How did Traffic Solvers originally cross your path?
Traffic Solvers actually originated from Recruitment Solvers, a platform that Fawad, Mennan, and I were already working on. During its development, we saw how powerful the underlying technology was and started thinking about other applications. The combination of Fawad's years of experience in the traffic industry and my background in IT and software development led to the idea of applying the same technology to mobility and traffic communication. When we looked at the possibilities together, we saw that precisely that combination of domain knowledge and technology had great potential.
When did you first think: there might be something to this?
That moment came when the first responses to the platform started coming in. Customers saw possibilities that went even further than we had initially envisioned. What began as an idea to apply technology from Recruitment Solvers to a different market turned out to be a genuine solution to problems organizations faced on a daily basis. Their enthusiasm and the conversations that ensued gave me the feeling that there was a lot of future potential here.
What attracted you to the idea behind Traffic Solvers?
What appealed to me most was that there was no comparable solution on the market at that time. The potential impact we could make, combined with the speed and ease the platform offers, made it very interesting to me. On top of that, it aligned perfectly with my technical background and Fawad's domain knowledge.
Which technical challenge from the past year stands out to you the most?
The biggest technical challenge was building a platform that is not only scalable but also flexible enough to be deployed internationally. From the start, we wanted to avoid building a solution that was only suitable for a single market or a single situation.
In addition, we work with various communication and social media platforms, all of which have their own structure, capabilities, and limitations. The challenge lies in effectively handling these differences on the backend, while ensuring users receive a single, uniform, and user-friendly experience on the frontend. Specifically, combining scalability, multilingualism, and integrations with diverse platforms has entailed many technical choices and challenges.
What did you underestimate about building a startup?
That there is much more involved than just your own expertise. When employed, many things are taken care of for you, whereas as an entrepreneur, you have to figure everything out and organize it yourself. That takes much more time than you initially thought.
In addition, it is often said that entrepreneurship offers more freedom, and that is true. But what is mentioned less often are the many evenings you work late and the holidays during which you still regularly open your laptop to check how everything is going. When I was still employed, you handed over your duties on Friday, closed your laptop, and didn't look at it for two weeks. As an entrepreneur, things work differently.
How do you look back on the decision to quit your job?
I look back on it positively, but it was definitely a nerve-wracking step. You choose to leave a familiar situation behind and step into something new without guarantees. There is also always the thought that it could fail, with all the financial consequences that entails. That is precisely why it makes it extra special to see what we have achieved in the first year.
What role did trust play in that decision?
Trust played a major role. Trust in the knowledge and experience that Fawad and I both bring, but also trust in the product and the vision we had. We believed from the start that this solved a problem the market needed.
How is the collaboration between you and Fawad in practice?
That collaboration is going very well. We have a clear division of roles, with Fawad primarily bringing his knowledge of the market, users, and communication, while I focus mainly on product development and technology. This allows us to handle a lot independently, while at the same time complementing each other well. It is precisely this combination of domain knowledge and technical expertise that enables us to switch gears and make decisions quickly.
What are you most proud of when you look back on year one?
Especially proud of how much we have achieved in a relatively short time. We have exhibited at (inter)national trade fairs, won a European award, and quickly achieved success outside the Netherlands. But perhaps I am most proud of the fact that something that once started as an idea has now become a platform that is actually used by customers. When I look back on everything that happened in the first year, I am particularly proud of how fast we have grown and how many steps we have taken.
What do you hope Traffic Solvers will have achieved in five years?
I hope that Traffic Solvers has developed into a strong international company. Naturally within the traffic sector, but also beyond. Ultimately, we believe that good communication processes can be improved in many markets. It would be great if, in five years, our technology is deployed in multiple sectors to make communication smarter, faster, and more effective.
