Being your own boss

Serving you at your doorstep

Foodmandu is the first company in Nepal that provides multi-restaurant food ordering and delivery service. They have partnered with more than 120 popular restaurants in Kathmandu and Lalitpur and have become the first call for those looking to immediately satiate their cravings without leaving the comforts of their homes. As the brains behind this business, Manohar Adhikari, CEO of Foodmandu, reflects on his journey so far.

The spark

A decade or so ago, I started working as a software developer for a company. Later on, as I got an opportunity to work on a different project, I slowly built a team of my own and we became an outsourcing company. The work with it was going well but after working for four or so years, I felt the need to do something on my own.

I considered the possibilities and it was then that a small but quiet persistent issue that we had experienced came back to me. During lunch hour at our office, we always used to complain about the lack of good menu or restaurant options. The hour was always so bland. I was also certain that we weren’t the only ones experiencing this problem. It was a mundane issue but it what gave us the idea for Foodmandu.

Breaking out on your own

The difference between being an employee and a boss starts and ends with responsibilities. As a staff, your responsibility is limited. You just have to finish your task but as a boss, you have to oversee everything and everyone. The ‘task’ never ends. However there is a certain level of satisfaction you get in being your own boss. This satisfaction is of a different kind than that which comes with just a job well done. There is a certain high here. You have the freedom to make your own decision and choose your own way to implement it. I’d definitely recommend more people to dare to do it.

Very slow but steady

Before we kicked off, I remember crunching the numbers, doing extensive research to figure out if we could sustain this business. I did a lot of homework before we began and I had already realized back then that it was going to take a lot of patience and determination. But I believed in our concept and that it would work in our community. This was an important factor.

The starting days were incredibly challenging for Foodmandu. Partnering with the restaurants and getting people interested in our services was very difficult. But we kept at it. I think that was crucial. There will be severe lows in business but you can’t let give up in these moments.

It’s been six years that we have been working on this idea and it was only last year, in early 2015, that I got the confidence to let go of my other company and wholly invest my time here.

Source of pride

There may still be certain aspects of our business module to work on, but I’m proud of one thing: our customer service. We have always made this our priority and I think we have succeeded in giving our customers the best possible experience. It’s what our team works very hard to do and I believe it’s become our team’s strength as well. I’d even cite it as a factor that has helped us achieve this success in business. We are all proud of that.

The transformation

Things are never easy. While running a business, and being your own boss, there are always different challenges coming up. For instance, we may have reached this far with Foodmandu but there is always the question of how we can take it to the next level. How can we better our services? How can I make the working conditions better for our staff? There is a need to get started on all of this. The responsibilities never end and, for me it’s more of an interesting challenge.

Working in tech never challenged me this way. I used to sit in front of the computer and quietly try and complete a task. But being involved in Foodmandu has forced me to come out of that comfort zone. Even though I’m a bit of an introvert, it has given me reasons to get out there and make an impression. Working on this business has certainly bought changes to my personality as well.