Interview With Servicebot CEO & Founder, Shar Darafsheh
Interview with Servicebot CEO Shar Darafsheh discussing no-code industry, company updates, entrepreneurial advice, and personal insights
TABLE OF CONTENTS
💼 Business Questions
Can you describe what it is about the no-code industry that you like?
I am most excited about the level of capability that no-code is bringing to the table both for non-technical and technical folks. I am coming from a technical background, and no-code was all over the place two decades ago. It just wasn't called no-code. From website builders like Dreamweaver to CMS like WordPress, we've seen no-code since the early 2000s.
The initial movement of no-code allowed developers to build things faster. It is now at a point where it is allowing non-developers to build quickly. I like the ability to validate and ship ideas without consuming development resources. That's a powerful tool for an entrepreneur.
Can you describe your company/platform in the length of a tweet? (140 characters)
Earn recurring revenue easier & faster with embeddable billing pages for Stripe.
Can you share any exciting updates or developments that are planned for Servicebot in the next 12 months?
Yes, we have a major launch that we are announcing during the Zero Code conference in early October. This launch aims to make it easier and faster to set up self-serve billing using Stripe. With this release, you can create billing pages that can be embedded into existing websites and apps.
You can create pricing pages, plan pickers, checkout forms, and self-serve customer portals in minutes without needing a developer. You can change prices and allow your customers to self-serve their subscriptions and never worry about billing again.
It works seamlessly with no-code tools like Bubble, Webflow, WordPress, etc. We are very excited about this release. Imagine Zapier, but instead of building Zaps, you build billing pages and embed them directly into your website.
What do you believe will be the biggest trend in no-code in the next 5 years?
In the next five years, we will see many more no-code tools in different verticals, tackling more specific problems. The integrations between these tools will be more comprehensive. Stacking tools together will feel a lot more natural.
We will also see significant maturity in the tools we use today. There are limitations on how much you can scale a business with purely no-code tools at the moment, but these limitations will reduce as no-code tools allow more flexibility and features. No-code and low-code will intersect, and tools will enable a high level of complexity using visual programming.
Any advice for non-technical entrepreneurs with an idea for an online business who are put off by limited technical skills?
Many technical founders, including myself, make the mistake of spending too much time building their MVP. This will take precious time away from getting out, talking to potential customers, and validating your idea.
If you are a non-technical founder, use this as leverage to ship, monetize, and reach product-market-fit faster. Use no-code tools to put together a simple prototype, and start selling your idea before thinking about building the "perfect scalable product."
🧔 Personal Questions
Did you always know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I wanted to invent something and make a positive impact on human lives. The first piece of software I built was a simple desktop timer app using Delphi in 1999. I fell in love with developing tools. Entrepreneurship has been the result of my passion for building software tools.
What are some of the obstacles you have faced growing your company and how did you overcome them?
There were a lot of obstacles. We were a technical team, and most of the challenges I faced had to do with non-technical problems. I spent too much time worrying about the initial product. I didn't spend much time talking to customers and understanding their needs. I didn't niche down enough. I didn't say no to the feature requests that didn't align with our vision.
Fortunately, being bootstrap helped me afford massive mistakes like these. We overcame most of these challenges by understanding the underlying cause of the challenge. We also made sure to make the same mistake twice. We aren't wed to our ideas. We learn from mistakes and pivot when it is needed.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
"People don't buy "what" you do; they buy "why" you do it. Have a vision and understand why you're doing what you're doing. I highly recommend listening to Simon Sinek's Golden Circle TED talk." - said Shar Darafsheh.
🤪 Fun Questions - Quickfire
12 start-ups in 12 months vs 1 start-up in 1 year?
1 start-up in 1 year
Investment vs bootstrapping?
Bootstrapping until you find a product-market fit at least.
Zoom vs Google Meets?
Google Meets all the way.
Design vs Development?
Both. But if I had to choose one, then design.
Ideation stage vs Development stage?
Ideation stage