Entrepreneurship

The Survival Playbook: How Ticketwala Launched into a Pandem Every entrepreneur has a story about facing adversity, but few are as dramatic as launching an events company just three months before a global pandemic shuts down all public gatherings. That’s the incredible story of Zayaan Bawany and his co-founders at Ticketwala. My conversation with him on the latest Digitales episode wasn’t just about building a business; it was a lesson in survival, adaptation, and the power of relentless focus.Zayaan and his two best friends came back to Pakistan after studying abroad, armed with a simple idea: to digitize and democratize event ticketing. Building the Brand They saw a market where events were happening, but discovery was broken and purchasing was archaic. They jumped in, but their timing couldn’t have been worse. With just 150,000 rupees left in the bank and a global lockdown in full force, most would have given up. The People Question But this is where their story truly begins.Their survival wasn’t a single pivot; it was a multi-front battle. While competitors went dormant, the Ticketwala team doubled down. They immediately shifted their model to ticket online events,like makeup and fitness classes,and surprisingly, had their best months to date. Building the Brand: Part 2 To keep the lights on and fund their core vision, they launched an entirely separate business: a marketing agency. This adjacent venture not only paid their bills but also funded Ticketwala’s marketing, allowing them to build their brand while the rest of the industry was on pause.But perhaps their most brilliant move was realizing that simply copying an international model wasn’t enough. They had to build for Pakistan’s reality. The Takeaway Their key insight? At large events, the internet never works. So, they invested their limited resources into building a strong offline ticketing and scanning system. This wasn’t a fancy feature; it was a core necessity that became their single greatest competitive advantage, allowing them to reliably service massive festivals where other platforms failed. It’s a powerful lesson in listening to your market instead of just following global trends.From 95% cash-on-delivery to zero, from a fancy office they had to shut down to working out of a house, Ticketwala’s journey is a proof to grit. They survived because they were willing to start a new company to save the first one, because they focused on solving a real, local problem, and because they never lost sight of their long-term vision. This is a story every entrepreneur needs to hear. Frequently Asked Questions Who is Zayaan Bawany? Zayaan Bawany is a prominent figure in business featured on the DigiTales podcast with Faizan Sayed, where they discussed their career, insights, and vision for Pakistan’s future. What business insights did Zayaan Bawany share on DigiTales? On DigiTales, Zayaan Bawany shared candid perspectives on building businesses in Pakistan, including the challenges of operating in a developing market and specific strategies that drove their success. What is DigiTales podcast? DigiTales is a podcast hosted by Faizan Sayed, CEO of East River Digital, featuring weekly conversations with Pakistan’s most influential leaders across business, culture, policy, and technology. The show covers real stories and hard-won insights from CEOs, artists, politicians, and entrepreneurs. Guest: ZAYAAN BAWANY Zayaan Bawany is the co-founder of Ticketwala, Pakistan's leading event ticketing platform. He launched the company just three months before COVID with 150,000 rupees in the bank, survived by pivoting to online events and building an offline-first scanning system that became their core competitive advantage. Host: Faizan Sayed Faizan Sayed is the founder of DigiTales Podcast and CEO of East River Digital, a performance-led marketing agency with offices in Pakistan, KSA, and the US. Each week, he interviews Pakistan's most influential leaders across business, culture, and policy. Category Arts & Culture (1) Automotive (3) Banking & Finance (1) Business & Economy (7) creative entrepreneurship (1) E-Commerce (1) Education (1) Entertainment (5) Entrepreneurship (4) Fashion (3) Food & Beverage (1) growth strategy (1) Human Resources (1) Insurance & Finance (1) Media & Content (2) Pakistan-India relations (1) Politics (4) Social Impact (2) Sports (1) Technology (1) Urban Planning (2) Recent Post Sheema Kermani: Dance, Culture, and Pakistan's Social Fabric The Survival Playbook: How Ticketwala Launched into a Pandem Zafar Masud on Banking, Rates, and Pakistan's Financial Future The ROI of Hope: Wasif Ali Khan's Foundation for Pakistan's Hidden Talent Liquid Gold: Decoding Karachi's Billion-Dollar Water Crisis The Art of Perception: Syed Jawaid Iqbal on Shaping Reality The Trapped Rat: Sunil Munj on Pakistan's Broken Auto Market The Regulator Solution: Sohail Wajahat's Broken System Fix