Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#1

Post by _niss » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 8:40 AM UTC

I'm living in Algeria (north african country), and I work as front-end developer at http://modizy.com (based in Paris). When I started working with Modizy team, I really felt jealous about the startup ecosystem in Europe.

The Web in Algeria is virgin, websites can be counted by fingers and there's no competition. 3 years ago I started with my friend a soccer news website and now we are 2nd most popular soccer news website in Algeria. Now we are team of 12 journalists and 3 photographers, but wait! all team is working as volunteer, we made 0$ since 3 years.

I'm really afraid to start a new business in my country again!, and I'd ask what will happen if all amazing ideas like Airbnb, skillshare or yours were started from a country where e-payment doesn't exist?

Re: Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#2

Post by bdfh42 » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 10:22 AM UTC

Solving the problem of how people pay for on line goods and services in a cash society would be a huge winner.

Why do you see your business as confined to Algeria?

There are a great number of people from Algerian families living in France and a lot of French people spend time in Algeria. Can you identify problems either group might have that can be solved by an on-line application? This target customer group will all have credit and debit cards.

Re: Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#3

Post by ashray » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 10:26 AM UTC

bdfh42 wrote: post #2

Solving the problem of how people pay for on line goods and services in a cash society would be a huge winner. Why do you see your business as confined to Algeria? There are a great number of people from Algerian families living in France and a lot of French people spend time in Algeria. Can you identify problems either group might have that can be solved by an on-line application? This target customer group will all…

This was solved in India by many many online vendors by using Cash on Delivery. CoD was a remnant of the days of telemarketing because Indians didn't possess credit cards/debit cards.

Now most Indians who order online do have credit cards but Cash on delivery still exists for orders that aren't very large. Not sure of how the system works under the hood but I guess vendors have tie ups with courier companies.

Re: Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#4

Post by PeterisP » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 11:31 AM UTC

What would happen to ideas like airbnb, skillshare or others in a market that's not already used to buying stuff online? Bankruptcy.

Target foreign customers - have your dev team in Algeria, but sell to France, Spain, etc.

Or, if you want to stay local, think of ideas that have been successful in other less-online developing markets (India, Nigeria, etc). But they won't be 'websites' - these would be mostly 'physical' businesses, directly competing with existing businesses in areas where you can get a great efficiency boost by being tech-heavy.

And if web is weak, then targeting mobile might be best.

Re: Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#5

Post by ameister14 » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 12:25 PM UTC

I'm actually interested in starting a business in Algeria within the next year and a half. I think the trick in countries like this is to go after a market with proven ability to pay.

Re: Ask HN: What'll you do if your business was started from my country?

#6

Post by propercoil » Sun, Nov 25, 2012, 11:03 PM UTC

What you don't realize is that you can get authority faster. All i hear are great opportunities in an untapped market! for example you can:

1. Create a job listing website 2. Create a second hand buy/sell website ie craigslist 3. Create a realestate buy/sell/rent listing website

If only one of the above gets to be #1 you would make lots of money, i don't care where your from. You have an edge