“When you start a business, even if you fail, you learn a lot, and if it works out, that’s even better. You are always on the winning side“ – Jahnnobi Rahman
YSSE: Who are you? An entrepreneur, a mathlete, or a writer?
Jahnnobi Rahman: I think I am a fighter. (Laughs)
YSSE: How did you come up with the name ‘Relaxy’?
Jahnnobi Rahman: My close friend and co-founder, Naimul Hoque Joy, came up with the name, and it fit perfectly, Alhamdulillah.
YSSE: Who was your support during your days of mental health struggle?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Amidst the challenging period, I grappled with trust issues and sought answers on social media to comprehend the relevant terms. When things started getting out of hand, I turned to an expert. I kept my situation private because of the stigma attached to it. Eventually, I overcame my hesitation and opened up to others.
YSSE: What was your experience with mental health counseling? How does ‘Relaxy’ solve the hassle?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Persistent difficulty with daily tasks may signal mental health issues. I experienced unexplained fevers where mental problems took a physical form. When doctors couldn’t identify a cause, seeking expert help became crucial.
‘Relaxy’ provides affordable expert chatting as an initial option to understand and address the problem before committing to expensive therapy sessions, which may cost 600 to 1500 Taka with a psychologist. The expert chat aids in determining the necessity of therapy or other remedies.
YSSE: How did the idea of ‘Relaxy’ come?
Jahnnobi Rahman: In 2020, my co-founders and I were working on various projects, including a mental health initiative for students under 18. During this time, I encountered a personal problem related to the project. Seeking help from a psychologist, the issue stayed with me, leading to confusion and questions between therapy sessions. When I observed many other students facing similar situations, I realized the magnitude of the problem. One of my co-founders also experienced a mental health issue. We recognized that this was a widespread and long-standing problem that had been overlooked, with little understanding of what happens to individuals after therapy sessions.
I was in RUET, and my co-founder was in KUET. Probably in 2021, after two junior students committed suicide, we realized that the traditional support therapy sessions were inadequate for addressing mental health issues, which affected many young people, including students and professionals. We began a live podcast on Facebook called “Let’s Talk Mental Health,” discussing deep topics like relationship trauma and panic attacks. The response was overwhelming, and we partnered with psychologist Saurav Baidya, who single-handedly provided free therapy sessions to over a hundred individuals. Through phone conversations, we identified the main issues: lack of acceptance, guidance, and proper care in traditional therapy methods. As Computer Science students, we shifted from a Facebook page to developing a new app, starting the product ideation process.
YSSE: What steps have you taken to prevent suicidal action?
Jahnnobi Rahman: We have collaborated with ‘Kaan Pete Roi’, Bangladesh’s first suicide prevention helpline, and introduced a suicidal ideation tag in our app. Whenever a user adds this hashtag to their post, our team and experts receive instant notifications. Our customer care team actively supports these users, reaching out to them through the app or providing the helpline’s phone number if needed. The supportive community of Relaxy users also responds quickly to these posts. With this big, strong, and positive community, peer support works the best. Also, we get their mental health status, so our experts can also analyze when to intervene.
YSSE: How big is the ‘Relaxy’ team, and how is the bond?
Jahnnobi Rahman: We have a team of 13 members and 5 experts on board for our app. We have partnered with PHWC (Psychological Health and Wellness Clinic), which has 75 psychologists. We have also partnered with Kaan Pete Roi.
Our core team has complete ownership, and we seek their input on how they can handle different situations. The bond is strong since we started with 3 members, grew to 5, and now have 13. We expect to reach 20 or 25 by year’s end, and our team members have remained loyal, making it a fortunate and enduring growth process.
YSSE: How many current users do you have, and what is their feedback?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Our app has over 30,000 monthly downloads and around 12,000 active users. Approximately 7.7% of users are from various countries, including Indonesia, India, Singapore, and the USA. In Bangladesh, 45% of users live outside Dhaka. Regarding gender, the user base is balanced, with 55% female and 45% male users, indicating that our platform is safe.
YSSE: How does the ‘Relaxy’ app leverage technology to cater to individual preferences?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Relaxy services are highly personalized and data-driven. User sessions and expert chats revolve around specific user data, including gender, age, topics of interest, current mood, and mental health status. The app takes a holistic approach to cater to individual needs and preferences.
YSSE: As an anonymous community-based platform, how is the feedback?
Jahnnobi Rahman: People’s feedback was positive right from the beginning, but we encountered spam users midway, which we successfully addressed. We have recently introduced a ‘Message Request’ feature that has eliminated spam users. We actively seek and receive feedback from our community, with 20 to 50 daily messages providing valuable insights for platform improvement. Our users appreciate the freedom to share both positive aspects and areas that need enhancement, contributing to a very positive overall community sentiment.
YSSE: How did you convert your struggle into a business?
Jahnnobi Rahman: It was a lot of hard work. Starting anything is difficult, and it was even more challenging for me due to personal circumstances. As a student juggling multiple responsibilities, I faced significant struggles. Even now, running a business and securing funding are not easy, especially with a large user base, which comes with increased responsibility. Nonetheless, focusing on providing better services to existing users and creating improved products for new users keeps me going. So yeah, grit got me through.
YSSE: Did you ever have to face discrimination as a female entrepreneur?
Jahnnobi Rahman: A lot. That’s a very common thing.
Gender bias is prevalent not only in Bangladesh but also in other places. Despite the belief in gender equality, it’s evident that biases persist, especially in South Asian countries. There’s skepticism about their inclusion in teams, often seen as a mere “optics” move. Many women face preconceived judgments during presentations. Initially, I would be upset, but I’ve learned to adapt to it now.
YSSE: Please tell us something about Captain Earth. How did the idea come about?
Jahnnobi Rahman: It’s a skill- and task-based gaming platform for kids, aimed at helping them develop leadership, kindness, and other soft skills through various activities.
The idea for our platform came from our concern about our young siblings spending too much screen time. We wanted to nurture practicing skills in them from a young age.
YSSE: What would be your message for those who still mock mental health issues?
Jahnnobi Rahman: I would say, Don’t mock what you don’t understand. It’s okay not to relate to someone’s situation, but making fun without awareness is wrong. Please be empathetic and stay open-minded.
YSSE: What keeps you going in your workplace?
Jahnnobi Rahman: I feel a strong responsibility to act because if I don’t, many people will suffer. Making things right is essential to preventing others from experiencing the same suffering I went through. That keeps me going.
YSSE: What was your feeling after getting enlisted in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list?
Jahnnobi Rahman: I got the email early in the morning. I checked the Forbes website a couple of times just to ensure that it was me. It is a very different and overwhelming experience.
YSSE: Did you aspire to be an entrepreneur from childhood?
Jahnnobi Rahman: As a kid, I was a nerd and had to work hard to keep up with other kids. The concept of ‘entrepreneurship’ was foreign to me, and I used to do quirky things in my childhood. While pursuing my studies, I gradually realized that entrepreneurship might be my path, and I gained knowledge along the way.
YSSE: What would be the title of the documentary made about your life, and why?
Jahnnobi Rahman: ‘The Misfit’.
Because I have had difficulty connecting with my surroundings throughout my school and university life. Making fun hangout groups has been a struggle, and I feel like I don’t easily fit in. My interests and choices in life differ greatly from those of my family, who are mostly doctors and teachers. No one knows about business, let alone entrepreneurship.
During my childhood, I dressed up like a boy, adopting a tomboyish style until the fourth grade. I used to go to Eid prayers. As a result, most of my friends were boys. However, when I transferred to Holy Cross School, fitting in became challenging and unsettling due to the drastic change in the situation.
YSSE: How did you go through those days of constant juggling? What was the X Factor in you?
Jahnnobi Rahman: My story is not heroic but filled with numerous failures. I think that phase of my life has a series of failures that I cherish so much right now.
YSSE: What would you choose between speed and perfection? Why?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Speed. Because perfection is a myth.
Take action instead of waiting for perfection. Try things out, and if they fail, be willing to switch to another thing. I think that’s a feasible choice. So, I would go for speed.
YSSE: What is your message for all those aspiring entrepreneurs?
Jahnnobi Rahman: Before starting a business, conduct thorough research to understand the problem you aim to solve and the market size, and then just do it. Even if you fail, you learn a lot, and if it works out, then it’s even better. So, you are always on the winning side.
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Writer,
Razna Rahman
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE