We are launching NXTGEN (rolled out on our Facebook, website and our beautifully designed First Access Page).
If you find this blog post useful, please share it via email, Facebook and Twitter.
Alert! This is a long post and I suggest you to get some pakoras and tea. Here’s what I am covering

Part-1 (Startups, Career Advice, & How to Create Jobs)

  • NXTGEN
  • What problems can young people solve?
  • How can I create a startup?
  • Why create more jobs?
  • List of a few startups and freelancers in Peshawar
  • Why is this the right time to start your startup?
  • How to fund a startup?
  • Career and startup advice (a few questions young people ask)
  • Is Peshawar2.0 only about Technology, Design and Art?
  • I am not young. Am I late for this?
  • Examples of startups in Pakistan (and in Peshawar)

Part-2 (Skills Camps, Scholarship Opportunities for Students)

  • NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015
  • What will I learn?
  • Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp (pictures, testimonials and some good news)
  • Get on the Early Access List of Winter Camp
  • Workshops of Winter Camp
  • Faculty members and instructors of the camp
  • NXTGEN Fellows
  • Who is a NXTGENER?
  • Who should attend NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015
  • Nomination Opportunity for NXTGEN Winter Camp
  • FAQs (and how parents can be part of this)
  • Peshawar2.0 Scholarship Fund for Aspiring Designers, Coders and Artists (generous fund of PKR 300,000)
  • Become a Benefactor of P2 Scholarship Fund

Bonus (The most happening place and people in Peshawar)

  • NXTGEN Skills Survey
  • #IAMP2 Campaign (excellent opportunity for young people)
  • Relive memories of DYS 2014
  • Attend KPTech Chat Series
  • And P2 is hiring
Part -1
NXTGEN (Next Generation)
NXTGEN is a movement of young people. We believe young people are our future and they inspire us everyday. They have got the energy, talent and creativity to become the next generation of entrepreneurs, designers, and artists. In the digital age, they can access knowledge quickly and easily. To use this information and knowledge for the good of the society and themselves, they need to dive deep and master skills for the creative (skills) economy. Any young person who believes in making a better world by solving problems, creating more jobs and opportunities is a NXTGENER!
What problems are we talking about?

Our world has problems that need our attention. And if you care (a little more), you and your community will be benefited. In the words of Peter Diamandis, to become a billionaire, solve a billion-person problem.

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Let’s start with Pakistan

  • Problems / Opportunities: Education, health, poverty, power crises etc.
  • Solution: Create more jobs. Spend more on our people. Find solutions to our problems.
  • Resources: People of this country
  • Strategy: Create more startups and businesses
  • Culture: Young people in schools, colleges and universities should be encouraged (and educated) to experiment with their ideas.
  • Support: Government and institutions should support the ecosystem (an ideal world). And entrepreneurs /makers/doers don’t expect ideal situations.
Why should I be bothered about creating jobs?

There aren’t enough jobs because there aren’t enough job-creators (entrepreneurs) out there. Let’s take Peshawar as a case-study. The city has population of over 40 million. More and more people are graduating every year from universities but the harsh reality is that a limited number of graduates can get jobs at telcos, banks and in other sectors. Suppose there are 10,000 people graduating every year and there are 100 companies (in Peshawar) recruiting 2-5 people each. Around 500 people are recruited, leaving 9500 grads unemployed! So in this, more graduates mean more unemployed people. It is not difficult math. I know universities are not doing enough for making graduates more employable in the job market and there’s a disconnect between industry and academia. But that’s is s different issue all-together. 

Now consider a different case study. Out of 10,000 students, if 5000 students (only 50%) create startups and with a failure rate of (99%), only 50 startups (20 people in each startup) will make it through the first year. Now do the math again.

50 (startups) x (20 people employed in each startup) = 1000 (new) jobs created in the market. And that means 1000 more graduates have jobs. And we can repeat this every year. Still not convinced? Here’s a list of some of the people who are running their freelance businesses, and startups (product and services) in Peshawar.

Add more freelancers, small businesses and startups here.

Why is this the right time to start your startup?

The mobile connectivity is empowering Pakistanis to create more jobs through freelancing and startups. If you have access to computer and an internet connection, you can use your talents and skills to create value for yourself and for people around you. Not convinced? Read this! Interested to know more about Pakistan’s startup ecosystem? Here’s a report! And this piece is for people creating tech startups.

Where will the money come from? 

In the case of Pakistan

  • Join an incubator or accelerator
  • Start a crowdfunding campaign online (Lahore based Markhor which sells hand-crafted shoes, raised $107,286 and their target was $15,000)
  • Pitch your needs to friends and family
  • Fund your startup yourself (and bootstrap). How to Bootstrap? Read on a scientific method called lean startup.
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(Photo Credit: Markhor’s Kickstarter page)

Read more about funding here.

What If I fail?

The question you should rather ask yourself is “how many times should you try?” (Check Infographic below!) Let’s learn something from Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Colonel Sanders ( Founder of KFC. Yes! which has a franchise on University Road in Peshawar) and our favourite Thomas Edision. Need motivation? Read about Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg. During your startup life, you are wearing multiple hats. You develop a great set of skills and a network. In case you decide to hunt for a job, now you have more marketable skills and are more employable.

 

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I am not an entrepreneurial-type. I will be a good employee. What can I do?

Find a job at a startup.

One piece of advice

Avoid naysayers. The ones who always tell you “this can not be done”. Yea-to-ho-he-nahe-saktha type. Surround yourself with people who are driven by some cause.

I am still confused. What’s a Startup?

“A Startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model” – Steve Blank

Give me some specific startup ideas or problems that I can solve.

Here’s one list and not the only one. And don’t forget to check Forbes 30-under-30 entrepreneurs in the categories of Food, Tech, Social, Sports, Energy, Marketing etc.

 

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I’ve an idea for a startup/business? What’s Next?

Business Model Canvas is an excellent resource to start visualizing your idea.

 

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Is there anything else I can study beyond Medicine and Engineering?

We live in 21st century. And there are tons of careers that we should explore. Medicine and Engineering are two noble professions but not the only careers. Here’s a funny take on how your parents (and society) push you into careers that you don’t like. Log kiya kahengay? / Da khalak ba sawee? / What will people think and say? Sounds familiar? Read this for career advice.

Live a Passionate Life

You are unique… All of you reading this!

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Seuss

Experiment throughout your life. Build things. I have learnt something from years of experimentation that you don’t have to settle for only one thing (profession, academic interest). Settlement is comfortable but it stagnates your overall growth both as a human and professional. My academic interests have been Computer Science, Marketing and Public Policy. I have experimented with graphic design, teaching, volunteer work and learned useful life skills.  I personally believe, that in order to grow, you should learn one thing everyday.

I like what I am doing these days. I am helping a group of exceptionally talented people for building our community. Our city. Peshawar as Peshawar2.0. My co-founders include a bio-technologist, a digital marketer and a management researcher.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish! – Steve Jobs

I highly recommend you to watch Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech.  Jobs was the person who changed the course of multiple industries.

And the reason you should do what you are really passionate for is this…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”     -Mark Twain

And this…

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” – Maya Angelou

Is Peshawar2.0 only about Technology, Design and Art? 

We are not limited to these three areas. We are developing a community by engaging people from diverse backgrounds. We would love to hear from:

  • Startups
  • Investors
  • Mentors
  • Enthusiasts
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Writers
  • Students (of all the disciplines in schools, colleges and universities)
  • Engineers
  • Architects
  • Doctors
  • Scientists
Is there a support system available in Peshawar? I need career counselling

Yes! Follow these people on Twitter and get in touch.

Is there a place where I can experiment with my ideas?

Have you heard about Basecamp in Peshawar? Give us a call at (091) 5611942. (Open on weekdays from 9am to 8pm)

I like what I am studying in college/university and want to learn new skills

Keep Reading! We have got a camp planned for you. (NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015)

I am not young? Am I late to start this?

No.  Some of world’s successful companies were started by founders/entrepreneurs aged between 35-39 years

  • Proctor & Gamble (35)
  • Boeing (35)
  • Linkedin (36)
  • GAP (37)
  • Hugo Boss (38)
  • HTC (39)
  • Zara (39)
  • Intel (39)

Check this infographic for more on this. I absolutely love infographics. They have the power to communicate ideas and stories in a visual and compelling way. Learn more about infographics.

What are NXTGENERS doing?

They are creating cool and meaningful things, projects, startups in the world. You know about Facebook, Twitter, Apple and Google and are using their products and services. They were once startups started by people (entrepreneurs and their teams) with the belief and dream of a better world. And they did it.

Do you need examples from Pakistan?

Check out Hiwaas, The Half-Fried Games, Blimp, Basecamp, Averos and of course Peshawar2.0 (All based in Peshawar).

  • Hiwaas develops mobile apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows
  • Half-Fried Games makes mobile games for iPhone and Android
  • Blimp is Digital Marketing Agency
  • Basecamp is a community place for co-working space, events, and hangouts
  • Averos develops Systems Biology based Therapeutics
  • Peshawar2.0 is a social enterprise founded with the vision to develop Peshawar as a talent hub for technology, design and art. It has organized Digital Youth Summit 2014 and brought events including Startup Weekend Peshawar, Peshawar Civic Hackathon, TEDxPeshawar, and Global Entrepreneurship Week to Peshawar.

Here’s a list of some of the Pakistani startups.


 Part -2
What is NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015?
NXTGEN Winter Camp is a sprint training for our Next Generation of entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, scientists and artists. NXTGEN is an opportunity to exercise your creative muscles by developing knowledge and skills. Ready for this challenge?
What Will I Learn?

This is a hands-on and an accelerated-learning camp for motivated individuals who want to learn skills of 21st century. Our winter camp will give you awareness, toolkit and skills for your life and career. You will be learning from our cohort of experienced coders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and artists. This is also an excellent opportunity to network with like minded individuals and to connect with your future mentors.

Word on the Street about our Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp ( held on 16th November 2014 at Basecamp).

Our Bootcampers loved their immersion experience of 10 hours of classroom training and exercises.  Good news for #PSBootcampers! You can still use your discount coupons during NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015. Good luck!

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Leonardo Da Vinci

Photoshop Bootcamp 2014

Photoshop Bootcamp 2014

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Co-working space at Basecamp

Yummy Doughnuts :)

Yummy Doughnuts 🙂

Basecamp - the most happening place in town

Basecamp – the most happening place in town

I love the daylight in the training space

I love the daylight in the training space

Our toolkit

Our toolkit

FOCUS!

FOCUS!

Mood board exercise

Mood board exercise

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Basecamp

Basecamp

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Bootcampers after an intensive day of learning :)

Bootcampers after an intensive day of learning 🙂

Komal, UET Peshawar

 It was worth my time. Attending this Photoshop Bootcamp of Peshawar2.0 was an excellent learning experience.

Abdullah, COMSATS Isalamabd

Before coming to bootcamp,  I was only a developer. I always wondered how can I learn Photoshop and increase my knowledge and understanding of design. This experience has taught me the value of hands-on learning which this workshop offers. Thank you Peshawar2.0!

Hurmat

Great learning experience 🙂 This model of accelerated learning is just amazing. Would love to visit again!

Maliha

It was my first experience to sit and work in a class for 10 hours. This was intensive. And I enjoyed every bit of it. I enjoyed and learned at the same time. Now I can claim that I am not scared of Photoshop. Learning space (Basecamp) is an absolute treat for spending your day.

Wajiha

At the Bootcamp, I have learned that you don’t have to spend a lot of time, money and energy to learn basics of Photoshop. Thank you Peshawar2.0 for an enjoyable day at Photoshop Bootcamp!

Salman

I learned so much in one day. And I am coming for more immersion experiences of Peshawar2.0

I am listing below the workshops of  NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015. The details about instructors and schedules will be shared soon with people who got registered on NXTGEN First Access List. 

You can get on the Early Access List of Winter Camp in a number of ways

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Get on the Early Access List!

Workshops of NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015
  • Developing Apps for iPhone and Android
  • Mobile Game Development
  • Photography
  • Public Speaking
  • Dressing Up Your CV
  • Event Management
  • Bio Technology Skills
  • Blogging
  • Creating Websites in WordPress
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Sketching
  • Painting
  • Arduino and Robotics
  • Calligraphy
  • Stop Motion Filmmaking
  • Freelancing
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Coding for teenagers
  • Design Thinking
  • Creative Writing
Who are instructors and faculty members of this camp?

You are in for a surprise. We have gathered a fantastic list of people for this camp. These are doers, creators and passionate people who are making brilliant art in their fields. They share our belief of infecting more people with the bug of Tech, Design and Art.

Can I get involved after attending Winter Camp?

Yes! Peshawar2.0 will provide training and mentorship to selected graduates of winter camp. They will be inducted as NXTGEN Fellows to work on projects with core team of Peshawar2.0. For example, fellows will be given training for developing our network of NXTGEN clubs in their community, schools, colleges, and universities. And there’s more if you are up for the challenge! Use Hashtag #NXTGENWC15 for NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015. In this way we can be in touch and follow your progress after Winter Camp.

What Do You Look for in a NXTGENER?

– A dreamer
– Self motivated doer
– Likes challenges and adventures
– Loves creating cool things and projects
– Is a DIYER at heart (DIY – Do it yourself)
– Learns something everyday
– Wants to make a better world
– Passionate to develop a useful product / service / idea
– Interested in technology / design / engineering / art / entrepreneurship / computer science
– Learns from trial and error

Who should attend? 

NXTGEN is a training sprint for:

– Pre-college students in grades 5-10 (Nominate teens for NXTGEN Winter Camp and help us in finding the next generation of change-makers and doers)
– College-age students in grades 11th and 12th
– University students
– Adults

How to Nominate teens for Winter Camp?

We are looking for motivated teens in grades 5-10 to take part in our NXTGEN Winter Camp. You can nominate teens here. Nominees should be in grades 5-10. We will contact the individual you nominate to confirm their interest and to provide them with more information on our programs and how to apply. Our team will select 20 exceptional teens from that list of nominees for attending workshops in the Winter Camp in Mid February 2015. Successful teens will be offered to pick workshop of their interest.  Peshawar2.0 will sponsor the workshop costs. Travel, food and any other costs are not included.

Get on the Early Access List of Winter Camp in a number of ways (In case you missed the links)

FAQ’s

I am a parent. Can I attend this?

Yes. Free passes will be available for parents.

How can I get updates on P2 Events?

For all our updates, Send P2 (as a Text message) to 8333.

Should I be enrolled in a particular academic field to attend Winter Camp?

This camp is students of all disciplines. If you want to learn new skills and develop yourself both personally and professionally, this is for you.

Where can I get all the updates of Peshawar2.0 and NXTGEN events?

You need to subscribe to our blog for all the latest updates and blog posts on technology, design and career advice. For further queries, feel free to call us at (091) 5611942 (between 9am to 8pm).

Peshawar2.0 Scholarship Fund

 

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Peshawar2.0 Scholarship for Aspiring Designers, Coders and Artists

Peshawar2.0 has created a PKR 300,000 scholarship fund to provide accelerated training to aspiring designers, coders and artists in NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015.

Application Process

Scholarships will be given out on a merit basis (judged by our selection panel). Eligible applicants who are accepted will receive 5 days training (40-50 hours) during NXTGEN Winter Camp 2015. Apply Now!

Eligibility
  • Must be over the age of 10
  • Passionate about making a difference in the world
  • Interested in technology / design / engineering / art / entrepreneurship / computer science
Deadline

We’ll be accepting applications until 8th February 2015 and announce successful applicants on 10th February 2015.

Share this Scholarship
Become a Benefactor

Fund scholarships to level the playing field for those without access. Apply to become a benefactor.

NXTGEN Skills Survey

To help us understand what skills you are interested to learn, fill this survey here and share it with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter.


Part -3
Bonus

We have started #IAMP2 Campaign and if you share our dream, send us your high-res mug shot at P2’s facebook page.

 

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Digital Youth Summit 2015 is around the corner. 

Highlights from Digital Youth Summit 2014
Day 1

 

 

Day 2

 

Want to be part of KPDYS 2015? Attend one of the several KPTech Chats.
Startup Saturdays is also around the corner and we are hiring. 
If you find this blog post useful, please share it via email, Facebook and Twitter.
Get on the Early Access List of Winter Camp in a number of ways (In case you missed the links)

Tell us in comments about your suggestions, ideas and feedback! We would love to hear from you! 🙂