Q-Cab Transportation, slotted for launch next month, will utilize new technology to enable customers to order taxi services by using mobile applications and social media. The founders are a trio from across the Middle East; Qatari Nasser A. Hatbeen Al-Yafei, Yemeni Ali S. Muthanna Al Yafei, and Palestinian Tariq A. Awadallah, who all graduated from Qatar University as mechanical engineering grads. The three Q-Cab founders all currently working for RasGas, the Qatar-based natural gas company. “The idea of creating Q-Cab derived from my personal experience with taxis in Qatar. I faced some problems when trying to find a taxi, problems such as waiting for a long time and the unavailability of taxis in some districts around Doha. It took about 10 weeks for Q- Cab to have a well-established business plan, which is the duration of the Lean Startup Program- a training and coaching workshop provided by Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) for entrepreneurs,” says Awadallah. One of QBIC’s flagship programs includes the Lean Startup Program, which provides real-world, hands on learning experience on how to successfully start a company. Awadallah highlights how through the duration of the Lean Startup Program he learnt how to develop and present an attractive business idea to QBIC board members and investors. His overall goal was to grab their attention and persuade them to incubate and invest in Q-Cab as a start- up business. “My idea was selected among 15 other business ideas presented to QBIC. My business requires the fund, administration office, support and communication with local authorities and related parties. The same finance policy is applied to all incubated startup businesses, where it starts with a QR100,000 for the first three months for each business team, and then the incubatees can apply for and additional QR200,000 for each business team, which are interest-free loans and must be returned within a two-year incubation contract.” The main challenge in accordance to Awadallah was to have a solid customer validation, with valuable feedback from taxi users and to search for what customers really require. Based on his experience, he advises entrepreneurs to come up with ideas, which can solve real customer needs, in addition to provide exactly what the customer really wants. “It is important because the entrepreneurs are the movers of the economy who can create new businesses, opportunities and jobs.”
