The Product Code: Shoper, Tally and the Making of an Entrepreneur

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 to 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.