When they find something they want is not available in the market place, some people end up creating something to fill the void. And this is what happened with Ahmad Daleen, originally from Syria, who came to Malaysia as a student and yearned for an easy way to order food from various restaurants. As an IT student, he was equipped to create his own app, which eventually became FoodTime (www.foodtime.asia).
Ahmad Daleen talks to Savvy about his love for IT, his love of food and how he combined these two passions to create an app that makes it easier for Malaysians to order food with the click of a few buttons.
When did you first discover your love for IT?
It began during my time as a student in Syria. IT subjects were very new in the school curriculum back then. My first coding project was a tic tac toe game. It was such a simple programme yet the feeling I got from completing the project was out of this world. After that, I was hooked on the idea of creating something out of nothing. I loved the idea that by writing some code I could create a piece of software. I’m still thrilled by that today.
My father had taught me that in order to grow mentally, one should never stay too comfortable. My family had moved to Egypt to escape the war and we had a good life there. But I was not progressing very well in terms of my personal growth. I needed to make some changes and started asking around in my social circle, including those abroad. A close friend who was studying in Malaysia at that time told me about his life here. It all sounded very intriguing, and I liked the fact that many Malaysians speak English. So I decided to pursue my university education here.
Was Malaysia how you imagined it would be? Have you adjusted well to life here?
I knew that Malaysians spoke English and the native language, Bahasa. But when I got here, I was surprised to find that many Malaysians in fact speak more than just two languages. Many fluently speak three languages and if you count dialects, that count goes up to four, five or more. That’s very impressive and it certainly humbles me as I can only speak Arabic and English. I have adjusted well to life here and I consider Malaysia my second home.
How did you come up with the idea to create FoodTime?
I don’t like to cook which means that most of my meals are eaten outside in restaurants. Being a regular in many restaurants, I was friends with the owners. One day, it dawned on me how nice it would be to be able to order food to be delivered to my home. So I came up with this idea of a food delivery marketplace for restaurants. It would be an app that could help restaurants with their branding and allow customers to order food easily and efficiently. I initially tested this idea with more than 50 restaurants and received very positive feedback from both restaurants owners and customers. Then I knew I had something worth working on.
You have chosen food as the theme of your business. Are you a foodie?
I’d say I am. My favourite food is still Middle Eastern food, especially Syrian and Yemeni food. I guess this is normal since I grew up in a Middle Eastern household and this is the food that I’m used to. But anyone who knows me well knows that I love exploring new cuisines. Just recently, a close friend brought me to a Korean restaurant which is something new for me. I devoured everything. It was so good. My favourite Malaysian food is Nasi Goreng Ayam. I eat it almost every day for breakfast in my local mamak.
Why make an app instead of a website?
A web-based product would certainly be easier to build but it’s important to see it from the perspective of a potential customer. Ordering food through a website would be inefficient compared to doing so on an app. No matter how user-friendly your website is, it will never be as seamless as an app. Many people like to do things through their mobile phone and a mobile app is certainly much easier to use than a mobile website. That’s why I decided to go the app route for FoodTime.
Who’s your target audience?
Having been a student myself, I appreciate the budget constraints when it comes to food. Not all of us have the luxury of owning a car or have the time to cook our meals daily. This is why our target consumers are primarily university or college students as well as working individuals.
What’s the business model?
FoodTime is completely free to use for restaurant owners. They’re only charged a small fee when consumers make an order. It’s of course also free for consumers to use. They are not charged anything for the use of our app.
Are you working on some other apps?
No. When you multitask, it’s a recipe for messing up. I believe wholeheartedly in focusing at one task at a time. You must be committed.
Since technology is the great equaliser, how do you stop someone from creating a similar app?
There’s no barrier to entry when it comes to building apps. So yes, someone could create another app for ordering food. The difference is in the execution of the business. Creating a business isn’t just about building a piece of software. There’s the human relationship element to it as well. Can they sign up as many restaurants as we have? Can they market it as well as we can to customers? There’s so much more to business than just building an app.
What do you like most about start-up life and what do you dislike the most?
I like that I can set my own working hours. That flexibility is priceless. I guess that the worst thing about start-up life is that you never stop worrying. The first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep is the business. Still, I wouldn’t trade this working style for a 9-to-5 job. I love being my own boss.