KUALA LUMPUR: It took N’osairis Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd three long years to break even. But seeing the company turn a profit and growing year-on-year is second to none, co-founder and chief executive Stalin Thangaiah told The Edge Financial Daily in an interview.
N’osairis is an Internet of Things (IoT) company and the brainchild of Stalin and two co-partners — Balasubramaniam Manikam and Navindra Sivaratnam, who are the chief technical officer and chief operating officer respectively.
The trio first met in university while pursuing their bachelor’s degree in computer science. They quickly hit it off and even worked in the same companies after graduating.
But they quickly found the corporate world “less and less challenging by the day”, said Stalin. It reached a tipping point in 2010 when they quit their jobs to start something of their own.
“We were already managers by the time we hit our mid-20s. When you go up the corporate ladder too fast, you come to a point where nothing is challenging and exciting anymore because you have had a taste of too many things too soon,” Stalin said.
Before launching N’osairis in 2011, the trio spent two years researching various industries and the market, as well as engaging with potential investors.
Eventually, they decided to venture into IoT, providing a platform for clients to optimise their businesses. In a nutshell, IoT allows the transferring of data over a network sans the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
“So let’s say a vending machine has run out of canned drinks. So once it senses that stock is low, it automatically transmits the information to the vendors without someone having to make the phone call,” explained Stalin.
But building the business wasn’t about the technology alone. Stalin said good communication skills were vital.
“The better you communicate, the easier it is to pawn people into buying into your ideas. You may have the best technical skills but if you can communicate as well, you are guaranteed a brighter future in whatever you choose to pursue,” Stalin advised.
That said, starting from scratch was no easy feat. Stalin and partners had to establish credibility among investors and clients. But their perseverance eventually paid off.
“In the beginning, people warned us that it normally takes three years for a start-up to make steady improvements. They were right. But while we stayed patient, we were not resting on our laurels,” he said.
N’osairis still had to overcome the same challenges all start-ups face.
“We had a master plan and we wanted to successfully penetrate the IT market. We needed the right investor to provide us with the capital,” Stalin said.
On top of that, he added: “We needed the right team to work for and with us. We needed people who were as passionate.”
Initially, most clients were sceptical about N’osairis’ unique selling proposition. But it only took one client to see N’osairis’ potential to get the ball rolling.
“Mydin was the first company to test our concept. We offered to have our systems set up in 10 branches and it worked. So they had us install our systems in 200 more branches,” he said.
Today, N’osairis has over 60 clients from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. This achievement has secured Stalin a nomination for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award under the emerging entrepreneur category.
On a lighter note, being an entrepreneur requires sacrifices, said Stalin, but time should be treasured as it is a “rare commodity”. His weekends are strictly reserved for his family including his mother, whom he looks up to as his role model.
“My mother did not receive a formal education but she taught me to think different and think smart. Having to cope with the rising cost of living? Forget about saving money, because it will not work. But make more money by working extra hard, she told me,” he said.
In turn, he too passes on some advice to budding entrepreneurs.
“If you want something, grab it. If you need an investor to have your back when it comes to funding, go find one. Have a superb idea that you would like to turn into a reality? Throw yourself out there and pitch to clients. Do what you think you are meant to do and work hard,” he said.