Courtesy of Rani Soebijantoro
Sometimes, our excuses and fears are the reason why we don’t do something that we really want to do. Thanks to social media and internet, we know that we are not alone. Considering that creating startups are "in" right now, you probably wonder how people have the courage to start their own businesses from the ground up. Do some people just never doubt themselves? Do some people just not care about job security? We reached out to Rani Soebijantoro, the chief business development officer of Indonesia's first book-sharing platform Bookabuku, to ask her some of our burning questions.VICE: Hi Rani! Can you tell us how you start your business?
Rani Soebijantoro: We started Bookabuku in our kost. We studied at Prasetiya Mulya University and starting our own business was one of the requirements for us to graduate. Since we’re sick of food businesses and I care about equality, I thought about what kind of business that doesn’t need inventory. We also want our business to impact others. We thought about something related to education. We remembered the times we were not allowed to make copies of our textbooks. Every semester, we had to spend up Rp 1.5 million [$105 USD] on textbook. Since it was too expensive, we borrowed the books from our seniors. From there, we thought about starting an online library. We thought it would be good for our thesis. After we graduated, we decided to continue Bookabuku.Usually there are toys like PlayStation or tennis table in startup companies. What are they for?
In our office, we do have Wii or a PlayStation because our founders love playing those. We also have a karaoke machine. We usually feel sleepy after lunch break, so we play them to keep us awake and relax a bit. Outside our office, there is a basketball court for us to play sports together. These activities are good for team bonding. I think it’s good for our health to have fun after we spent too much time working inside the office. We continue our work afterwards.How often do you hold office party? What do you celebrate?
We never hold parties. We usually do company outings. Sometimes we go to seminars unrelated to startup and other places.Is it true that startups can't help but "burn" money?
It’s not like that in Bookabuku. All the money that we spend, we have to gain it back. That concept is fundamental to us. Spending money isn’t relevant to us. Other startup founders usually spend money for promotions and increase customer traffic, while we use our money to pay our server, et cetera. We have different approach. We talk to our users. We ask if they like book exchanges, or what book they want to read next month. It’s bad if people don’t know how to manage their business, clients, and market when starting a startup. We don’t like spending our money because we think of the opportunity cost.What do you think about the assumption that startup founders are trust fund babies?
We don’t think it’s true. The eight of us have no financial safety net If this business ends up well, our CEO will be the first successful entrepreneur in their family. Our family does support us, but it’s more about psychological support. They never ask when we’re going to go to graduate school or anything like that. They usually ask about our business progress.Is it true that most of startup founders idolize Steve Jobs?
Givari and Rayhan [Bookabuku’s other founders] like Steve Jobs, but I like Sheryl Sandberg more because she cares about equality. I think we lack idols, or they are just under-appreciated. We actually have so many cool and inspiring women. In Bookabuku, we often hold discussion sessions to talk about books and women, especially inspiring public figures like Sheryl Sandberg, Tina Fey, and Sophie Amarusso.Do you have any advice on how to get big investors?
You should be realistic. Reflect on yourself. Do you have the market or not? Does it have an impact on others? Is it profitable for the company and prospective investors? There are people who just follow the trend, but they actually have to ensure the value propositions. Does it fit the market's needs?Is it true that startup workers have no work-life balance?
It is. Our working schedule follows the stakeholders. They work 9 to 5, so do we. But after that, we manage our company. It’s so difficult to find the balance. I’m glad we still have time for our personal lives, although that's only 10 percent of the total time in a week. Saturdays mean quality time for me, while I spend my Sundays with family or my boyfriend.What’s the biggest challenge in running a startup?
It’s very easy for us to run out of energy. Everyone reaches out, asking to collaborate. We must have the courage to say no. People have their own opinions, but we should be able to focus.Do you have a backup plan just in case you fail?
I have none. I trust our products can be adjusted to the needs of our audience. As long as we want it, we’ll go for it.How many times have you failed in starting your own business?
I've started businesses since I was in elementary school. I’ve failed four times. Failure, for me, is selling something that the market doesn’t need. The first two businesses were food businesses. So a startup refers to a business that has ran for under five years. It will be difficult to run a business that we dislike or don’t understand. I can’t even differentiate fried rice in restaurant A or B, so it’s going to be difficult for me to run that kind of business. If the market doesn’t need it, then we can’t depend our lives on it. It’s a failure. In Bookabuku, I hope it’s sustainable and fits our passion.Is it true that startup companies have a disorganized structure because that's just how startups are?
I don’t think it’s disorganized. It’s just overloaded. We have our structure and it’s alright. But there is always one person who handles different things. It’s kind of complicated sometimes that it can cause miscommunication. One thing that we need to take care of is the communication.‘The Road’ is a series by VICE x Tokopedia that presents profiles of seemingly "common" people who have the bravery to chase after their dreams despite doubts and obstacles, and who have become respected figures in their own field. #MulaiAjaDulu
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Rani Soebijantoro: We started Bookabuku in our kost. We studied at Prasetiya Mulya University and starting our own business was one of the requirements for us to graduate. Since we’re sick of food businesses and I care about equality, I thought about what kind of business that doesn’t need inventory. We also want our business to impact others. We thought about something related to education. We remembered the times we were not allowed to make copies of our textbooks. Every semester, we had to spend up Rp 1.5 million [$105 USD] on textbook. Since it was too expensive, we borrowed the books from our seniors. From there, we thought about starting an online library. We thought it would be good for our thesis. After we graduated, we decided to continue Bookabuku.Usually there are toys like PlayStation or tennis table in startup companies. What are they for?
In our office, we do have Wii or a PlayStation because our founders love playing those. We also have a karaoke machine. We usually feel sleepy after lunch break, so we play them to keep us awake and relax a bit. Outside our office, there is a basketball court for us to play sports together. These activities are good for team bonding. I think it’s good for our health to have fun after we spent too much time working inside the office. We continue our work afterwards.How often do you hold office party? What do you celebrate?
We never hold parties. We usually do company outings. Sometimes we go to seminars unrelated to startup and other places.
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It’s not like that in Bookabuku. All the money that we spend, we have to gain it back. That concept is fundamental to us. Spending money isn’t relevant to us. Other startup founders usually spend money for promotions and increase customer traffic, while we use our money to pay our server, et cetera. We have different approach. We talk to our users. We ask if they like book exchanges, or what book they want to read next month. It’s bad if people don’t know how to manage their business, clients, and market when starting a startup. We don’t like spending our money because we think of the opportunity cost.What do you think about the assumption that startup founders are trust fund babies?
We don’t think it’s true. The eight of us have no financial safety net If this business ends up well, our CEO will be the first successful entrepreneur in their family. Our family does support us, but it’s more about psychological support. They never ask when we’re going to go to graduate school or anything like that. They usually ask about our business progress.Is it true that most of startup founders idolize Steve Jobs?
Givari and Rayhan [Bookabuku’s other founders] like Steve Jobs, but I like Sheryl Sandberg more because she cares about equality. I think we lack idols, or they are just under-appreciated. We actually have so many cool and inspiring women. In Bookabuku, we often hold discussion sessions to talk about books and women, especially inspiring public figures like Sheryl Sandberg, Tina Fey, and Sophie Amarusso.
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You should be realistic. Reflect on yourself. Do you have the market or not? Does it have an impact on others? Is it profitable for the company and prospective investors? There are people who just follow the trend, but they actually have to ensure the value propositions. Does it fit the market's needs?Is it true that startup workers have no work-life balance?
It is. Our working schedule follows the stakeholders. They work 9 to 5, so do we. But after that, we manage our company. It’s so difficult to find the balance. I’m glad we still have time for our personal lives, although that's only 10 percent of the total time in a week. Saturdays mean quality time for me, while I spend my Sundays with family or my boyfriend.What’s the biggest challenge in running a startup?
It’s very easy for us to run out of energy. Everyone reaches out, asking to collaborate. We must have the courage to say no. People have their own opinions, but we should be able to focus.Do you have a backup plan just in case you fail?
I have none. I trust our products can be adjusted to the needs of our audience. As long as we want it, we’ll go for it.How many times have you failed in starting your own business?
I've started businesses since I was in elementary school. I’ve failed four times. Failure, for me, is selling something that the market doesn’t need. The first two businesses were food businesses. So a startup refers to a business that has ran for under five years. It will be difficult to run a business that we dislike or don’t understand. I can’t even differentiate fried rice in restaurant A or B, so it’s going to be difficult for me to run that kind of business. If the market doesn’t need it, then we can’t depend our lives on it. It’s a failure. In Bookabuku, I hope it’s sustainable and fits our passion.Is it true that startup companies have a disorganized structure because that's just how startups are?
I don’t think it’s disorganized. It’s just overloaded. We have our structure and it’s alright. But there is always one person who handles different things. It’s kind of complicated sometimes that it can cause miscommunication. One thing that we need to take care of is the communication.‘The Road’ is a series by VICE x Tokopedia that presents profiles of seemingly "common" people who have the bravery to chase after their dreams despite doubts and obstacles, and who have become respected figures in their own field. #MulaiAjaDulu