I have to fight to survive in the market

The idea of group purchase was not easy in the beginning. It is difficult to persuade a group to buy a product and receive discount. Was the beginning hard for you?

We included a discount in this kind of purchase with which no one was familiar. That is we offer discount not only on the product but also on service.

Here is the second part of our interview with Nazanin Daneshvar, founder of Takhfifan. Read the first part here.

• To what extent has group purchase grown?

It has a long way to go.

• You say that you are the first startup in this field. Are you really the first?

Yes.

• Why do you think so? Is it because you have registered it sooner?

No. in fact we offer the first discount and before that no one had done this. We did it in 22 Mordad 1390.

• Do you mean that no one has done this before you?

There was a site that had done such a thing before us but I can’t remember its name.

• How much is being the first important? Does it bring you credit?

Being the first is good but it’s not enough. It is important to make a difference for your users.

• When you offer a discount, it may bring some disagreements among you and other companies. Has it happened for you?

We adhere to contract principles; when the contract is 50%, I don’t offer 51% or 55% on the site unless I deduct it from my own profit.

Do you mean that for example you sell a mobile to a customer with 20% discount and your profit is 10%. But you receive 8%.

Exactly this would make disagreements between us and the other company.

• How much time do you spend on these issues?

I don’t deal with these issues. My sister who is sale manager is responsible.

• Is startup environment peaceful?

No.

• How many companies are working in your field right now?

We have three major companies. We offer products and services. One of the two others offers product and service and the other one offers just products.

• How do you treat your competitors?

If the competitor doesn’t fight with us, we would not either. But if they do, we have to fight.

• Some people say that you disturb contracts by a higher offer. Is it true?

I may offer a higher bid and win the competition. But when a contract is made, I don’t do it.

• So you don’t disturb a contract?

When a contract is made, I don’t breach it.

• Another charge is that Ms. Daneshvar offer financial proposals to attract human resource of her competitors. What do you think about this?

This is not true. There is one person who is working for us and has come from another company but he had gone out of that company 9 months ago.

• What about Milad Noori?

He was going to resign. He talked to me once but after that I didn’t hear from him. After a while he developed our android app.

• Do you think that recruiting workforce from competitors is right?

As I said, this kind of workforce doesn’t have a good productivity.

• In other companies, workforce goes from Yahoo to Microsoft or Apple but there is no quarrel between them. It seems that they have contracts regarding loyalty and secrecy. What do you say to the workforce who comes to you?

We make NDA contract with them and tell them that they are not allowed to work for our rivals until six month after leaving our company. Currently we have workforce from Digikala, Shuttle, Bamilo, Netbarg and etc.

• Do they work for you with the consent of directors of those companies?

We check the quality of new workforce with the human resource of the companies which they have worked for.

• You have an investor. It shows that Takhfifan is among the best sites that Sarava has invested on it. Also it may be implied that Daneshvar couldn’t run the financial aspect of the company and had to attract investor. Which one is true in your opinion?

It should be mentioned that investing is not only about money. Investor has strategy and causes a company to grow. Thus the former is true.

• what percent of your shares is sold?

She doesn’t answer. Once she has said that she would sell between 30% to 35%.

• What percent of the market is yours?

I don’t want to give you a percent. But I think our share is no less than 50 percent.

• What is your redline in business?

Ethics in the workplace is very important for me.

• Who is your profession model?

I learn from every person inside and outside Iran. I don’t have a specific model. I want to be me.

• Are you satisfied with your life? Is money important for you? How much?

I’m satisfied with my life. I don’t receive salary. I have income but…

• My question is about business. For example do you want to reach a specific figure in turnover?

Yes. I want everyone in Iran to buy products and services from Takhfifan. I want to be the number one in the field of discount in Iran.

Read the second and last part of this conversation in ShanbeMag.