Archive for November, 2007

We are hiring

Alchemy Technologies Private Limited, Karachi, Pakistan

www.alchemya.com

http://blog.alchemya.com

Google MIT BAP Pitch

 
Compensation: Dependent on experience, credentials and fit

Designation: Associates, Analysts, Actuarial Students and Geek Gods

Start Date: Immediate

 
Who are we?

Alchemy is an award winning boutique risk management and actuarial practice working with blue chip customers in Pakistan, Far East and Middle East. We create value by working with [...]

November 23, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

MIT BAP – Lessons learnt

Here are the key take away’s from about three months of interaction with the MIT BAP Team

Omit needless words.

From the presentation as well as your script.

Laser sharp focus is preferred over diversification. Do one thing exceedingly well.

Even if you are doing 50 things (not a good thing) in total, simplify your story to the [...]

November 9, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

BAP Pitch posted.

BAP Pitch – The pitch
Seth’s remarable piece on how (not) to present –> Here  

November 8, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Alchemy, MIT BAP – Part II

Deciding what to wear ended up being a no brainer. Though I have done Hawaiian shirts, jean as well as rude tshirts in the past, we just took Guy Kawasaki’s advice… When in doubt, over dress. Still by the time the presentation started, I had already dumped the jacket. Also as per Guy’s advise [...]

November 8, 2007   Posted in: Alchemy stuff, Desi Startup, Uncategorized  5 Comments

Alchemy picks up MIT BAP runner’s up award – One

Winning is a funny thing. Sometimes you have to lose to really appreciate what you have. This of course comes from a guy who wrote the book on failure that failed to become a success.
Just like Akamai we picked up the runners up prize at the MIT BAP award. The winners were an algorithmic [...]

November 7, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

And the results are in – MIT BAP Winners and Runners up

We lost.
But we came in as the runners up team behind two obscenely bright guys from Caltech with a business model that basically prints money.
We didn’t mind losing at all, because there is honor in losing out to Caltech. And how can you possibly beat a printing press for cash. Here is the final ranking
Winner: Sofizar
Runners [...]

November 7, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Emergency – a guide for our non-local friends, and our local friends who are no longer local…

Guys, listen.

Yes it is a big deal.

Yes it means an enormous amount to go through what we are going through.

No, this does not mean that life in Pakistan will come to a standstill, that your interests will be hijacked or held hostage or that we will not deliver on our contracts or deadlines or [...]

November 4, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Chin up…

Dear Osama

Living in this country require that we take what destiny, fate and our combined stupidity and greed throw our way, in our stride and move on.

I have now been a thinking state resident of Pakistan for about 20 years. My earliest recoverable memories are from school days; getting on G-3 at Regal Chowk [...]

November 4, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Status update on Karachi

City is calm and peaceful. I drove between 20:00 hours and 23:00 hours from Hassan Square, Sea View and back via Karsaz and Shahrae-Faisal. The traffic is normal, no major deployment of police, army or rangers and it feels like just any other busy night. We had a pre planned class dinner with [...]

November 4, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

You just lost my vote, Mr. President…

Oh sorry, my mistake, I don’t have one anymore…

One step forward, ten years backwards and the sorriest speech I have never heard…

In essence, here is the deal and the rationale. Since the Judiciary went Rambo, and the media got out of hand and the investors were leaving in droves, it was thought prudent to [...]

November 4, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

PASHA ICT Awards Winner 2007

PASHA ICT Awards 2007 Winners. Best Brand, Best Growth and Best Employer will be announced on Awards night in December.
Financial Applications:
Winner: Kolachi Advanced Technologies – Product: XTreme
Merit: Netsol Technologies – Product: LeaseSoft
Communication Applications:
Winner: PixSense – Product: Pixsense PSP
General Applications:
Winner: Core Digital Frameworks Pvt Ltd – Product: CDF Snip
E-Government & E-Community Applications:
Winner: Netsol Technologies [...]

November 3, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

Alchemy in the MIT Final Five

MIT Enterprise Forum’s Business Acceleration Plan (BAP for short) has been doing the rounds since late July this year. From 25 companies we came down to 17, from 17 to 11, from 11 to 5 over three rounds. Yesterday the MIT Enterprise Forum Pakistan announced the eagerly awaited list of final five.

We made [...]

November 3, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments