Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Ahmad.
Hi Sara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Thank you for having me!
I started my journey within Digital Marketing and expanded into UX Design at the suggestion of my brother. He recommended a BootCamp class specifically for UX Design. The curriculum was for 18 months which I completed in about 6 months and decided to drop out since the course didn’t meet expectations. This took place during the summer of 2019.
During the course, all of my projects were food-related, which got me thinking, “Is there a need in the food industry that isn’t being met?” I did some research and discovered that there is a need. I shifted my research to identify the need and design solutions. In the span of 8 months, I was able to complete my research and have a few high-fidelity designs prepared into a working prototype.
The first person I shared my prototype with was my dad. I knew I could depend on him for an honest response. He is in the food industry and enjoys learning about tech. He has a great poker face and I was nervous pitching my idea to him. After my shark tank presentation, his response was very positive. He recommended that I pursue developing the app. The second person that I shared this with, was my coworker at my old job at the time. He also encouraged me to pursue this.
I started looking into development and costs. I was receiving quotes for upwards of $500,000. This scared me. My app was just an idea. I could never expect anyone to invest in this with such a high risk. At the moment, I gave up and tabled the idea.
It’s now August 2020, I am catching up with the same coworker who was now becoming manager of a different team. He asked me about my progress on the app, and I told him there wasn’t any progress to share since I haven’t worked on it since. I told him that it was very risky and too costly. He encouraged me to keep trying as there could be other options.
After hearing him say this, I couldn’t believe why I didn’t consider that myself. Why did I give up so easily? I went back to dad and asked his opinion again. Even a year later, he still said that my idea has potential. I decided to try again.
I started reaching out to my network. I recalled that I have helped my previous employer design their app. I reached out to them and asked for advice. The founder is also my mentor. He shared the details of the team he hired to develop his company’s app and along with some incredible wisdom. This was November of 2020.
I met with the team and interviewed them for 2 months. February 2021, I officially signed the papers and began development. We are working on the final touches and the app. The app is called Bite Reel and it should be available to download in early April 2022.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Working on the Bite Reel project has been a difficult journey due to a lack of knowledge in software engineering. This has led to feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, I am unsure of what I am doing wrong or what I need to plan for. It is also challenging to find someone trustworthy to turn to for help as many people have intentions that could harm the project. I am searching for someone reliable to guide me through this project.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have 2 businesses. My first business is my marketing agency, called Ekko Media Inc. My company used to have a focus of photography and video production. However, after I quit my full-time corporate job in December 2021. I decided to shift it towards digital marketing.
Bite Reel is my second business, which is a social platform to help you to search, create, organize, and share recipes. Easily search for your favorite recipe, food, or chef. Save your favorite recipes so you can revisit them the next time you are hungry. Create and organize recipes by using custom categories and share your recipes with family, friends, and followers. Bite Reel is all about convenience and also allows you to upload recipes from other sources such as websites, magazines, blogs, etc. to make finding your go-to recipes easier.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’m not sure if I am able to provide proper advice as I am looking for a mentor myself. I do have 2 people in my circle that I consider as my mentors but I’m only able to connect with them once, maybe twice a year since we all have busy schedules.
Even with that, my mentors have my best interest in mind and when they provide advice, that really shows. My mentors are the ones who have challenged and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone to pursue Bite Reel in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Email: admin@bitereel.com
- Website: https://www.bitereel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitereel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitereel
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bite_reel/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBg8EZ7RHSPe7vOucGrSCtw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bite_reel
Image Credits
Robinhood Photography
