About the Book

AN INSIDER ACCOUNT OF BUILDING A PRODUCT COMPANY, GETTING ACQUIRED AND LEADING TALLY FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
Back in 1987, before liberalisation and even before the first personal computers showed up in Indian stores, Shoaib Ahmed co-founded Vedha Automations. This was a time when Indian tech was gearing up for the services boom, and nobody was yet talking about 'product'.
Vedha went on revolutionise the retail industry, both with its software product Shoper and through the introduction of barcodes in Indian retail. From a two-man set-up, it grew to becoming a giant that managed the point of sales for major indigenous companies, such as Arvind Textiles and the Prestige Group, and international brands such as Adidas and Puma. Eighteen years later, Vedha was acquired by the business software enterprise Tally Solutions. Ahmed joined them as VP of Sales and went on to retire as president.
Ahmed's story is equal parts gritty start-up memoir, tactical sales playbook and design philosophy manifesto. In The Product Code: Shoper, Tally and the Making of an Entrepreneur, he shares a two-pronged formula for success: building software that solves real-world human problems and nurturing human relationships.
Whether you are a founder chasing an exit, a product builder striving for beautiful design or an entrepreneur aiming to scale globally, this book is your ultimate guide to building what sells and selling what you build.

About the Author

Shoaib Ahmed is the co-founder of Vedha Automations, a bootstrapped venture that focused on selling technology to the apparel and footwear industry. Their product Shoper became widely adopted by all the leading apparel companies in India. In 2005, Shoper was acquired by Tally Solutions. Shoaib ensured a smooth transfer of ownership as president at Tally Solutions (2005-17). Under Shoaib's leadership, Tally Solutions became a dominant player in the market, used by millions of businesses. In 2013, Shoaib received the Economic Times 'Retail Leadership Award' for his contributions to transforming the retail industry.
Shoaib is a co-founder iSPIRT, the Indian Software Product Industry RoundTable, and works closely with Jagriti Enterprises, an organisation dedicated to creating entrepreneurs and transforming India. He is actively involved with the start-up ecosystem as a mentor and advisor and currently runs his consulting venture, Catalystor. He is also an investor general partner with Mount Judi Ventures.