small it is. Take a clear step, and you will see your desire for success in front of you.
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
Sourav Baul:
As I mentioned above, we are not the first mover in this industry. So, competing with other startups or giants is not a wise move for us. Each company has some unique pins. So, we don’t count anyone as a competitor because we are trying to develop the industry and provide solutions.
Finding the right solution is an important goal for us rather than wasting time to find ways to stay in the game.
Truly, the pandemic has shown us a different world and culture that we never imagined. Sometimes it is hard to accept that we are still going through a crucial line. But the most important thing during the crisis has been to make sure our team is safe, and everyone feels comfortable doing their job.
However, we have successfully crossed the hard line as a team and back to the work junction. We are currently working on some national and international projects, including our sole product line.
As we have three corporate offices of Ascii System in Bangladesh, the United States, and Europe, we are running behind a vision to open at least three more offices anywhere in the globe by 2022. Undoubtedly, the team is working hard to achieve this.
Is there anything you would like to tell our young entrepreneur?
” If you don’t have the mindset, it will be tough for you to experience the essence of a meaningful outcome. Don’t look back. Whatever you plan, always have a backup plan and be aware of the consequences. Nothing can ever stop you if you know what you want.”
visit aascii: http://www.asciisys.com
