This document summarizes Salman Ahmad's entrepreneurial journey starting a car care products company called AASHLAY in Pakistan. It describes his early career working in a bank and factories. He then earned a degree in innovation and entrepreneurship in Sweden. After facing failures investing in another business and starting his own company due to lack of experience and support, he rebuilt AASHLAY through social media marketing and introducing new brands to the Pakistani market. Despite facing challenges, he grew the company to do Rs. 70 million in business over 5 years and achieved national and international recognition. For Salman, building the company's identity and market acceptance mattered more than just earnings.

1. Entrepreneurial Journey
Salman Ahmad
CEO AASHLAY
8399
ceo@aashlay.com
www.aashlay.com
www.facebook.com/aashlayinnovation

2. Year 2010, I again start realizing that I am in Bank working as Sales Representative and getting Market
experience but that was not my career direction. I want to do something more than earning. I was
groomed as Future Bureaucrat and studding from the day first while as a student of Second year. The
thingwas pitchinmy mindthat rightafteryour graduation Ihave to do CSS.
Going back in year 2001, the life gives me an opportunity for international exposure to Visit England. My
Elder brother in a month gives me extensive exposure throughout England. I have been to Oxford
University a dream of every student I guess and thus my dream, a partial dream filled up. My brother
give me commitment if I get a good grade in your next semester you are coming back to visit again to
England and thus after first visit to England I have been there twice. My brother keep talking with the
me to you have to do CSS. He taught me to think big and start studding for CSS partially, taking
interestinInternational andnationaffairs.
But one day the ironic disaster came in my life everything broken in pieces that my brother, my role
model, my mentor got accident in England and he was died and thus 20 year dream boy who has been
groomed by his elder brother, became blind. Shortly I got married after that accident and the focus of
my family and mine was that you have to earn. I use to pay visit silently to my brother grave, cry come
back there is no one I can see of your substitute to groom me like you, who will give me direction, how I
will pursue yourdreamandmine tobecome CSSofficer.
I became a baby stubborn, pressure to get job and finally I join a private match factory as export
manager. But someone who was prepared for something very big he is working something else merely
to earn, I was not happy and I start making excuses. Conclusion, I left the job and sit at home.
Meanwhile I got an opportunity to join Standard Chartered Bank as Direct sales representative. I work
there for a couple of years but I was not internally satisfied and I use to talk with my colleague that is
not mytype of job.
Some people called it "Mutakabir". Who knows except me that how I was groomed for, I was stubborn
inside? Then one day one of my friend told me that look you are talking all the time about books and
doing something big. There is an opportunity to get Commonwealth scholarship in Sweden, why don't
youapplyfor this.
I start goggling it and I select a course namely Innovation and Entrepreneurship and I applied. Luckily I
was the only person from Pakistan to select for the said course or may be no one else applied for the
saidcourse I don't know.I gotvisa andmove to Sweden.
Day first:
The Professor and course Coordinator came to class at morning. I was sitting in first Row. He asked me

3. gentleman standup and introduce yourself and tell us why you joined this course. I stated, to work for
multinationalcompanylikeface book,Google etc.
He stopped me to say further ad said roll back your luggage and go back to your home or choose
another course. I was so amazed and then he look for while in the whole classroom, Whoever have the
same thoughts I advised to leave this course right now and chose another course. Everybody was for a
while in shocked. Then he said “Remember this course is designed for future Entrepreneur" the future
CEOs to develop multimillion dollars company. The future of Mark zuckerberg, Steve jobs, Bill gates etc.
No forone whowant to workfor any company.
These words were just clicked in my mind and said "WOW”! It’s something big then what I was
dreaming. The times go on and the university starts paying visit to us to big companies like Flextronics
and Ericsonetc.
One day came, that we got an assignment that now it’s time to prove what you learnt through out of
the course and i.e. you have to earn to prove to get pass your course. I recalled the days when I was in
England and my brother introduced me to a website namely "Google"its back in 2001 and said look they
are so young " he was talking about Larry page and serge bin" and they developed an idea on internet.
They are not only multimillionaires but also an inspiration to the world. At those days the internet in
Pakistan was dialup. When I back to Pakistan I start course of web designing. So connecting to my
assignment, I hada skillsof web designinganddevelopingandthat'sworkinmy project.
So I start working on my assignment and develop a website for eBooks namely "stud mate". I put
Google adsense on my website from Google. Google adsense is a product of Google, they put
commercial on your website and when someone clicks on it, Google pay you. So I start earning a very
little amountbuthisassignmentwasnottoearn multimilliondollarsbuttojustearnsomething.
Amazingly on the day of presentation I was the only person among 45 international students who was
successful inhisproject.Restof couldnot.
Since the course was Innovation and Entrepreneurship. All of the sudden I was became a rising start,
among the students and teacher’s community they call me by my name the "Stud mate", the project
name. The University Incubation Center also stuck eyes on me. The reason behind was since this course
was designed for future Entrepreneurs and if only one person became successful Entrepreneur, the
course and University objective is accomplished. At that time I did not realized the University Business
IncubationCentertookinterestinme andtheylookme differently.
In short, after Convocation one Evening I received a Phone call by someone and said I got to know that
you are leaving Sweden. Before you make your final decision tomorrow evening I want to have a cup of
coffee with you at seaside near my Villas. I replied my pleasure to have a cup of coffee with you and I
will be there in tomorrow evening. I hanged up the phone and start thinking "Seaside", her "Villas", look
like something Romantic. "Is she is going to propose me”? Wow! I am raising Star; my brother must
proudon me.

4. Finallyonevening the duringthe cupof coffee wasa businessoffer.
Wording...
"Stay here and Let's Startup together" I have resources and experience and you have Charm and
EntrepreneurialDNA,togetherwe can Rock!
ProfessionalMistake #1
I was pathetically feeling home sickness and I made damn excuse. She tries to make me convince but I
was stuck on my decision to go back to home. “Remember you never know the value of something until
and unlessyoulose it."
The degree was completed, convocation was done and I was so excited to back to Pakistan that I asked
to my course coordinator that I want to leave for Pakistan since my visa is going too expired in couple of
days. So how about our original degree. He said if you want to leave since your visa is going to expire.
The University will send your degree to your country home address. I confirmed also from my others
colleague andtheysaidyesuniversitytodo.
Mistake # 2
Since I studied from abroad the people around me was thinking that I learn magic there. The investors
were attracting too. The "Special Community" asked me to buy running medicine distribution. I merely
took this decision on the basis of continuous reminder of invest made on me other then my parents and
since the expenses my parents bear on my studies is more thanenough and they are expecting to return
back these expenses to earn. My parents never said to me but others make felt and so asi start feeling
and i invest.
Mistake # 3
I did not make any document and or paper agreement while investing millions. "The 100 %
unprofessional step was that the business principles never allow you to do so." But i will justify here
myself while being a student there in Sweden, they taught me to trust on your business partner. Since i
thought i am with relatives. But i forget to follow the rules of "Business is Business". They ditching me
about sales and i trust them never realized that they are actually ditching me since i trust them. After a
year i became defaulter and i never made profit and i cannot prove anything since i did not have any
written agreement and i believe i deserve this shock and professionally i will accept my mistake. I should
make an agreementin writerfrom.
(1) But that was very easy to write that i accept my mistake, my investment was not mine, there were
investors.
(2) I wasso angry on myself “thati shouldtake andor follow andworkunderprofessional mentor."
Since the big professional mistake with millions of loss investor don't accept it. Image drops and trust
graph drop too on me and this is what a businessman needs to have trust. I will merely justifying

5. myself thatthiswasmisscommitmentwithme inbusiness.Butwho believes!
ExperiencedPolished:
I realized i still have time and i alwayswant my own identity, so i register a Company namely "AASHLAY",
Alsothe firstregisterede-commerce companyof KPK.
Mistake # 4
I startup a company, the Rules of Entrepreneurship is “it’s not about merely a money to invest or idea
only, it's about your co-founder, The Team. The team member doesn’t know about what is an idea, what
isEntrepreneurshipandwhatmattersa companyto an Entrepreneur.
Since the trust deficit on me as well due to last failure. The pressure was high on me and i was thinking
that the market presence is very important while the family pressure was to go for job taking advised
fromothersto make me compel.
I ignored and i start with something where i had no experience of that market but i find my niche
market. Since the startup is all about a process of failure to failure without losing enthusiasm leads to
success. But there was pressure on me on the first day of my new startup that i have to cover the losses
as soonas possible.
Shortly i got started with car caring and detailing products a new concept or existence but not practice
professionally to established in the region KPK. I find my niche market and find out the problem that
there are pirated products selling as original product on original prices. Normally in our market the
pirated products lunch in the market by the name of original products and they charged it as branded, i
find that problem and i decided I will lunch to the market branded products against pirated products
and thus i segment my market at the sametime for branded products to educate the customers what
your where buyingandforwhatyouwere payingwaspirated.
At the other hand family pressure to start with something running products while Entrepreneurship
believes in startup with something new. Two years innovation and innovation was pitched in my head
and practiced on me. Innovation is the process not miracles. But the so called "Think Tank" in the
familyandrelativesdeveloppressure onme ineveryaspect.
I started with Car freshener, Microfiber cloths and branded car polishes. I stuck that Good will matters,
market trust matters, customer loyalties matters. While the "Think Tank" believes earn by any mean.
Since I was not listening to them they start calling me by my past failure, questioning, make family
issues, torturing of being victim of racism, joking on me and the products i started with. Even the market
penetration was not easy since the concept behind telling the trust the end users what you are buying
and paying for is not what you think. Definitely, the new challenge the market resistance we had to face
by lunching the truth against lie of the years which are the source of their income by mean of cheating
and disrespecting to the customers in shape of their pirated products. While Customer deserve to be
respected by their believe they have in you. But that was not practicing and i will call it disrespecting and
cheating with customers is not professionalism and it's actually a business sin. That was really a

6. bouncing back challenge. But i learnt one thing "Never Give up". While there was lot of pressure to give
up.
The products was for while if you think like for instance the microfiber cloth was suppose to retail for Rs
700/-. The cloth is for which you have to wash your car is for Rs 700/- What the hell you are doing to
pitch in the market and who the hell will buy. The car washing cloth is hardly for Rs 30. Family and the
family "Think Tank" start suspecting me that he is psycho. Even the market. He is doing something like
he isin Europe and who the hell is going to buy something online also, this is not Europe and it took long
time that people will start buying online in Pakistan. I used to tell them, why should we imitate, research
saysjumpnow,tomorrowis verycompetitive.Getstartyourmarketshare now.
But is there anyone who listens to me? A Big No! And start calling me literally psycho and looking me in
suspected eyes and sympathy. Another tag on me "Na Farman Olad". My parents never go to school
but they trust me, but there were a lot of people they have to listen other than his son. Everybody
start ignoring me no body listen to me since there is a especially lobby against what i was doing working
on.
To me mycompanywas everything,MyKids,My life, myromance.
The market situation, meanwhile start accepting my products, even the onlineshop starts responding. I
replied to everybody see, the market is start accepting products, and startup is process to success. I
ignored everything for the sake of my company to see myself tomorrow Jack ma, Jeff bezos etc. The
typically community tag me another name " Mutakabir" and the religious community utilized against me
since i naming the today role model of every younger Entrepreneur namely Bill gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark
Zuckerberg and Jack ma, Since all these are non-Muslim. They start suspecting on my religion and belief
this way. Finally my wife merely stop trusting me anymore just because of my bad company alongwith
me and i finallyattempttosuicide andburntmyself.
And by this act I declared a physco patient and I start taking treatment. My younger brother
meanwhile took responsibility of the company and we fired everybody. He was the only person to
continuous to pursue my dream and I stop social networking. Became the public failure. Meanwhile
thinking as an Entrepreneur on a bed as a psycho patient, everybody left me, my so called friends,
relatives andeverybody. The only Person who keeps me motivated is that you are right and the failure is
the part of game but notdestinywasme myself.
In those days as phyco patient I roll back my past pictures, my days during Sweden, letups with high
profile company CEOs, Directors and today laying on bed as public failure and psycho patient. I have
been forcefully step down from my own company; a company to an Entrepreneur is something an
Entrepreneur can understand. I start watching startup stories of around the globe. I give myself
motivation, The Apple founder, Steve jobs was once also step down from his own company. I keep
myself motivating by this way that every entrepreneur have the same story and they have been through
same situation,butwhatmakesdifference isthattheydon'tgive upand theyare now successful today.
I open up my laptop and start social media marketing for my company to introduce it with

7. internationally market and national market. I start negotiating with International market and thus by
this was I start realizing that my company is trustworthy in international market since I registered it on
day firstwithSECPand withall otherlegal aspects.
Secondly I realized that I have good convincing power and communication skills with around the
globe. The companies start sending me their product samples of worth of thousand of Rupees. Every
company goes to my LinkedIn profile and since I have mentioned my qualification and experiences and
the projects I have done. Thus they trust me and my beloved company "AASHLAY" they believe in my
skillsandstartsendingof thousand worth’s of sampleseverysinglecompanytowhom I wrote.
Since here nobody listen me and the internationally market accept my presence, this make me slow and
gradually stop taking medicine and I start gives the world top brand of my niche market to the local
market.. The market start recognizing me because some of the brands I lunched to the market never
exist in Pakistan market and the segmented market knows my company by these brands. Slow and
gradually I left the bed and move to study the market. I was so happy and amazed and got tears
diamondinmyeyeswhenthe marketstartsaskingme what youhave new today.
"Mission Accomplished" Because that was amazing comments of the market, Why? Because I start with
a slogan "The Innovation Gateway". And keep focused to have an identity by pitching the slogan in their
mind through lunching innovative products to targeted segment. So that the company image is suppose
to buildupand knownbywhatout companysloganstated.
The market says about "AASHLAY" the innovation gateway in their typical language for which I waited
longtime withfacingsomany hurdlesasstatedearlier.
Today 2017, my company have national and internationally recognition. Today my Company my "Baby"
isgrownup and itsfive yearsold.Todaymy companydidRs 70 million businesssofar.
To Entrepreneur merely, earning money is not everything. The market recognition and the market
acceptance and hisownidentitymattersmore theneverything.
Typically businessman think about to earn "Money" while Entrepreneurs think out of the box. People
thought the CEO of AASHLAY is collapsed. They were against my idea in bad faith and try to make me
grounded and now ironically taking Credit of something in past they made fun of me. Today again they
are tryingto windupmycompany"myfive yearsoldbaby".
The neverknowif youdie hard to close ityou can't.
In bedroom on my laptop i am connected with globe, with international market with thanks to social
media. You don't know the mind behind this company never give up" You thought you make me
groundedsuccessfullybutyoudon'tknow thistime i utilizedall of you,Yesconnecting Dots!
Today i am happy thati kill all the thoughts against Entrepreneurs. Today i win and i damn care about all
of those who in bad faith think they grounded me was actually the God gives me rest to stand up again
withsomethingdifferent.

8. Five years back they laughed on me when i started with something beyond their thoughts and today
theylove itand stuckwithit.
At least once a week i received email from international market shows their interest to do business with
AASHLAY. The internationally market see and believe in our company with different dimension i.e. Brand
PromotionCompany. Whichisanotheramazingachievement?
So who win Entrepreneurs or Studpidpreneure? Sorry but i will name them, all of those who
de-motivate any Entrepreneur in any corner of the world are "Studpidpreneure". Because they too
have many creative ways of to discourage an Entrepreneurs’, since they don't believe how
entrepreneurs think.
I urge to the entire International and national community of Entrepreneurs, to use and name them from
now onward to those who de-motivated Entrepreneurs, are “the Studpidpreneure". I urge to accept and
use officially the term"Studpidpreneure"againstthe Entrepreneurs.
Advise andmymostfavorite quotes.
(1) Rememberit’strue that1 % isidea,99% is commercialization of the idea.
(2) Remember“Startupiseatingof Glass"
(3) Successhasmany fathers, Failure isOrphan
(4) A man is knownbyhiscompanyhe keeps.
(5) The bestRevenge isMassive Success.
(6) The numberone reasonpeople fail intheirlife isthattheylistentotheirfriendsandfamily.
And yes, one thing more, I never get my original degree. So what Jack ma never goes to high school, Bill
gates never get his degree at that time, So what the father of Innovation, the founder of Apple, Steve
Jobs never get his degree at that time. But they never give up. So I am in the profile of those guys his
own university don't trust him at that time but they never give up. So then I am proud to be what I am
today! And I believe one day my University will regret this also and will call me for honoree degree. I
am not kidding!
I LOVE SWEDEN,I Love Blekinge TekniskaHogskolan
I Love Karlskrona,ILove Ronneby. All theymake me educated. Ihave sweetmemories.
I love all myclassmatesthere inBTH and I love all myteachersthere inBTH whoeducate me.

9. I missall of you!
Yes that’strue withoutmydegree Idon’tfeel confidence.