Journey of Building, Learning, and Innovating

Hello! I’m** Shubham Aher**, Co-Founder and CTO of Qrapid. My journey as a builder and problem solver has been an exciting mix of experimentation, learning, and discovering the essence of impactful product development. Let me take you through it in detail.

The Beginning: College Days
My journey started during my second year of college when I fell in love with coding. I built small but meaningful projects like a Tic-Tac-Toe game, a Netflix landing page, and more. Alongside, I solved 400 DSA problems, which honed my problem-solving skills.

By my third year, I secured an internship at Newton School, where I worked on Java-based projects and gained a wealth of experience. In my final year, I ventured into a unique project—a dating app inspired by platforms like Bumble and Tinder but with exciting new features.

While the project didn’t create the impact I hoped for, it taught me a crucial lesson: Building a great product isn’t just about the technology—it’s about understanding what people truly need.

The First Big Leap: ShopBhandar
After graduating, I began my career as a Full-Stack Developer. However, my passion for building solutions led me to start ShopBhandar, a digital platform aimed at helping small roadside food stalls grow their businesses online.

I poured my heart into the project, testing it with food stalls at WHE Metro Station. Unfortunately, I made a critical mistake—I focused solely on the technical side and relied heavily on my partner to handle sales. This imbalance meant that while the product was functional, it lacked the outreach needed to succeed.

Ultimately, I had to stop working on ShopBhandar, but the experience was invaluable. It taught me that a product needs both strong development and a strategic approach to market adoption.

Joining Qrapid: A New Beginning
Soon after, I met a group of incredible individuals working on a concept similar to ShopBhandar. That’s how I joined Qrapid and developed the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in just 15 days. We even onboarded two clients successfully.

However, another challenge emerged: maintenance costs exceeded what we were offering. This realization brought clarity—we needed to focus on every aspect of the product lifecycle, from development to long-term feasibility.

Key Takeaways
Through these experiences, I’ve learned that building impactful products requires:

Deep Understanding of User Needs – Start by identifying problems that truly matter.
Balanced Focus – Development is crucial, but so is sales, marketing, and operational strategy.
Sustainability – A product’s long-term viability depends on its cost-effectiveness and adaptability.
Now, with Qrapid, I’m putting these lessons into practice, focusing not just on creating, but on creating with impact.

If you're on a similar journey, remember: Take one step at a time, understand the problem deeply, and ensure your solution aligns with real-world needs. That’s how you build a product that truly makes a difference.

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