We are always inspired by successful people and their success. But we often ignore how many times they failed during their long journey. We don’t see how many times they fell, how many times they lost and how they still moved forward without giving up. The truth is, successful people learn from their failures, stay consistent and never lose courage.
Even today, if you look around, you will see people who could become the future Monis Rahman, Mudassir Sheikha or Nadeem Hussain or maybe that person could be you.
But you might be thinking why am I talking about these names instead of Elon Musk or Bill Gates?
The answer is simple. These are people from among us. They are part of the same society, the same system, facing the same limitations. Yet, while living in this system, they took their startups to great heights. Giving their examples makes more sense than talking about people whose lifestyle, opportunities and environment are very different from ours.
Elon Musk came from Silicon Valley. But the people I mentioned above proved that a unicorn mindset can also come from Pakistan, a mindset that understands the real needs of society and works to solve them.
One clear example of this mindset is Monis Rahman, who built Rozee.pk and turned Pakistan’s employment problem into a scalable technology solution. His journey teaches us that when the problem is local and the vision is clear, the solution can reach a global level.
Then there is Mudassir Sheikha, who co-founded Careem. He solved transportation problems in complex regions like the Middle East and South Asia and eventually achieved a global exit. His story shows that with the right execution, a regional idea can grow worldwide.
And then there is Nadeem Hussain, who through Tameer Bank and EasyPaisa, made fintech more than just banking. He made it part of everyday life for ordinary people. His journey proves that real innovation is the one that brings power and convenience to the masses.
These are just a few names. There are many more such stories. But today, my focus is on one specific person.
I have known this person for almost ten years. I have closely seen his journey, his struggle and his continuous effort. He is also originally from Pakistan.
He is a Pakistani-origin Swedish entrepreneur, Mr. Junaid Jossani.
This time, with a new project, new energy and a fresh vision, he has once again built something meaningful.
Through this blog, I am sharing my conversation with him about his journey, his thinking and his vision.
Junaid Joosani the founder of Desibox
Junaid please introduce yourself.
pūchhte haiñ vo ki 'ġhālib' kaun hai
koī batlāo ki ham batlā.eñ kyā
Simple person trying to make world better place
What kind of startups or tech projects have you worked on before?
I have been involved in Tech startups since 2014, I have a few failed startups to my name. E.g. sellnu - marketplace for offline shops, they can sell online, launched in 2016 and it was ahead of its time, Ljushanel - website for selling lamps.
Some successful startups
Theishare: it is digital lock company , we are focusing on building locks for rental, sharing and vending purpose
Sharekayak: Marketplace for outdoor experience and currently our tech has been used in more than 10 countries.
Xipp.ai - AI based CV matching platform and hiring platform for local and global talents.
How did the idea of DesiBox start?
Lets start with the word “Desi”, This is a very diversified word, meaning can change based on context. In our context , Desi means pure, authentic.
We want to bring authentic taste of the world into Desibox. We have started with Pakistani authentic taste and we are planning to bring authentic taste of india, southern america and other parts of the world at Desibox.
What problem did you see in Sweden that inspired DesiBox?
We have found two gaps in the market
There is no authentic ready to eat meal for South Asians.
There are few authentic restaurants in Stockholm but taste varies all the time and there is no consistency in the taste.
Why did you choose smart vending instead of restaurants or delivery apps?
Our vision is like this:
First phase: we have one dark store in Stockholm , it is delivering to residents in Stockholm. Based on interest , we will deploy our TheiShare based vending boxes in strategic locations e.g. schools, offices, factories, users can buy instantly by scanning QR code.
In the next phase, we will open a franchised based dark store concept so local businesses can get dark stores and they refill vending boxes in their area or deliver items to customers.These dark stores will keep an inventory based on the needs of locals so they can get their order under 2 hours instead of next day.
Who is DesiBox mainly for?
Our focus groups are students and offices as they have less time to prepare meals and they are looking for healthy ready to cook meals.
Why did you choose Frekis Cloud as the backend?
It is our own technology, we have built our own cloud platform that offers various services like, vending, sharing , click and collect and rental possibilities.
How does DesiBox stay secure and easy to use for customers?
Customer data is encrypted and we have implemented no password policies, user can only sign in using OTP
What makes DesiBox different from normal vending machines?
TheiShare based vending boxes do not need any electricity or wi-fi in order to operate, they can be deployed anywhere. Box sizes can be configured based on requirement.
How do you make sure the food stays fresh and authentic?
As desibox is not a producer of food, we have signed an agreement with food providers to make sure food stays fresh and authentic and with every batch of delivery, we get a report from the vendor and it must be signed by the local food authority. In case food vendor does not provide us report then we dont sell it and send back to them
Where is the food prepared, and who cooks it?
We are getting ready to eat meals from authentic brands e.g. crown, aladdin etc. Most of the food is prepared in the UK or Romania.
How often are the boxes refilled?
We have not deployed any vending boxes yet and in the meantime, we are offering home or office delivery.
How can someone list their business on DesiBox?
We have not opened the application process yet for other, it is invite only at this moment
Is DesiBox good for small food businesses and startups?
Yes, If any restaurant is providing authentic food , we can help them with smart packaging , they will be able to sell to the entire sweden via desibox dark stores.
What does an operator earn from one DesiBox unit?
We have not gone through the actual number yet, we have recently started one dark store, we need at least six months to come up with better numbers as we need to optimize the processes.
Is the onboarding process easy for non-technical users?
We go through with non-technical users and give them a helping hand with onboarding.
How long does it take to go live after signup?
It takes 3 minutes after signup
Do you plan to expand to more cities in Sweden?****Short term: we are in contact with DHL / DB Schenker to ship items to the entire Sweden but it will take 1-3 days and it will be operational from January 1st 2026.
Long term: We will open more dark stores everywhere so user can get their order under two hours
Can DesiBox work for other cuisines in the future?
Yes, we are planning to bring authentic ready to eat/DIY cuisine from other parts of world
What is your long-term vision for DesiBox?
We want to be a single source of all authentic ready to eat meals /DIY food kits in the world. Our customers get their orders in under two hours.
What is one startup mistake you learned the most from?
Read the market, good solution does not mean, it would be needed as you expected, work on USP.
One line advice for people who want to build a tech startup in Sweden?
Be ready for Pivot all the time. If something is not working within 6 months , time to pivot based on data and most importantly DO NOT give up. More failure is directly proportional to Chances of success.