Modme is a startup that focuses on organizing educational centers.

Co-founder Modme Ruslan Yuldashev shared the story of the startup's creation, discussed achievements and plans.

Ruslan Yuldashev, 34 years old, city — Tashkent, co-founder, Chief Technology Officer of Modme

How it all began

I worked as a programmer in employment for about 10 years. The startup idea came during a brainstorming session with a friend. During the pandemic, his educational center closed, and we discussed how to compensate for business expenses. We decided to create an online learning platform. For this purpose, we modified an automation system.

At the same time, we realized that other educational centers faced similar problems. Therefore, we decided to build a startup. We found our first clients and created the first version in a couple of weeks.

At that time, we learned that IT Park Uzbekistan was conducting a competition for projects addressing the consequences of the pandemic. We prepared a pitch, vision, and mapped out the customer journey. As a result, we took first place in the "Education" category and won $10,000. These funds helped develop the product: from May to December 2020, we attracted five clients. And in the second year, we grew to 100 clients in Uzbekistan.

Team

There are two founders on the team. I am responsible for the technical side and work with programmers. My partner, Jahongir, handles marketing and sales.

In the first stage, we had three employees: two programmers and a universal manager who handled sales, SMM promotion, and targeting. Over time, he grew into the role of company director and took full responsibility for sales and operational management.

Target Audience

Until recently, we developed software exclusively for owners of educational centers, private schools, and kindergartens.

From the first year of operation, we conducted many webinars, which allowed us to grow significantly. The essence is that we provide value to those who make up our target audience. We do not seek them out ourselves; they come to us for free training.

In 2020, representatives of many educational centers did not know what a CRM was or why such a system was needed. We explained in detail, demonstrated our competencies and product, and then converted them through the sales funnel into clients.

Currently, we have about 550 clients, 100 of whom are from Indonesia.

Acceleration Programs

During the IT Park Uzbekistan competition, we went through an educational program: we developed models and studied how to conduct pitches in various formats.

In the beginning, we self-funded the project. Some money came in from clients, but it did not cover expenses. We received our first profit of $17 after 15 months. A year and a half later, I attracted a mentor — Mikhail Tokovin, founder of amoCRM. He also became a private investor, putting in a small amount.

And in early 2023, we attracted investment from the venture fund UzVc.

Challenges

At first, it was difficult to understand where to develop the product. We did not know how to properly sell B2B products. Therefore, we conducted many experiments with pricing, sales funnels, and customer support structures.

In some months, we spent a lot on advertising without getting results. Last year, we grew significantly and faced technical difficulties: the software struggled, and the program lagged due to the large amount of data and active users. For about a month, we worked on improving the program and fixing bugs.

We also realized that the market in Uzbekistan is small. And even expanding into CIS countries does not make the company international from the perspective of major funds. Therefore, we decided to go beyond the region. We settled on Indonesia, as this country is similar to Uzbekistan in terms of development level. At the same time, it is larger than the entire CIS market. It has its own cultural specifics, so reaching significant numbers was a major challenge.

Recommendations

Form a working business model. Often, startup founders do not pay enough attention to sales, marketing, market positioning, and communication with clients. Many want to create the perfect product first. I recommend selling from the first day, even when the product does not yet exist. After all, the most important thing is not to run out of money.

Find mentors. It is important to have external learning. Most often, these are representatives of similar companies or higher-level startups. Two to three times a month, we purchase consultations, ask questions, and inquire about what can be done next.

Achievements

Entering the Indonesian market. Few in Uzbekistan have achieved this. With a modest budget, we achieved good results.

We are often copied. We see similar startups with interface errors. We have become an example for the market.

Some educational centers require proficiency in using Modme when posting job vacancies. This means our startup has become a household name. Many in the industry know about us.

Plans

Our main challenge and plan for the year is to pivot. We are changing the core product to a learning platform. Currently, pilot launches are underway, and commercial launches will take place in February. With this product, we will try first in the CIS region, and then in Indonesia.

We have already attracted $100,000 in investments at a valuation of $1,000,000. Now we are ready to secure funding in a seed round. Additional funds will allow us to scale even faster.