Squire founders

Squire founders turned a pop-up barbershop into a billion-dollar business and learn valuable startup lessons on innovation, growth.

Squire founders

Squire co-founders Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant built a pop-up barbershop inside a WeWork space to test their booking app firsthand. The experiment proved their platform solved real scheduling and payment problems for customers, but it also exposed a critical gap: the app wasn’t built to serve barbers. That pivot — from a customer-first product to a barber-first platform — became the foundation of Squire’s long-term growth and offers a reusable lesson for any founder building a two-sided marketplace.

Startup success stories rarely follow a straight line. Behind every polished pitch deck is a messier story of founders testing assumptions, watching them fail, and rebuilding with better information. Squire, the booking and point-of-sale platform built for barbershops, is one of the clearer examples of this pattern in action.

Before Squire became a trusted name among barbershop owners, it was an idea tested in the most unglamorous way possible: a temporary barbershop set up inside a WeWork office. Co-founders Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant weren’t trying to build a trendy pop-up experience for its own sake. They needed real feedback, fast, and they needed it from actual customers interacting with their product in a real setting.

This post breaks down what happened during that early experiment, why it mattered, and what founders building their own products — especially marketplace or platform businesses — can take from it.

Why did LaRon and Salvant set up a pop-up barbershop in a WeWork space?

Early-stage founders face a persistent problem: they can build what they think the market needs, but they can’t know for certain until real users interact with it. LaRon and Salvant faced this exact challenge. They had an idea for an app that would fix the frustrations they’d personally experienced as barbershop customers, but an idea isn’t the same as validated demand.

Rather than rely on surveys or hypothetical conversations, they created a live environment. Setting up a pop-up barbershop inside their WeWork space let them observe real behavior: how people booked appointments, how they paid, and where friction showed up in the process. This is a classic lean-startup move — get a minimum viable version of your idea in front of real users as quickly as possible, in as close to a real-world setting as you can manage, and let their behavior (not their opinions) tell you what’s working.

The choice of a WeWork space also mattered strategically. It gave them access to a built-in audience of working professionals who needed haircuts but didn’t necessarily have time to deal with the scheduling headaches common in the barbershop industry. That made it an efficient testing ground rather than a random stunt.

What problems did the pop-up experiment reveal for customers?

The pop-up confirmed what LaRon and Salvant had suspected from their own experience as customers: scheduling and payment were genuinely broken in the traditional barbershop model. Walk-ins meant unpredictable wait times. Phone-based booking was inconsistent. Payment was often cash-only or required awkward card readers that slowed down the checkout process.

By building a booking and payment flow into their app and testing it with real customers at the pop-up, they validated that solving these two frictions — scheduling and payment — had real value. Customers wanted the convenience of knowing exactly when their appointment would happen and the ability to pay without fumbling for cash or waiting on a card machine.

This is the part of the story that looks like a clean success: identify a pain point, build a solution, test it, confirm it works. Many startup narratives stop here. Squire’s didn’t, because confirming the problem was only half the equation.

What critical gap did the app’s early version miss?

Here’s where the lesson gets more interesting. While the app solved real pain points for customers, it hadn’t been designed with barbers’ needs in mind. A platform built for a two-sided market — in this case, customers who want haircuts and barbers who need a sustainable, efficient way to run their business — can’t succeed by only optimizing for one side.

This is a mistake that’s easy to make and hard to spot early. Founders instinctively build from their own vantage point. LaRon and Salvant experienced the barbershop industry as customers first, so naturally, their initial product reflected a customer’s priorities: convenience, speed, predictability. Barbers, meanwhile, have an entirely different set of concerns — managing their schedules efficiently, handling walk-ins alongside bookings, tracking payments and tips, and running what is, for many of them, an independent small business.

An app that makes booking easier for customers but adds complexity or friction for barbers isn’t a complete solution. It’s a half-built bridge. If barbers don’t want to use the platform — because it doesn’t fit how they actually work day to day — the customer-facing improvements become irrelevant. No barbers on the platform means no bookings to make, regardless of how smooth the customer experience is.

Why does this matter for any two-sided marketplace startup?

Squire’s early pivot illustrates a principle that applies far beyond barbershops: in any marketplace business, both sides of the transaction need to feel the product was built for them specifically, not just tolerated as a necessary participant.

Consider the parallel structure found in other well-known two-sided platforms. A rideshare app has to serve drivers and riders. A freelance marketplace has to serve freelancers and clients. A food delivery platform has to serve restaurants, delivery drivers, and diners. In each case, founders who over-index on one side’s experience while neglecting the other’s operational reality tend to struggle with retention, even if their initial user acquisition numbers look promising.

Choose to build for supply-side users first if your market has more friction convincing suppliers to join than convincing demand-side users. In Squire’s case, convincing individual customers to try a more convenient booking app was the easier sell. Convincing barbers — who often had established routines, existing client relationships, and limited time to learn new software — to adopt a new system required a platform explicitly designed around their workflow, not just a polished add-on to a customer app.

How did Squire adjust its product after the pop-up experiment?

The direct outcome of this discovery was a shift in product philosophy: Squire needed to be rebuilt as a platform barbers would actively want to use, not just a booking widget layered on top of their existing operations. This meant rethinking the product to address real barber pain points — things like managing their own schedules, processing payments without added hassle, and running their business more efficiently day to day.

This shift reflects a broader lesson in product development: validating a customer problem is necessary, but it’s not sufficient when your business model depends on adoption from multiple stakeholders. Founders need to test their assumptions with every group whose buy-in is required for the business to function, not just the group that’s easiest to reach or most sympathetic to the founders’ personal experience.

It’s also a useful reminder that product-market fit isn’t a single checkpoint you pass and move on from. It’s layered. You might find fit with one audience segment while still missing it with another, equally essential, segment. The pop-up barbershop experiment didn’t fail — it succeeded at revealing exactly where the gap was, which is arguably more valuable than a test that confirms what you already believed.

What can founders learn from Squire’s early pivot?

A few practical takeaways emerge from this story for founders building their own startups:

Test in the real world, not just in theory. LaRon and Salvant didn’t rely on assumptions or market research reports. They created a live environment where real customers interacted with their actual product. If your startup involves a physical service or in-person experience, consider whether a small-scale, real-world test could surface insights faster than additional planning.

Map every stakeholder in your business model, not just your most visible user. If your startup connects two or more groups — buyers and sellers, service providers and clients, creators and audiences — map out the needs of each group separately. Don’t assume that solving one side’s problem automatically benefits the other.

Treat early gaps as information, not failure. Discovering that the app didn’t serve barbers wasn’t a dead end for Squire. It was the specific, actionable feedback needed to build a better version of the product. Founders who treat these moments as data points, rather than setbacks, tend to iterate faster.

Prioritize the harder adoption problem. When one side of your marketplace is naturally easier to attract than the other, put extra resources into solving the harder side’s needs first. For Squire, that meant designing specifically for barbers once it became clear their adoption was the bigger hurdle to sustainable growth.

Keep learning from real startup journeys.

Squire’s pop-up barbershop experiment is a small but telling example of how startup success often comes from being willing to test assumptions in public, absorb uncomfortable feedback, and rebuild based on what’s actually true rather than what founders hoped would be true. The company’s willingness to identify and address the barber-side gap — rather than declaring an early win based on customer enthusiasm alone — set the stage for a more durable business.

If you’re building a startup of your own, particularly one with multiple user groups who need to be convinced to participate, take a page from LaRon and Salvant’s approach. Find a low-cost, real-world way to test your core assumptions before scaling. And when you find a gap, treat it as the most valuable feedback you’ll get.

Frequently asked questions

What problem was Squire originally trying to solve?

Squire’s founders, Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant, set out to fix the scheduling and payment friction they personally experienced as barbershop customers, including unpredictable wait times and inconvenient payment methods.

Why did Squire’s founders set up a pop-up barbershop instead of just launching the app?

A pop-up barbershop inside their WeWork space let LaRon and Salvant test their booking app with real customers in a live setting, generating authentic feedback faster than surveys or theoretical planning could provide.

What was the main flaw in Squire’s early app?

The early version of the app addressed customer needs around booking and payment but wasn’t designed around barbers’ workflows, making it harder to secure the barber adoption the platform needed to function.

What lesson does Squire’s story offer founders of two-sided marketplaces?

Founders should validate and design for every stakeholder group in their business model, not just the easiest or most visible user, since insufficient adoption on either side can stall the entire platform.

Is the pop-up barbershop approach useful for other types of startups?

Yes, particularly for startups offering in-person services or physical products. Creating a small-scale, real-world test lets founders observe genuine user behavior rather than relying on assumptions or secondhand feedback.

The post How Squire’s Founders Turned a Pop-Up Barbershop Into a Billion-Dollar Lesson appeared first on ManiWebify.

This funding achievement represents more than just financial success—it demonstrates the growing maturity of Pakistan’s startup landscape and the increasing recognition of untapped opportunities in emerging markets. With over 220 million people and a rapidly growing middle class, Pakistan presents enormous potential for digital commerce platforms that can bridge traditional retail with modern technology.
Bazaar’s success story also highlights the power of combining local market knowledge with international experience, as the founding team brings together expertise from global consulting and regional tech giants to address uniquely Pakistani challenges.

The Vision Behind Bazaar

Bazaar was co-founded by Saad Jangda and Hamza Jawaid, two entrepreneurs with complementary backgrounds in technology and strategy. Their shared mission centres on cultivating talent both within Pakistan and among the diaspora to create platforms that enable greater entrepreneurship throughout the country.

Jangda brings deep product experience from his time at Careem, where he worked as a product manager focusing on ride-hailing and food delivery solutions. This background provided him with firsthand insight into the complexities of building technology products for Middle Eastern and South Asian markets, including understanding local consumer behaviour, infrastructure challenges, and regulatory environments.

Jawaid’s experience as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in Dubai equipped him with strategic thinking skills and exposure to business transformation across various industries. His consulting background proves particularly valuable for understanding the operational challenges faced by traditional retailers and suppliers in Pakistan’s fragmented market.

Together, the co-founders identified a significant gap in Pakistan’s retail ecosystem: the lack of efficient digital platforms connecting small and medium retailers with suppliers. Traditional supply chains in Pakistan often involve multiple intermediaries, leading to higher costs, limited product selection, and inefficient inventory management for retailers.

Transforming Pakistan’s Retail Landscape

Pakistan’s retail sector remains largely traditional, with millions of small shop owners relying on fragmented supply chains and manual processes. These retailers, known locally as “kirana” stores, form the backbone of the country’s retail infrastructure but often struggle with inventory management, supplier relationships, and access to diverse product ranges.

Bazaar’s platform addresses these challenges by creating a digital marketplace that streamlines the connection between retailers and suppliers. The platform enables shop owners to browse products, place orders, and manage inventory through a user-friendly mobile application. At the same time, suppliers gain access to a broader network of retailers without the need for extensive field sales teams.

The digitisation of this supply chain offers multiple benefits. Retailers can access better pricing through direct supplier relationships, reduce stockouts through improved demand forecasting, and expand their product offerings to serve customers better. Suppliers benefit from increased market reach, reduced distribution costs, and valuable data insights about demand patterns across different regions.

This approach resonates strongly with Pakistan’s retail community because it enhances existing business models rather than disrupting them entirely. Rather than trying to replace traditional retailers, Bazaar empowers them with tools and access that were previously available only to larger businesses.

The Significance of Record-Breaking Funding

Securing one of the largest Seed rounds in the MENAP region represents a watershed moment for Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. This achievement demonstrates several important trends shaping the region’s entrepreneurial landscape.

First, it reflects growing investor confidence in Pakistani startups and their ability to build scalable businesses. Historically, startups in Pakistan have faced challenges accessing growth capital, often requiring founders to seek funding from international investors who may not fully understand local market dynamics. Bazaar’s successful fundraising suggests that more investors are recognising the potential of Pakistani entrepreneurs and markets.

Second, the funding level indicates that investors see a significant market opportunity in digitising Pakistan’s traditional retail sector. The size of the investment suggests backers believe Bazaar can capture meaningful market share and expand beyond Pakistan to serve similar markets across South Asia and the Middle East.

Third, this funding success creates a positive precedent for other Pakistani startups, potentially making it easier for future entrepreneurs to attract investment. Success stories like Bazaar help build investor familiarity with the Pakistani market and demonstrate that local startups can achieve significant scale.

Building Talent Bridges Between Pakistan and the Diaspora

One of Bazaar’s most ambitious goals involves leveraging talent both within Pakistan and among the Pakistani diaspora worldwide. This approach recognises that Pakistan’s tech ecosystem can benefit significantly from the expertise and networks of Pakistani professionals working in Silicon Valley, London, Dubai, and other global tech hubs.

The diaspora brings valuable experience in scaling technology businesses, understanding international best practices, and accessing global networks of investors and partners. Many Pakistani professionals abroad have gained experience at leading technology companies and consulting firms, developing skills that can be applied to solve local challenges.

At the same time, local talent in Pakistan offers deep cultural understanding, language skills, and on-the-ground market knowledge that proves essential for building products that truly serve local needs. The combination of international experience and local expertise creates a powerful foundation for building successful technology businesses.

This talent bridge model has proven successful for other emerging market startups and represents a scalable approach for Pakistan’s tech ecosystem. As more successful companies like Bazaar demonstrate this model, it may encourage more diaspora talent to engage with Pakistani startups, either as founders, advisors, or investors.

The Broader Impact on Pakistani Entrepreneurship

Bazaar’s success extends beyond its immediate business impact to influence Pakistan’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. By demonstrating that Pakistani startups can raise significant funding and build scalable businesses, the company helps establish Pakistan as a viable destination for startup investment.

This visibility can create positive spillover effects for other Pakistani entrepreneurs. International investors who become familiar with the Pakistani market through Bazaar may be more likely to consider other investment opportunities in the country. Similarly, the success story provides inspiration and practical learning for other entrepreneurs tackling different challenges in the Pakistani market.

The company’s focus on enabling entrepreneurship also has direct economic implications. By making it easier for retailers to start and grow their businesses, Bazaar contributes to job creation and economic development at the grassroots level. Small retail businesses employ millions of people across Pakistan, and improving their efficiency and profitability can have widespread economic benefits.

Technology Infrastructure and Market Readiness

Pakistan’s growing technology infrastructure has created favourable conditions for startups like Bazaar to succeed. Mobile phone penetration has increased dramatically over the past decade, with smartphone adoption accelerating rapidly. This provides the foundation for mobile-first platforms that can reach retailers even in smaller cities and rural areas.

Internet connectivity has also improved significantly, though challenges remain in certain regions. The rollout of 4G networks and increasing availability of affordable data plans have made it more feasible for retailers to use digital platforms regularly.

Payment infrastructure represents both an opportunity and a challenge. While digital payment adoption remains relatively low compared to developed markets, recent regulatory changes and increasing financial inclusion efforts are creating opportunities for businesses that can integrate digital payments into their platforms.

These infrastructure improvements create a favourable environment for B2B platforms like Bazaar, which require reliable connectivity and payment systems to function effectively. As infrastructure continues to improve, the addressable market for such platforms will likely expand further.

Looking Forward: Scaling and Future Opportunities

With significant funding in place, Bazaar faces the exciting challenge of scaling its operations across Pakistan and potentially beyond. The company will need to balance rapid growth with maintaining service quality and building sustainable unit economics.

Geographic expansion within Pakistan offers substantial opportunity, as the platform can extend its reach to retailers in smaller cities and rural areas. Each new region brings unique challenges related to local supplier networks, logistics, and customer preferences, requiring careful market-by-market expansion strategies.

Product expansion represents another growth avenue, as Bazaar could potentially extend beyond its current marketplace model to offer additional services like financing, investment

Bazaar’s fundraising success represents more than just one ntory management tools, or business analytics. Many B2B platforms globally have found success by becoming comprehensive business solutions rather than simple transaction platforms.

Regional expansion could eventually become viable as Bazaar proves its model in Pakistan. Similar opportunities exist throughout South Asia and potentially in other emerging markets with fragmented retail sectors.

The Future of Pakistani Tech Innovation

Bazaar’s fundraising success represents more than just one company’s achievement—it signals the maturation of Pakistan’s tech ecosystem and its growing integration with global startup communities. The combination of local market opportunity, improving infrastructure, and increasing investor interest creates conditions for sustained growth in Pakistani technology entrepreneurship.

The success also validates the diaspora engagement model, potentially encouraging more Pakistani professionals abroad to participate in the country’s startup ecosystem. This could accelerate knowledge transfer and help Pakistani startups access international networks more effectively.

As Bazaar continues executing its vision of enabling entrepreneurship across Pakistan, its journey will likely provide valuable lessons for other startups in emerging markets. The company’s approach to building technology solutions for traditional businesses, engaging diaspora talent, and scaling in challenging market conditions offers insights applicable beyond Pakistan’s borders.

The record-breaking funding round marks just the beginning of Bazaar’s story, but it already represents a significant milestone for Pakistani entrepreneurship and a promising sign for the country’s digital future.

The post Pakistani Startup Bazaar appeared first on ManiWebify.

Jugnu’s story serves as a crucial case study for entrepreneurs, investors, and industry observers seeking to understand the dynamics of Pakistan’s evolving startup landscape. The company’s journey from ambitious beginnings to ultimate closure offers valuable insights into the realities of building and scaling tech ventures in emerging markets.

Understanding what led to Jugnu’s demise provides essential lessons about market positioning, investor relations, and the operational challenges that even well-funded startups face when attempting to digitise traditional retail ecosystems.

The Foundation: Unilever Veterans Enter the Startup Arena

Jugnu emerged in 2019 under the leadership of two former Unilever executives, Sharoon Saleem and Yasir Suleman Memon. Their corporate backgrounds lent significant credibility to the venture, as both executives had extensive experience in consumer goods and retail operations in the Pakistani market.

The founders’ vision centred on addressing a fundamental challenge in Pakistan’s retail sector: the digital divide affecting small- and medium-sized retailers. These traditional businesses, which form the backbone of Pakistan’s retail ecosystem, often struggle with inventory management, capital flow control, and modern operational systems.

Saleem and Memon recognised that Pakistan’s retail landscape was ripe for technological disruption. Traditional kirana stores and small retailers lacked the tools and systems necessary to compete effectively in an increasingly digital marketplace. This presented an opportunity to create a platform that could bridge the gap between traditional retail practices and modern digital commerce solutions.

The timing of Jugnu’s launch aligned with growing investor interest in Pakistan’s tech sector and increasing consumer adoption of digital services. The founders positioned their venture to capitalise on these trends while leveraging their deep understanding of local market dynamics gained through their corporate careers.

The Mission: Empowering Small and Medium Retailers

Jugnu’s core mission was to transform Pakistan’s fragmented retail sector through comprehensive digitisation. The platform aimed to provide small and medium-sized retailers with sophisticated tools previously available only to large corporations.

The company’s approach involved creating an integrated ecosystem that addressed multiple pain points simultaneously. Retailers could access inventory management systems that provided real-time stock tracking, automated reordering, and demand forecasting. These features were designed to reduce waste, improve cash flow, and optimise product availability.

Capital flow control represented another critical component of Jugnu’s value proposition. Many small retailers struggle with cash management, often facing challenges in maintaining adequate working capital while meeting customer demand. Jugnu’s platform offered solutions to help retailers better understand their financial position and make informed decisions about inventory investments.

The digitisation aspect extended beyond simple technology adoption. Jugnu sought to educate retailers on modern business practices, data-driven decision-making, and customer relationship management. This educational component was essential for ensuring that traditional retailers could effectively utilise the platform’s capabilities.

By focusing on empowerment rather than displacement, Jugnu differentiated itself from purely transactional platforms. The company positioned itself as a partner in retailers’ growth journeys, providing the tools and knowledge necessary for sustainable business development.

Operational Challenges in a Complex Market

Despite its clear mission and experienced leadership, Jugnu faced significant operational challenges that complicated its growth trajectory. Pakistan’s retail ecosystem presents unique difficulties that require careful navigation and substantial resources to overcome.

Infrastructure limitations posed constant challenges for the platform’s operations. Inconsistent internet connectivity across many regions made it difficult for retailers to utilise digital tools fully. Payment system integration required extensive customisation to accommodate local preferences and banking limitations.

Cultural resistance to change represented another significant hurdle. Many traditional retailers had operated successfully for decades using established methods and showed reluctance to adopt new systems. Convincing these business owners to invest time and resources in learning about digital platforms required extensive relationship-building and demonstrated value creation.

Competition from both local and international players intensified pressure on Jugnu’s market positioning. Established e-commerce platforms and emerging startups all competed for similar market segments, making customer acquisition increasingly expensive and challenging.

Regulatory complexity added another layer of difficulty to operations. Pakistan’s evolving regulatory framework for digital commerce requires constant monitoring and adaptation. Compliance requirements often changed, necessitating system modifications and operational adjustments that consumed valuable resources and development time.

The Critical Moment: Investor Withdrawal

According to revelations from a former Business Development Executive at Jugnu, the primary catalyst for the company’s shutdown was the withdrawal of a key investor. This development underscores the vulnerability many startups face when they depend on external funding for operations and growth.

Investor withdrawal in the startup ecosystem rarely occurs without warning signs. Market conditions, performance metrics, strategic disagreements, or broader portfolio considerations often influence such decisions. The specific circumstances surrounding Jugnu’s investor departure highlight the importance of maintaining strong investor relations and diversified funding sources.

The timing of investor withdrawal proved particularly damaging to Jugnu’s operations. Startups typically require consistent capital injection during growth phases to maintain momentum and market position. When funding suddenly becomes unavailable, companies face immediate pressure to reduce operations or seek alternative financing sources.

For Jugnu, the investor withdrawal likely created a cascade of operational challenges. Reduced funding would have limited the company’s ability to maintain its technology platform, support existing retailer partners, and pursue new customer acquisition. These constraints would have quickly eroded the company’s competitive position and market confidence.

The situation also demonstrates that startup success depends not only on market viability and operational execution but also on maintaining investor confidence across market cycles. Even promising ventures with solid fundamentals can go extinct when funding sources dry up unexpectedly.

Broader Implications for Pakistan’s Startup Ecosystem

Jugnu’s closure carries significant implications for Pakistan’s broader startup ecosystem and the country’s digital transformation ambitions. The shutdown represents a setback for efforts to modernise traditional retail sectors and demonstrates the ongoing challenges facing tech entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

The retail digitisation space in Pakistan now faces reduced competition and potentially diminished investor confidence. Other startups operating in similar sectors may find it more difficult to secure funding as investors reassess the viability of retail-focused platforms in the local market.

For small and medium-sized retailers who had begun adopting Jugnu’s platform, the shutdown creates operational disruption and potential scepticism about future digital initiatives. These businesses must now seek alternative solutions or return to traditional operational methods, potentially slowing broader sector modernisation efforts.

The closure also highlights the need for more robust support systems within Pakistan’s startup ecosystem. Access to diverse funding sources, mentorship programs, and market development initiatives could help future ventures navigate challenges that proved insurmountable for Jugnu.

Government policy makers and industry leaders must consider how to create more favourable conditions for startup success while maintaining realistic expectations about the time and resources required for significant market transformation.

Lessons for Future Entrepreneurs

Jugnu’s journey offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs considering ventures in Pakistan’s retail sector or in similar emerging markets. Understanding these insights can help future startups better prepare for challenges and develop more resilient business models.

Diversified funding strategies emerge as a critical success factor. Relying heavily on a single investor or funding source creates vulnerability that can prove fatal when market conditions change or investor priorities shift. Successful startups typically maintain multiple funding channels and build strong relationships across various investor categories.

Market education requirements often exceed initial estimates in traditional sectors. Changing established business practices requires sustained effort and significant resources. Entrepreneurs must budget adequately for customer education and relationship-building activities that may not generate immediate returns but are essential for long-term adoption.

Regulatory navigation capabilities become increasingly important as digital platforms scale. Startups must invest in understanding and adapting to complex regulatory environments while building relationships with relevant authorities and industry associations.
Cultural sensitivity and local market adaptation cannot be underestimated. Even experienced executives with local market knowledge must remain flexible and responsive to community needs and preferences that may not be immediately apparent.

Moving Forward: Opportunities and Challenges

Despite Jugnu’s closure, opportunities for retail digitisation in Pakistan remain substantial. The underlying market needs that Jugnu aimed to address persist, and consumer behaviour trends still favour increased digital adoption.

Future entrepreneurs entering this space can build on lessons from Jugnu’s experience to develop more sustainable approaches to market development and funding. Success will likely require more patient capital, deeper community engagement, and innovative business models that can generate revenue earlier in the development cycle.

The Pakistani startup ecosystem continues to mature, with each significant closure providing valuable learning opportunities for the broader entrepreneurial community. Industry organisations, government agencies, and investor groups must work collaboratively to address systemic challenges while supporting promising ventures.

Jugnu’s story serves as both a cautionary tale and an inspiration. While the company ultimately could not overcome its challenges, the vision and effort invested by its founders and team contributed to important conversations about digital transformation in Pakistan’s retail sector.

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