OSTAD

Imagine, you are learning AutoCAD software from video tutorials or online courses and got stuck in specific tools. Then you must need an expert to solve the problem and help you practically to learn AutoCAD faster.

 Again, you are a job holder and want to learn car driving  in your holiday schedule. But No such platform to find out reliable expert.

In addition to this, face to face learning is must for skill like different machine operation, electrical wiring, musical instrument, cycling. There are no such platform from where you can avail these kind of services.

 Here comes OSTAD, first ever skill sharing platform in Bangladesh. The connecting dots between the learners & experts. Through OSTAD you can learn anything you want from verified experts in face to face learning, can create your own pathway. 

Again those who are expert at something can share their expertise and earn money

The main problem is no such platform to find out the reliable expert at any field from whom people can learn anything face to face, where 89% people still prefer to learn new things from the experts sitting in front of them instead of video tutorials & online courses.

Again to become an expert at skill like bike driving, swimming, different machine operation, electrical wiring, sewing, singing, cycling, makeup artist etc face to face learning is must. But there are no such platform from where people can avail this. As a result number of unskilled people is increasing day by day.  

According to our research, every year around 7 million people in Bangladesh including unemployed, fresh graduates, job holders who need immediate skill training for their career. Lack of on demand face to face learning service, session by session learning system according to the people’s schedule are the main contributors to the problem adding more to the burden

In Bangladesh around 7 million people who need immediate skill training are our target audience. Every year around 1 million university graduates in Bangladesh who need various technical skill to sustain in the job market. 

Again, 0.6 million active freelancers also badly need expert’s solution for their work. 

2.67 million unemployed people need different hand on training & practical work skill immediately. 

In addition to this we are also serving people starting from students who want to learn specific topics & people who want to be expert at any kind of skill. 

Already we have launched the app and registered 100+ Experts at different skills starting with universities. 

We are providing an app named “OSTAD”, a skill sharing platform. The bridge between the learner and experts . 

The process is very simple. A learner has to simply open the Ostad app, search the skill they want to learn and the app will show nearby experts with ratings, prices and other details. They will simply choose the expert, fix the time, date, Call them, learn and eventually conclude a successful session with payment. 

Moreover, the learners can avail the full course from their Experts . 

Again, if someone has skill in a particular Topic, then he can just open an account by providing required info. After proper verification process by OSTAD team, He will be registered as an Expert. Whenever a learner fixes him, he will be notified and complete a session.

Technical & Engineering skill sharing opportunity, session by session learning and on demand service defines “OSTAD” as complete end to end solution through a mobile Application for people who are in badly need of skill training. We are planning to introduce AI to fulfill the requirement of "On demand service from verified experts".    

OSTAD is a mobile application based skill sharing platform in which people can find the verified & reliable experts at different sectors by a single finger click. The following features make OSTAD innovative:

On Demand Service: If anyone want to learn something at Friday afternoon, he/she can book an expert. The expert guy will come to him/her at that time & teach him/her.

Cost efficient learning system: If anyone want to learn 3 different tools of AutoCAD software, he/she can fix an expert for that specified tools learning & Only Pay for this 3 tools learning.

Verified Experts: We ensure all the experts that are registered in our platform are all skilled & verified by us. So, one can learn from the best expert , no doubt.  

Easy Payment System: Payment system are very simple both for the Learners & experts. So The experts will not face any complicity to give 20% commission to OSTAD team.

We introduce all this features just because one reason “Make a skilled population to make a better Bangladesh” 

OSTAD focuses on mitigating the problem of lack of skill development opportunities by providing the “On demand expert guy service” to the people’s doorstep. The expert people of any sector are just single figure click distance of an learner. So people can learn anything , anytime , anywhere , sitting in front of the expert people.

About 89% people still feel the necessity of Human Touch to learn something new despite being habituated with video tutorials. We are here to fulfill this necessity.

We strongly believe The OSTAD team can make a better Bangladesh by making a skilled population through our platform.

Currently we are serving 55 people in khulna district, Bangladesh as a test run. We are considering customer feedback & real time market experience to solve some in app issues and make it more user friendly. Within few days, we will launch our app to grab more customers at a time.

For the first year, we are targeting to serve 15000 user

In 5 years: 800000 user

Goals for the next year:

• Building a smooth, user friendly app solving all the current issues.
• On board 4000 experts of different skill with proper verification process. 
• Starting with universities covering Dhaka, Khulna & Chittagong.

Goals for the next 5 years:

• On board 100K experts of different skill.
• 0.8M users
• Introducing AI to make it more technologically advanced solution.
• Expanding throughout the country as both B2B & B2C services.

Barriers for goals within next year:

• Limited funding
• Small verification & tech team
• Offline transaction
• Ensuring proper session price.

Barriers for goals within next 5 years:

• Introduction of competitors
• Offline transaction
• Ensuring proper verification of ostad throughout the country. 

Plan to overcome barriers:

• Making cash flow positive to be able to bear the expenses. Raising fund to become pioneer in the market. Establish a dynamic & experienced team. 

• To eliminate offline transaction we will use “More session, More price & Less Commission”. For example, when any tutor completes 20 session then commission rate per session will be reduced to 15%. Again 10% price increment on 10 five star rated sessions.

• To ensure proper session price we consider existing market price, tutor experience & tutor demand into our calculation. Session price will also be evaluated based on tutor rating.

• At early stage, ostad verifications are done by our in house verification team. But when we scale up throughout the country, already established Ostad from respective sector will verify the new ostad in their area. Thus quality & smoothness of verification process will be maintained at minimum cost.        

Currently There are working 8 members including 4 co-founders. 

5 members are working as a full time staff & 3 members are working as a part time staffs.

The Team OSTAD consists of some ambitious people from different sectors such as Engineering, Business, Creative Designing & Teaching. We all are working relentlessly to make a better Bangladesh. Here is the details of the team members

Abdullah Al Musabbir: He is a Mechanical Engineer & Marketing Strategist. He has vast experience at sales & business development. He is working as CEO at OSTAD.

Sourav Sreekanto: He is an Electrical Engineer & working as COO at OSTAD. He is the content creator & has a great creative mind. 

Fahim Siddique: He is a Mechanical Engineer & working as CMO at OSTAD. He has vast knowledge of product selling being employed at an private company.

Mridul Khandker: He is Also a Mechanical Engineer & working as CPA at OSTAD. He has vast experience at Organizational Management.

Shariful Islam Mubin: He is a Computer Science Engineer. He is working as Technical Head at OSTAD.

Besides these people, we have 3 more people who work in marketing team.

Team OSTAD has various achievements. Such as

1. Champion at Hult Prize, KUET 2018.

2. Champion at National Prize & Energy Hackathon, 2017.

3. Runner Up  at Blue Gold Innovation Challenge, 2017

Our achievements & hard working also get featured in The Daily Kaler Kantho, Roar Media, The BD Morning.com.

So , If all these entrepreneurial mindset people work together, we think we can make a such platform from where the people of Bangladesh can learn effectively & develop their working skill.  

Currently we are working with the APP BANGLA, a promising App development firm & Ubitrix Inc, an IT company.

We are working with the APP BANGLA  contractually to Develop & Maintain our Application. 

On the other hand, Ubitrix Inc. Is providing the logistics support. 

Our business model is pretty simple.

• 20% commission per session: We take 20% commission on each session. Commission rate on each session are reduced for those who have contributed more number of sessions.
• Surge pricing: It will work during the period of excessive expert demand and also for highest rated experts.
• B2B Ads: Paid Promotion & Ad Placing deals with B2B clients.

Initially we start with our own fund and develop the app. We already have our first customer and completed number of sessions generating revenue as a test run. We are focusing on creating a channel to have more number of verified expert & users. Since we have the experience & strong connection in this field surely we will grab more number of users soon. More number of users means more number of sessions which will generate revenue.

Learner can avail on demand skill sharing service as well as full course from the experts. Flexibility and variety of skills will surely serve customers demand which will ensure our financial sustainability.

When we scale up, we must have number of verified expert under our platform that will give us the flexibility to expand into different sectors easily as both B2B and B2C services, grows vertically to ensure sustainability. 

A platform is always a gateway to accelerate a great idea. Tiger Challenge is a platform that will ensure international applicants to be performing and blending. 

It’s not all about winning some sort of mone,this will create a new pathway to the global network of experts, mentors and investors as well.

 This will provide enough opportunity to gather information about sustainability & integrity to go beyond border. Partnership with Tiger IT Foundation will help us to get mentored, to get all legal support as well as to have the exposer in the market to create direct impact. 

We are going to have collaborative partnership with organizations regarding different issues. 

Most vital aim at this preliminary stage is to develop the app. keeping that in mind, we partnered ourselves with an app development firm named “App Bangla”. We will also develop collaborative partnership with firms working with marketing both online and offline. For strategy development about operation and other issues, we will make strategic alliance partnership. For legal support, integration partnership will be made with a firm which will provide legal support. 

And last but not least, cost sharing and funding alliance partnership will be made to ensure investments and equity through integration partnership.