Flarian: a start-up to learn from

There
e numerous technology start-ups at our fingertips almost every day. Think LinkedIn, Facebook, or the ever-dependable Google.
In an economy like Pakistans, where the services sector has accounted significantly for real GDP growth in the past few years, technology start-ups are veritably the way forward, and companies like Rozee.pk are a testimony to that.
As important as the recognition of the growing importance of start-ups in Pakistan is encouraging youth entrepreneurs of Pakistan, who have the necessary creative knack and the risk appetite to venture into the yet untapped arena of technology companies in Pakistan.
A recent start-up, which began online operations on the symbolic day Pakistan Day, was started by two Pakistani students in Toronto, Canada, offering a unique technology-based product. Going by the name Flarian, the product being offered by 24-years-old Ali Rizvi and 23-years-old Hammad Naseem is a business card with a built-in flash drive - a relatively simple, yet creative and unique product.
The product could be particularly useful for purposes of sharing basic information such as a business/persons name, address, etc on the card together with a soft copy of some portfolios or promotional business information that will be too cumbersome to give out on paper. For example, a professional graphic designer can hand out a personalised card with her portfolio of work stored in the USB drive at networking events.
Though the venture may not be a strictly service-based one, it is, nonetheless, technology-based and does offer a unique product that seems simple but also very effective. With reasonable prices hovering around seven dollars CAD per piece with storage capacity in the range of 1GB to 8GB, a multitude of uses can be thought of the card-cum-USB for both businesses and individuals.
The fact that the start-up is currently based in Toronto should not be discouraging since this is a noteworthy step taken by the Pakistani youth. Besides, it can also be shipped to any country in the world.
However, the key takeaway from this step of the Pakistani students at the York University, Canada and the University of Toronto is the precedence that has been set for Pakistani entrepreneurs, as well as for the countrys youth. Besides, such an endeavor will attract the well-deserved praise and recognition not only for Pakistans budding entrepreneurs, but for the creative and innovative streak in the countrys citizens as well.