Idea:

A Whatsapp-based Umrah chatbot

Challenge:

– 80% of the market is from rural areas
– Rapid regulatory changes in how Umrah packages are sold
– Payments were cash-driven
– Customers spoke multiple vernacular languages

Validation:

– Whatsapp is the main channel of communication and sales
– Most of the customers spoke vernacular languages and thus required AI models that were not existent or difficult to train
– Payments were cash-driven and required cash collection and management
– Regulatory changes stalled the market and enforced certain licenses to sell

Learning:

– Entering the market during rapid regulatory change is not the best timing
– Umrah sales are mainly conducted through trust relationships
– Scaling in the market requires cash collection management
– Penetrating the market requires partnerships with licensed operators