Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Making a career change for many can be seen as tough or quite impossible, particularly when your educational background doesn't match your true passion. Nevertheless, today we have an incredible story to share. This is about a skilled programmer from Bangladesh who has not only succeeded as a tech professional but has become a serial entrepreneur, despite lacking formal education in technology. A graduate of BBA from IBA, Jahangirnagar University, Amon Chowdhury's success is much visible on the global platform named Upwork. Over the last three years, he has earned more than US$ 210,000 just on his current personal account, consistently maintaining a Top Rated Plus status. By this time, he has successfully completed over 50 projects. In a discussion on his journey, learnings, and future goals, he shares valuable insights that could inspire many youths of Bangladesh.
How his passion grew: Amon reflected on the early days of his life when his fascination with technology first took root. He recalls, "My fascination with computers began when I was around 7-8 years old, and in 2002, I got my first mini gaming console, which had games like Contra Force and some 2D tile art programmes." Step by step he got introduced to different computers and its games that piqued his interest. Then one day he got introduced to programming via a trusted senior. As he puts it, "One day, a relative of one of my teachers, who was studying CSE at JU, introduced me to C programming. Intrigued, my friend Rijvi and I bought some CDs with programming software like CodeBlocks and Visual Studio from Jashore's JS Tower, and I began teaching myself coding. With a few tutorials or guidelines available, I spent countless hours trying to grasp even the basics."
Gradually his passion became noticeable and concerning to his parents, as he shares an anecdote of his early teenage years, "Around September or October 2010, just a few months before my SSC exams, my mom hid the power cable for the PC, worried about my computer addiction. My parents, both working professionals, didn't realise that I was doing more than just playing games. Determined, I found a way to power the PC using a rice cooker's cable, which puzzled my father when he noticed the rice wasn't staying warm."
Before choosing what to work on, Amon created various small projects just for learning purposes such as web browser, media player, antivirus, utility software, etc. He also designed his own graphics using Adobe Illustrator and identified the potential in the UI/UX design market and first started working as a designer in Upwork. He then developed his portfolio as a designer. However due to some challenges he lost his profile with a balance of US$ 17,000 in it. After that he shifted his focus to programming. He dedicated two to three hours daily in research and learning. He developed various apps with his friend Rijvi in 2017.
First global success: "Smileneo was my first job on my last Upwork account, recommended by my friend Dibbendo Pranto from JU," Amon shares his story of first international client. After his friend completed the UI/UX design, he handed the project over to Amon to develop the mobile app along with a custom admin panel. The project was initially valued at US$ 5,000 and was successfully completed within five months. The MVP's success was pivotal in Smileneo securing a US$ 2.0 million seed fund from The Royal Dubai, and it became one of the top immersive healthcare industries in the UAE in 2021. Following this success, Amon was promoted to head of Software, where he worked for about one-and-a-half years. Amon Chowdhury later worked on various projects. But his most extensive work was with Cartpanda.
Cartpanda, a Brazilian platform backed by Y Combinator, is designed to help people sell products online without needing technical expertise. He developed the mobile app from scratch, a project valued at around US$ 110,000, which took about one year and three months to complete. The complexity and scale of the project warranted the higher pay.
Managing freelancing during academic years: Many great minds have sacrificed academics, some even dropping out, and they left us valuable lessons. Although it is never encouraged, some passionate souls prioritise their productive work or passion pursuits over academics. In Amon's words, "It was tough to manage freelancing with academic pressure, and eventually, I had to prioritise one over the other, which led to a low CGPA. However, I have no regrets."
Nowadays, freelancing is widely discussed, with abundant resources available.
He shares, "I believe the challenges in finding learning materials have decreased significantly, making it easier for anyone to start. However, setting big expectations early on can lead to frustration, a quick-to-quit mindset, and even impact academic careers."
Establishing a tech company: Amon also established a tech agency named Aerobola, which is Top Rated Plus on Upwork. He shares, "Founded in 2017 with my childhood friend Rijvi, we launched the agency on Upwork in 2021. Since then, we've successfully delivered over 10 projects on Upwork, contributing to our US$ 100K+ earnings, and we've also completed local projects, including two for Savlon, and ACI Limited: the Savlon Hand Wash mini web project and the Savlon Guess The Score web project."
Learnings: Amon attributes his success to continuous learning and being self-taught. He shared that he never stopped learning. "Over the past decade, I've mastered many programming languages, design tools, and freelancing skills, as well as valuable life lessons in patience, consistency, determination, and focus. Also being self-taught from the beginning greatly boosted my learning ability, enhancing it by a factor of ten. This self-learning became a crucial tool for my success in the freelancing industry. The key is to identify emerging niches, learn faster than others, and dominate the job market."
Future plan: In his heart Amon is an entrepreneur. He has also ventured out to manufacturing. Amon started a shoe factory called Aerowears with a vision to dominate the mid-range sandal market. It offers high-quality sandals at prices one-third of major competitors, ensuring exceptional value. Since their launch, they have established a strong market presence in seven districts and distribute wholesale to over 150 shops. On the IT side, he has recently launched a new app called Expense AI-an AI-based expense tracker designed for busy individuals who lack the time for complex tools like Excel.
He along with his co-founders and team is planning to launch Aero Academy to offer valuable courses designed to help people stand out in the competitive tech world. He believes that this is the perfect time for young people to unite and create meaningful change in Bangladesh. As he puts it, "Given the changes in the political scenario, it's an ideal time for us, youths, to collaborate and drive impactful changes in society. For me, this vision represents a meaningful purpose and a reason to live."