Brand & Beyond
Deep Dive into Leading Brands & Their Creators
Featuring Dinesh Saparamadu
Featuring, Fouzul Hameed on Marketer Calibre as he dives deep into the story of how he created the 'Hameedia' brand. Fouzul Hameed is the Managing Director of the Hameedia Group.
Fouzul counts over 3 decades of experience in Men's Fashion. He is a U.S certified Image Consultant and a prominent figure in the Fashion Industry in Sri Lanka
"Creating Gentlemen"
Question Focus - Personal Growth
Sohan
Can you share something about the ‘young Dinesh’ that you haven't shared publicly before?
Dinesh
(Gives a reminiscing smile, hearing the question)
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So my younger self was very curious. I remember when I was at school in grade nine at D.S Senanayake college, we used to publish an internal magazine and sell it to the kids two to three grades below (laughs). At that time too I somehow had the ability to get a team together. I was never good in writing articles and stuff like that, so I got writers and artists to work on the content and I would put it all together and go convince the kids to buy it. And a few years later when I was studying in US (chuckles), I used to import loose tea and over the weekend go to tea rooms in New England and sell.
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Sohan
(Laughs) that very interesting!
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Dinesh
(Laughs) Yes, now when I think of it. I was also very keen on understanding how things work and are built. For instance even areas like film making, movies and animation. Other than business I'm an avid philatelist, and naturalist. I love birds. I love butterflies, I love plants and stuff like that and also I love reading, and happy to see it slowly getting into my kids. my son is a avid reader now.
Sohan
Thanks Dinesh, you've seemed to have had an interesting childhood. Moving on, can you share a personal antidote that reveals an essential aspect of your journey as an entrepreneur?
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Dinesh
(Leans back, and pauses in thought) I think my entrepreneurial foundation consists of a few factors. First is to follow one's passion, second perseverance. Third is the, ability to handle failure, learn from it, and move forward. Fourth, always do the right thing without hurting anyone, fifth, know when not to give up and also when to give up. And lastly, always know that obstacles are temporary. ​
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I always tell my team that you may come across instances where a project did not as work out well as expected or you lost something. How do you handle these defining moments? How do you view it through a positive lens? Failures are more defining than your successes. However, sadly those are the areas that people never talk about (sighs).
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You see Sohan, I have had my own share of failures. Around 20 years back, I started an animation company called 'Mitz Studio'. We started at No 85 Ward Place, we got a few people together, and down the line realized that we didn't have the resources for rendering. So, yes, we failed. Similarly, I have had around five companies that I would have started and closed.
(Looks intently) So failures are stepping stones for success. ​On a similar note I remember, we started a SI business with Lucent technologies Singapore. After the second shipment, we realized, we didn't have the passion, we didn't have the skill set, we didn't have the technical know-how sufficiently to support it. So we decided to close that business. So knowing when to give up too is key.​
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Sohan
(Smiles) That's very interesting Dinesh . Appreciate your honesty and openness. So, moving forward, from being named Entrepreneur of the year in 2014, to also holding key positions, such as chairman of SLASSCOM from 2009 to 2011, and of course building the hSenid brand, what would the young Dinesh say to the present Dinesh when he sees your personal brand and achievements?
Dinesh
(Places finger on chin and goes into deep thought) I think he would tell him to take more risk at present. When I was younger I used to be more adventurous and risk taking. But now I have slowed down. So intentionally I have been risk averse. Another reason (Laughs heartily) is because my wife has told me not to start any new hobbies, because you see Sohan, for me its a hobby that turns into a company. For instance my resort, 'Mount Havana' and then the university I started as a joint venture with the Japanese are such examples.
Question Focus - Brand Strategy
Sohan
(Laughs) That's great. Thank you for sharing Dinesh. So moving into the 'Brand Strategy' segment. Starting with just three employees in 1997, focused on HR software, how would you define the growth of the hSenid brand?
Dinesh
We will be turning 30 years soon, Sohan. And a few key elements that I've wanted, and seen embed in the brand DNA is trust, focus, integrity and accountability. HR is a vital element of any company. For instance, if the payroll doesn't go through, consequences could be dire. And even today, myself, the CEOs and the directors are third or fourth level support. I still get calls.
Secondly we have built an internal culture of passion, accountability and customer centricity that would support our brand strategy. This key aspect has also enabled the brand to expand into the restaurant market with products such as Applova and Appigo and also into the education industry.
Further, our subsidiaries have grown. At present we have, hSenid business solutions, hSenid mobile solutions and hSenid LLC that are linked to our products. Then hSenid Lanka that is focused on the Japanese market, hSenid ventures focuses on investments and then our latest venture is into education, LNBTI, a university done in collaboration with the Japanese.
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Question Focus - Brand Strategy
Sohan
That's great what you and your team has accomplished with just three decades. Moving forward, what role does data play in your business and brand decisions, and how do you ensure your team uses data to drive brand growth?
Dinesh
(Grins) Honestly it would be a stretch to say we used data during our early stages. However, presently our marketing team works heavily with data. I like to measure things. For instance during a period we had Julian Boling and Lasith Malinga as brand ambassadors. We had a few bill boards at that time and I always wanted to see how we could measure the impact, even of an execution like a billboard.
So we included effective call to actions, with QR codes etc. Because I still remember Thomas Watson of IBM saying 'every ad must pay for itself'.
Sohan
hSenid has entered markets such as the US, Kenya, Uganda that are considered quite difficult to enter, plus you have ventured into new markets such as restaurants and education.
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Theses strides has given hSenid a name, known to be a brand to boldly enter and thrive in new markets. What aspects of your company has enabled this?
Dinesh
From the very beginning I could say that the DNA of hSenid was to go global, Sohan. We had this deep desire to explore out of the island. Presently our expansion strategy is very focused. Its product and region based. For instance our HR product is focused on Africa and Asia focusing on countries like Kenya, India, Indonesia, and Australia. Whereas our Restaurant software is focused on the US and Japan etc.
(Leans back) However all this success also came out of many failures and what we learned from them. I remember we stared a project with Hitachi Singapore, that didn't work out. We tried Malaysia, a bit, but that was a complete disaster. So every place you succeed you would have failed about two places prior. And going back to the initial principle that we discussed, all what matters is that your intention was right (smiles)
Question Focus - Brand Transformation
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Sohan
Thank you, and that's an excellent philosophy Dinesh. Moving from brand strategy to brand transformation. Could you give us a brief understanding of its growth over time?
Dinesh
(Smiling) So the name hSenid was proposed by my brother, which is my name spelt backward.
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Sohan
(Smiles with amusement) Oh is that how it came about?
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Dinesh
(laughs) Yes, this was in 95,96. And the brand incorporated many strategies and went through many transformations to stay relevant during the growth stages. And lately we have extended our brand. hSenid Business solutions is focused on HR products, hSenid mobile solutions on restaurants. hSenid Lanka is for the Japanese operations and hSenid ventures, is our investment arm.
Sohan
That's great. So out of your product portfolio which consists of peoples HR, Applova and Appigo and your latest venture LNBTI University. Do you have a specific product / venture with a sentimental story behind it?
Dinesh
(Lights up and Smiles) Interesting question Sohan. So Peoples HR is my first love. I mean that's where we started. I used to love it. But I think for me presently, would be my operations with Japan. I have a special affinity with Japan. When the project failed the first time I was taken back quite a bit. But my Japanese friends encouraged me to get back. Also Japan has this special place within me and that's why we started LNBTI, a university done in collaboration with the Japanese. It's that sentimental feeling and passion that has kept me going. ​
Question Focus - Life Philosophy
Sohan
Wow that's incredible. So moving to the life philosophy, Could you share something that encapsulate your life philosophy?
Dinesh
(Voice sounds a mix nostalgia and satisfaction) That's an intriguing question Sohan. For me one thing that is very close to my heart is to always stay humble, and never ever lose yourself. Because every achievement, or accomplishment is because of the people that is around you.
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Your impact would be 10%-20%. However, 80% comes from the rest of the team. Because you see Sohan, take the 'goyam karala' (rice stalk) for example the more it matures it bends to the ground, so the more you succeed in life, we have to increase in humility. (Points to the painting on the wall) Also you see this painting Sohan, its one of my favorites. It depicts how a Lotus flower blooms even when its environment is a muddy patch. Staying humble and blooming in what ever your environment you are, is key.
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I could have never done anything that we had done by myself. No way. I am not that smart. I consider myself only the conductor in the orchestra. The team is the one who is actually playing the instruments. without me they will still play. ​
Presently the teams run the companies, I don't run any, except for Applova which is the startup in the US. One key for our success is the fantastic team that has stayed with me. I am very fortunate.
One of my firm beliefs is that 'ego destroys', therefore humility is key, you see Sohan, like you correctly mentioned I was named 'entrepreneur of the year 2014', I applied only because somebody in office told me to do so. But I'm sure there were another 20 people who may be even more qualified than I am. It's just that they didn't apply. I was just at the right place at the right time. ​
Question Focus - Vision & Outlook
Sohan
(Smiles) That's exceptional humility Dinesh. Thank you for sharing. As we come toward the end of the interview, lets focus on your vision and future outlook. imagine your future, maybe your fourth generation, sees your personal brand, your companies, and all your achievements in a time capsule. What message would you like to include for that person who reads about your life essence and your influence?
Dinesh
(Smiles with a twinkle in his eye) I would say, predominantly integrity and making sure that what you do has a positive social impact and that you did it to the best of your ability with the correct intentions. Always be true to yourself and have the highest integrity, Because passions, interests, technology will change. But your value systems won't.