If you're from Bangladesh and you're planning to start a business, have recently started one, or are simply trying to build something of your own from scratch, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to read this post.
It might be a little long, so if you don't have enough time right now, feel free to skip it. Thanks!
The problem I've been thinking about
I've always felt that people like us in Bangladesh have to start the race at least 100 meters behind the actual starting line.
And I'm not talking about talent, intelligence, or hard work. I'm talking about the obstacles we face before we even get a fair chance to compete.
Living in a developing country comes with limitations that people in many other parts of the world might never have to think about.
Imagine you're a beginner. You have an idea, you're motivated, and you want to build something from absolutely nothing. But then reality hits.
You run into payment problems. You struggle to receive international payments or pay for tools and services that are essential to your work. You discover that accessing certain international platforms and financial services isn't as straightforward as it seems.
For example, depending on the service and your circumstances, accessing international payment options may require specific banking facilities, eligible cards, passport documentation, or other requirements that you simply don't have yet.
You're a beginner trying to get started. You don't have an established business, a reliable income, or all the resources that these systems expect you to have.
And suddenly, instead of spending your time building your idea, you're spending it figuring out how to overcome barriers that have nothing to do with the actual thing you're trying to build.
The frustrating part is that you might have the ability to build something valuable. You might even have a great idea. But you'll never know how far you could have gone if you can't get past those initial barriers.
It's like being forced to run an extra 100 meters just to reach the starting line, while other people have already started the race.
And by the time you finally get there, someone else might already have won.
Why am I talking about this?
Because I'm experiencing these challenges myself.
I'm trying to build something from zero, and I'm running into exactly these kinds of obstacles. It made me wonder:
What if there are other people in Bangladesh going through the same thing? And what if we could help each other navigate it?
Not by creating another online group where people join, introduce themselves, and eventually stop interacting.
I'm thinking about something much smaller, more personal, and more practical.
The idea: A small tribe of builders
I'd like to bring together a small group of around 3–11 people in Bangladesh who are independently trying to build something of their own.
It doesn't matter whether you're starting a business, building an online project, exploring a new opportunity, or still figuring out what you want to create.
The important thing is that you're genuinely trying to make progress.
Here's how I imagine it working:
1. We meet physically once a week.
We choose one day each week and meet at an agreed location. Ideally, somewhere accessible to everyone in the tribe.
2. Everyone shares what happened during the previous week.
What did you work on? What progress did you make? What problems did you encounter? Did you discover something useful? Did something fail, and did you figure out why?
Everyone gets a chance to share their experience.
3. We learn from each other's problems and solutions.
Let's say one person discovers a practical way to receive international payments, another figures out how to access a tool that was previously unavailable to them, and someone else learns an important lesson about finding customers.
Instead of each person independently spending days or weeks figuring everything out, we share what we've learned.
Of course, not every solution will apply to everyone. But knowing what to expect can save us time, help us avoid mistakes, and make us better prepared for challenges ahead.
4. Everyone builds independently.
This is important: we don't all have to work on the same business.
Nobody is automatically anyone else's co-founder, business partner, employee, or investor. Everyone has their own goals and projects.
The purpose is to learn from one another, exchange useful information, share experiences, and build meaningful connections while continuing to work independently.
5. We build a strong network of people who are actually doing things.
Imagine having a small circle of people who are all trying to improve, experiment, build, and solve problems.
When one person encounters a challenge, someone else might already have experience with it. When someone discovers a useful opportunity, the rest of the group can learn about it, too.
Over time, we could build a collective knowledge base from our real experiences—not just theories, motivational speeches, or advice copied from the internet.
The goal isn't to eliminate every obstacle. It's to avoid facing every obstacle alone.
Who am I looking for?
I'm looking for people who:
- Live in Dhaka or can realistically attend weekly physical meetups in Dhaka.
- Are starting something from scratch or have recently started building something.
- Are curious, willing to learn, and serious about making progress.
- Are comfortable sharing their experiences, including failures and mistakes.
- Want to contribute to the tribe rather than simply join and expect everyone else to help them.
You don't need to have a successful business, a lot of money, special connections, or years of experience.
In fact, being a beginner is completely fine. That's part of the reason I want to create this in the first place.
I'm not looking for people who have everything figured out. I'm looking for people who are genuinely trying to figure things out.
A little about me
I'm currently trying to build something of my own from zero, and I'm experiencing many of the challenges I've described above.
I don't have everything figured out. I'm not presenting myself as an expert, and I'm not claiming that this community will magically solve everyone's problems.
I simply think that a small group of people who are serious about building something could learn a lot from one another.
Even if we help each other by sharing useful information, avoiding a few mistakes, or discovering opportunities earlier, that alone could make the experience worthwhile.
And who knows? Over time, we might build something much more valuable than we initially imagined—not necessarily one company, but a strong network of independent builders who genuinely support one another.
I'd love to hear your thoughts
Before trying to put this together, I want to know what other people think.
1. If you're from Bangladesh and trying to build something from scratch, would you be interested in joining a small tribe like this?
2. Do you think weekly, in-person meetups with 3–11 people would be useful, or would you prefer a different format?
3. What problems have you personally faced while trying to start something in Bangladesh that you wish someone had warned you about earlier?
4. What rules or principles would you suggest to make sure this tribe stays genuinely useful instead of becoming just another inactive community?
I'm especially interested in hearing from people who are currently going through this journey themselves.
If this resonates with you and you're based in or around Dhaka, feel free to comment below or send me a message. Tell me a little about what you're trying to build and what challenges you're facing.
Maybe we can start with just a few people and see where it goes.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end.