SUPERTECH SEEDS - OUR TIED CAMEL
Case study with Our Tied Camel co-founder Alliyah Khan.
Developing a faith-based productivity app
For co-founders Alliyah Khan and Amirah Khan along with 1.9 billion Muslims globally it can often be difficult to manage modern work and education requirements alongside religious obligations. Working with SuperTech Seeds, the University of Birmingham and Aston University students have developed an Islamic productivity app that brings workplace productivity and Islamic practice together. SuperTech caught up with Alliyah to find out more.
What is the challenge you’re looking to solve?
Throughout our education and work life my co-founder and I have found it difficult to integrate faith into our daily lives. We knew that other people were facing the same challenge and wanted to do something to help make it easier to combine prayer times with a busy working schedule. Our initial route was via Instagram offering advice and self-help, but we wanted to take this further. When the pandemic hit, there was a big rise in the popularity of working from home tools featuring Pomodoro timers and habit tracking systems. It became clear to us that if we could combine these within an Islamic framework it would make it much easier to practice our faith alongside work an education.
Tell us more about your technology
Our Tied Camel is a digital workspace for Muslims that allows people to balance their faith and productivity. The app provides productivity advice and tools integrating prayer times with work-based calendars. Prayers are provided aligned with the time of day. Integrated timers allow users to track and record work sessions. There are prayer time reminders and users can track how consistent they have been with prayers during a given month, with productivity hints and tips provided along the way.
The app informs users when it is time to pray at a time that works within their schedule.
What has it been like working with SuperTech?
It’s been great working with SuperTech. I’ve developed a lot of skills as a co-founder that I wouldn’t otherwise have. We’ve built confidence in the idea and refined our business plan and objectives. From the start, we had to be clear as to what Our Tied Camel is and what we were looking to achieve. Being able to speak to professionals like Suzi and Verana has been really beneficial. I wasn’t sure whether to apply for SuperTech Seeds at first, but we went for it and I can say that, without doubt, it is the best thing we’ve done. Our business has come incredibly far with SuperTech.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
I’d strongly advise anyone with a good idea to apply and get involved with SuperTech, find out more about no-code and really give their business a go.
What are your thoughts on no-code?
Initially, our plan was to develop the app through traditional coding. However, through SuperTech we were introduced to no-code and it has been fantastic. It’s been quicker and much cheaper to develop the functionality we were looking for. Going forward, we’ll have a lot more sustainable options makings it cheaper and easier for us to progress.
With coding, we were going to have to delay the project until I had graduated, which would have been this summer. Now, instead of being at the start of a lengthy development process, we already have a fully functioning app.
The great thing about no-code is it’s quick, cost effective and you’re able to test an idea without a great deal of risk, investment, or the potential of damaging your confidence if it doesn’t go to plan. Having the the room to trial and error is something both me and my co-founder really appreciate.
What is next for you and your business?
We’re going to soft launch with the MVP, collect data and the begin developing our phase two features. Eventually, we may be looking to code, but for now no-code is great for everything we want to do.
Further details on Our Tied Camel can be found here: www.linkedin.com/company/ourtiedcamel/
To find out more about SuperTech and how to get involved in the SuperTech Seeds programme visit: www.supertechwm.com/seeds