We’re going to tell you a story, a story about three friends. They had so much in common, including a dream. The friends we’re talking about love TV series, movies, and books. They have a love for marvel and a friendship like Peter Parker and Ned Leeds.
We’re retelling the story of one evening, the heroes of our story were sitting on TSC, arguing about which superhero was the strongest. Someone wearing a t-shirt walked by. It had Captain America on it! Do you know that familiar feeling when you see someone on a bus reading a book you like? Or in the restaurant, overhear people on the next table talking about your favorite series. It leaves a warm feeling inside. Seeing someone else invested in your interest.
But on this occasion, they were sad to see the t-shirt. Do you know why? Cause it didn’t do justice to the design. A t-shirt featuring the first Avenger should’ve been more amazing. Captain America’s shield doesn’t belong on a crumpled fabric. They suddenly had a spark of inspiration.
A famous American writer Toni Morrison once said that – “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” The dreamers we’re talking about wanted their beloved characters represented in their wardrobe. They preferred their clothing enwrapped with nostalgia but when they couldn’t get them in existing product markets, so they’d decided to create a niche for themselves and all other aficionados.
We don’t know if our heroes know about Toni Morrison or not, but our story has similarities. Our today’s story starts with their sparks of inspiration. Our small step in retelling the footsteps of WearDHK, a very successful startup venture created by some dreamy-eyed entrepreneurs from the Faculty of Business Studies, Dhaka University. We’re going to take a journey through their experiences and ups and downs. How they decided to reach their love to people. How they enwrapped their dreams and thoughts in threads of t-shirts, we’re going to know.
WearDHK started its journey in March 2018 and launched the page in June after the initial planning stage. The three partners Rizvee Sheikh, Hossain Ahmmed Fahad, and Ashik Muntakim always had the drive to do something on their own. They didn’t want to be stuck in 9 to 5 jobs. They loved the thrill of risk taking and creating something. When it came to the inspiration for creating this venture nostalgia played a huge part behind it. People love to wear clothing that reminds them a bit about themselves. They want to wear clothing with those characters on them. But the dreamers in our story could never find their beloved characters that easily and even if they did, the clothing often wasn’t of great quality. This led them to start this venture. People don’t want mundane things and they love products that coincide with their memories. This was the driving thought that led to the initial brainstorming.
What makes WearDHK so unique is its partners and shared passion. Since their early undergrad life, they had an enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. Rizvee Sheikh was already an entrepreneur and this was his fourth venture. One of the partners Ashik Muntakim said something that stayed with us – “you learn more from your failures than from your success”.
The three heroes in our story saw an opportunity and seized it. They saw a gap between the market and the products the consumers and made it their primary mission and goal to fill in that gap. They never compromise with quality even if the markup goes a little higher. They always believe that consumers don’t mind paying a premium if the product is per that quality. Their designs are made from scratch and unique that leaves their consumers satisfactory.
The leads in our story always strive for excellence. In order to make this dream come true, they had to face some hardships as well. People would always be averse to risk and uncertainty but not our heroes. They’re meant to be entrepreneurs, for they really have a passion for it. They told us that if people are not passionate about it they won’t be able to handle the drawbacks. Most entrepreneurs have this misconception that if you start a venture profits would come instantly, but the reality is far from the truth. Every success story is the story of perseverance. They started this venture with their savings from tuitions. What made this venture so successful is their dedication to excellence and unique creativity. All their designs are made from scratch and vary in categories. You can get your favorite characters from their collection. And your customer experience would be wonderful as Ashik who handles the customer care department, believes firmly that one of the keys to striving in this department that you always have to understand the other person’s context. We as people don’t tend to put ourselves on other people’s shoes but that’s the most important in any kind of communication. You always have to keep calm and try to help the customer. That is the key. We as Bangladeshi consumers are kind of skeptical about online products and services which can’t be overcome instantly but through their work, they ensure quality products which over time can make this skepticism melt away.
We can see in the above graph how fast their demand is growing. In the next 2-3 months the number is expected to reach upto 1700.
As we’re retelling their story, one of the things we learned from them is that to take the leap. If you wait around for the perfect circumstances, it may never happen. It may vary for other businesses but for this sector it was appropriate. Spontaneity is key. It you have an idea start as soon as possible or someone else is going to do it. If you believe in something just take the leap and charge ahead.
When we asked them if they ever wanted to give up, it was a resounding no. they are people who love to create. It gives them satisfaction to keep going.
It was a privilege to start this initiative to make our youth more aware of the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship and no one could’ve been a better guest than our very own WearDHK. They also have appreciated the initiative and loved to contribute to inspiring future entrepreneurs. They taught us the value of perseverance and handwork. And the most important thing we learn from their story is that – “Be inspired! If you have an idea, don’t wait for anything and charge ahead.”
To conclude in the words of Stan Lee – “Face front, true believers!”
Sources
1. Founders of Wear DHK
