From Service Business to Building a Million-Dollar Product - Mashhood Rastgar

Build your digital product with us: ⁠⁠⁠geeksofkolachi.com⁠⁠ In this episode, we dive deep into the incredible journey of Mashhood Rastgar, a visionary tech leader who transitioned from running a service business to building a million-dollar product. Mashhood has made significant contributions both in Pakistan and internationally, consistently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. From his time at Y Combinator, where he learned alongside the founders of groundbreaking companies like ChatGPT, to his return to Pakistan, Mashhood has made an indelible impact. We explore how he built the powerhouse team behind Sastaticket, Pakistan’s leading travel platform, and how he transformed his service business into a million-dollar product. Now, he’s leveraging his expertise to revolutionize the country’s education system through his work at Taleemabad. As Pakistan’s first Google Developer Expert, Mashhood shares insights on what it takes to lead in tech, the challenges of scaling startups, and his passion for driving meaningful change in society. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a tech enthusiast, or someone who loves a good success story, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and inspiring moments you won’t want to miss. 🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring tech stories and insights! ___________________________________ 🕒 Topics: 00:00 Highlights 01:41 Introduction 03:00 His Early Education Journey 03:40 Joining the London Startup Community 04:30 Lessons from ChatGPT, Gmail & Other Founders at Y Combinator 06:55 Returning to Pakistan: His Motivation 07:55 Why He Chose to Study in the UK 09:03 Launching His Company in Pakistan & the Challenges He Overcame 11:55 The Benefits of Joining Communities 17:10 Becoming Pakistan’s First Google Developer Expert 18:55 How to Achieve Google Developer Expert Status 20:30 What Technology Means to Him 21:30 Is a Degree the Only Path to Success? 26:10 The Untold Story of SastaTicket: How It All Began 46:00 Taleemabad's Impact on Pakistan's Education System 1:04:00 The Future of LLMs: Will They Replace Developers? 1:09:35 Closing Remarks ___________________________________ Key Takeaways: 📋 Mashhood Rastgar’s journey from Y Combinator to leading tech in Pakistan. Building and scaling the Sastaticket team as CTO. Becoming Pakistan’s first Google Developer Expert. How He Built a Million-Dollar Product Revolutionizing education through Taleemabad. Learning from top tech innovators like the founders of ChatGPT. Service Business to Building a Million-Dollar Product. Challenges and successes in transforming Pakistan’s digital landscape. Insights on leading in tech and making a societal impact. ___________________________________ Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe! 👍 We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 💬 Who do you want us to talk to next, and what topics would you like us to cover in our upcoming podcasts? Let us know! 🗣️ Stay tuned for more insightful conversations and stories from leading tech innovators. 🌟 Thank you for listening to The Kolachi Cast! 🎧 ___________________________________ For inquiries and collaborations, reach us at [email protected]