It all started with me saying many times in the course of conversation ‘Oh, I must have read that somewhere’, said Sherine Rashed, founder of iRead app in an interview with The Egyptian Gazette about launching an app to encourage reading in Egypt and the Middle East.
EG: Why did you start and what’s the passion behind it?
Sherine Rashed: I was driven by the passion of sharing the books I came across and I wanted to encourage young people to read through my tech hub. I started to share all the quotes I highlighted while I was reading and people fell in love with them and discussed them. They asked me which book I found such-and-such in. They wanted to get hold of the book and read it.
Then, I started to promote the books through their quotes and writers and I got calls from publishers asking if I could do the same for them on my platform. The application brings together book lovers and publishers and became a cultural hub for the whole reading community.
Another reason for iRead was the idea that many writers are so involved with their work that they forget how to interact live with their audience, who can be accessed online. So, iRead Show is a tool for interaction and encouraging writers to send their photos with their work and get them published on the social media. Also, I started featuring and interviewing celebrities, highlighting the concept of mentally attractiveness. Physical beauty is only skin deep.
EG: What is your background?
SR: I graduated in economics and political science. I began my professional career as an economic analyst at the ministry of international cooperation and a columnist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce publication. Exploring the economy sector widened my horizons, sharpened my understanding, and equipped me with a whole new collection of skills. As a self-learner, I sopped up all the information and books.
EG: What are the issues you are solving and what is your value proposition?
SR: iRead hub and app step in as an Egyptian, Arab and Middle Eastern initiative that aims to penetrating the human mind, creating and reserving a space in it for reading that competes with social media. In addition, the app works to expand on, market for, and highlight the importance of reading in societies as a major element for them to be able to cross over and reach for the anticipated world of 2030 and beyond.
EG: Tell us more about the process, users, business model
SR: iRead application delivers books all over Egypt and displays them for most Egyptian publishers. The user can access the application then a list of writers’ works and publications will be displayed, each has its price. The user can subscribe and get the audio book or she can order a hardcopy of book to be delivered. Our business model is subscription-based.
EG: What are your main challenges?
SR: To compete with social media platforms to win over human intellect. It wasn’t easy to attract young people to reading. We tried to facilitate as much as we can through offering book delivery all over Egypt during lockdown and after. This is in addition to our attempts to convince publishers to speed up the digital transformation by offering their works on all digital channels and attract more readers online.
EG: What are your achievements and future plans?
SR: In January 2018, iRead teamed up with Ms Engy Al-Saban, the entrepreneur, investor and CEO of Victory link. Together, we founded the iRead Middle East company. We launched iRead Awards, an annual award, to introduce new writers at the cultural arenas. Also, we launched two book collections including 20 new writers – each were published in partnership with local publishing house of Dar Al Sherouk. My future plan is a book in every hand, and not just in Egypt but also the entire Middle East.
EG: Do you think the entrepreneurial ecosystem is helping you?
SR: Yes indeed, the entrepreneurial network in Egypt is very sound as it helped find our real partners, resources and exchange win-win deals in a rapidly-growing system for startups and to the digital products.
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