E-Commerce Founder: How to Build a Niche Startup from Scratch While still in University.

01/12/2025 54 min

Listen "E-Commerce Founder: How to Build a Niche Startup from Scratch While still in University."

Episode Synopsis

Most people talk about “starting young.”Hanzala Raja actually did it.Straight out of A-levels, while his friends were planning gap years and university transfers, he walked into his father’s office, failed a few times, learned fast, and stumbled into the idea that would become Highfy Pakistan’s fastest-growing beauty commerce brand.This episode isn’t a glorified success story.It’s a blueprint for anyone who feels “too young,” “too unprepared,” or “not ready yet.”What you’ll hear in this conversation:How early failures turned into Highfy’s first sparkWhy dining-table conversations became the real business schoolHow he built a beauty destination doing 1,500+ orders/dayWhy 90% cash-on-delivery is both a constraint and an opportunityThe discipline behind growing 120% YoYHow they stayed profitable from day oneThe mental switch that turned him from a student into a founderBalancing university, scaling, and real-world pressureWhy execution is better than ideas, especially at 20-somethingHanzala’s story is a reminder:You don’t need a degree, a network, or permission.You need a starting point, and the focus to stay on it.This episode is for the young builders who feel the itch to begin,and for the older founders who forgot what real hunger looks like.If you’re building anything in Pakistan today… you’ll want to listen to this.

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