Entrepreneur at 19 — My Journey From a Tech Startup CEO

Speak to anyone who’s lived through the ages of rotary telephones, then pagers, then primitive mobile phones and now tablets (myself included), and they’ll confirm that the rate of technological advancement is increasing exponentially.

In an incredibly short space of time we’ve created and developed staggering new ways to streamline our lives and communicate with each other through technology.

What that means is that software development is rapidly becoming an invaluable skill.

Progress shouldn’t be ring-fenced.

Given the pivotal role of technology and software in today’s society, it simply doesn’t make sense that creating software is ring-fenced for the privileged, specifically-educated few. After all, this is a skill that facilitates innovation, creative expression and the building of flourishing businesses.

The importance of software development cannot be underestimated. Without it the likes of Uber, Twitter, Airbnb, Paypal and Instagram — each part of the fabric of daily life — simply could not exist.

India’s role in the tech boom

India, as a hothouse for groundbreaking technological advancements, has seen a huge boost in its economy in recent times. This country now boasts one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is home to the largest number of people who’ve recently escaped poverty. As an Indian-based software development company, my company, Sparkster is helping to drive this boost and we’re proud and privileged to do so.

At a recent debate about how technology is expected to fuel further job creation in India, Archana Vohra (Director-Seller Enablement of Amazon India) said that the further adoption of new technology would help create a number of new job profiles that may not even exist today. These are exciting times, not just for the few, but for the many.

My light bulb moment

I was 19 when I started my own small business. We were popular and successful but there was one rate-limiting factor; software. All the supposed software solutions I came across were too slow, cumbersome and ineffective. The software I needed was simple but it was being over-complicated by people who wanted to charge an exorbitant amount for a product that didn’t quite fit the bill. I still feel frustrated when I think back to that time.

Eventually, I had drawn out what I needed on a whiteboard so many times that I realised the easiest solution was to build the tools to create it myself.

So that’s what I did.

It’s taken a lot of iterations, teamwork, trial and error but we’ve now produced a platform that will enable anyone to build the software they need, independent of ‘the developer bottleneck’, as I call it.

Saying goodbye to limitations.

What we now offer as part of the Sparkster service isn’t just traditional software. I always want to make sure we’re pushing the boundaries of software development, so our platform can now help you harness the power of AI, IOT and Smart Contracts. We’re also planning to cover AR/VR in the very near future. Technology is evolving all the time, so our service is too.

The way I see it, it’s what you’re going to need to future-proof your project or business.

It’s happening. Now.

This is an exciting time to be alive. It’s an exciting time to be in India. And it’s an exciting time to work in the world of technology. After all, software that’s being built on the Sparkster platform, right now, is bringing about positive change in the world.

Our platform was demonstrated by Per Lind, IOTA co-founder at the Moscow IOTA Meetup, and lot of people got really excited.

Our tools are helping people to express themselves, expand their creative ideas and safeguard their own financial independence. I have no formal software training, so I often have to pinch myself as a reminder of how far we’ve come. We’re making technology accessible to everyone, for good, and our movement is growing all the time.

Everyone’s invited.

I believe in inclusion rather than exclusion, so at Sparkster we’re making codeless software accessible for everyone. Jargon-free, plain English software empowers all of us to develop our own technology-dependant products, businesses and dreams.

And this isn’t just idle speculation about the future of technology, or ambitious pie-in-the-sky planning. This is software that’s ready to go. Now.

And it’s been a long time coming.

Join the revolution.

If you’d like to be the next person — with a good idea and a can-do attitude — to harness the power of software development, then follow us. We can help you to break down the technological barriers that stand between you and success.

We are launching our product at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) event. We will be setting up personal demos at 4YFN showing an integrated AI, IOT, and Virtual Currency application — built in minutes without a single line of code.

This is for the guy that not only sees what doesn’t work in the world, but imagines a better alternative. This is for the guy that wants to make his environment cleaner, his place of work more efficient, his neighbourhood safer. This is for the guy that doesn’t just talk about a better world, but the guy who’s willing to reach out and make it a better world. This is for you

Sajjad Daya — Founder & CEO.

Entrepreneur at 19 — My Journey From a Tech Startup CEO was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.