Ali Khan Swati

owner of Red Tail Studio

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Ali Khan Swati is a business owner from Mansehra who owns Red Tail Studio and says he runs three companies. He says he brought Red Tail in as a digital marketing agency. He says Red Tail Studio's clients include UNDP, Red Cross and Hascol Petroleum, and that most of its clients are related to real estate.

Early life and background

Swati is the eldest of his siblings, with three younger brothers. His father ran a school for underprivileged children for 13 years, paid for from his own pocket. His father earned an MBA. His father worked in Iraq and other countries before returning to Pakistan, and was working in Dubai at one point. [1]

Swati ran the canteen at his father's school. He designed football posters, delivered them to people and sold them. He says he observes things a great deal. He says he noted what was being discussed and then started his own blogging. [1]

Education

Swati completed his FSc in Mansehra. He failed the entry test for COMSATS Abbottabad. He was admitted to Bahria University and studied for a Bachelor's in Software Engineering there. He says Bahria was considered one of the top universities around 2009. [1]

Career

Swati built a hostel. He said he needed 4 lakh rupees to open a hostel, and his maternal uncle gave him the money. He says the hostel earned him around 70,000 to 80,000 rupees. He sold his hostel for 7 to 7.5 lakh rupees. [1]

He says he has been working since 2009. He says he was earning around 10,000 to 15,000 dollars a month when he graduated in 2013. [1]

He started working at Coke for 15,000 rupees. He moved from Coke to a petroleum company, starting at 50,000 rupees. His salary rose from 50,000 rupees, and the company gave him a car and free petrol. He says he did not know what HR or admin do, and he says he sat with the admin, HR and marketing teams. [1]

His goal was to leave his job within three years and start his own company. He left his job once he completed three years. He moved to Hascol but did not enjoy it and went back to a petroleum company. [1]

He and a partner started a platform together, which was their first business. He says nobody in Pakistan was doing animation. He says that within a year they invested around 1.5 crore rupees and the company closed. He stopped his blogging and article work in 2016. He says that in 2016 he saw that the work he was doing would end and that the future was video. [1]

Red Tail Studio

Red Tail Studio works with different corporate clients. He says Red Tail Studio also covers billboards, TV commercials and events. He says the National Incubation Center has been one of his clients. Red Tail Marketing has its office in Lahore. He says he has a fixed minimum rate and does not work for less. [1]

E-commerce

Swati says his wife had a brand of her own. He says his wife first ran the business and he did not give it much focus. After marriage he began learning the e-commerce industry alongside his wife. In early 2021 he took over from his wife, though he says it was not a complete takeover, and he now does about 80 percent of the work. [1]

He says his wife was making about three and a half lakh rupees in online sales. He says his sales are about 30 to 40 lakh rupees in season and 20 to 25 lakh rupees off season. He says his product is sold B2B to salons and B2C online. He says his range currently consists only of lashes and that he is adding five or six cosmetic products. He says two of his outlets are open, one of them in Islamabad. [1]

Views

Swati says Pakistan has about 6% online buyers and expects 30% by 2030. He says India's online market share is around 30 to 32 percent. He says Pakistan is the fifth largest country, with 22 crore people. He says small e-commerce stores and startups in India grew into unicorns. [1]

Swati divides digital marketing into three segments, starting with brand awareness. He says many companies want sales without first paying for awareness and brand development. He says influencer marketing is one of the most important parts of the mix. He says Pakistani influencer campaigns are often badly run, with clients expecting only follower growth. [1]

Swati says the success rate in this industry is about 3 to 5 percent. He says the years of work behind successful freelancers are not shown publicly. He says this industry sells dreams to people. He says selling the dream of money sells well to young people. [1]

Swati says there is no easy money anywhere in the world, and no such thing as free money. He says he knows friends who earn millions of dollars. He says that up to about 2015, talent was easy to see. He says money does not come easily without passion and skill. He says that if he entered this industry for money, he could not survive in it long term. [1]

Swati says his degree was the biggest factor in where he is today. He says a degree matters when it comes from the right university. He says the people and environment around a student shape their vision. He says practical experience gained over years cannot be given in a single course. [1]

Swati says he focuses on improving his own skills. He believes money follows once skills improve in a field. He says he spent three years in the industry to learn it. He says he told someone to go and work for three years with different companies in the market first. He says he does not claim to be among Pakistan's top five digital marketers. [1]

Swati advises people to consider their temperament and the friends around them whose mentality matches theirs. He says he sees growing awareness among Pakistan's young people. He says successful people should guide young people in their fields. He says young people should be given the full picture. He says people should be told that the failure rate is about 97 percent and the success rate about 3 percent. [1]

Swati hopes Pakistan becomes the biggest exporter in Asia. He hopes women in Pakistan will run their own businesses. He wants Pakistan's e-commerce and freelancing sectors to grow so that home-based manufacturing units emerge. [1]

Personal life

Swati met his wife at a startup event in Lahore. He got engaged and married within about three months. [1]

His father was ill with a lung condition and was bedridden for nine months. His father died three days after he left his job. He says he was handling his business, a new business and the responsibility for the whole family. He says that once his father died, a filter between him and many matters was removed and they reached him. [1]

Timeline

2009
Says he has been working since this year[1]
2013
Graduated, and says he was earning around 10,000 to 15,000 dollars a month[1]
2016
Stopped his blogging and article work[1]
2021
Took over from his wife in early 2021[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2022-11-07 Why skill always comes before money in digital marketing Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ali Khan Swati?

Ali Khan Swati is a business owner from Mansehra who owns Red Tail Studio. He says he runs three companies. He says he brought Red Tail in as a digital marketing agency.[1]

What does Ali Khan Swati do?

Ali Khan Swati owns Red Tail Studio, which works with different corporate clients. He says Red Tail Studio also covers billboards, TV commercials and events. He says he runs three companies.[1]

Where did Ali Khan Swati study?

Ali Khan Swati completed his FSc in Mansehra. He failed the entry test for COMSATS Abbottabad and was admitted to Bahria University. He studied for a Bachelor's in Software Engineering at Bahria University.[1]

Where is Ali Khan Swati from?

Ali Khan Swati is from Mansehra. He completed his FSc in Mansehra.[1]

Who are the clients of Red Tail Studio?

Red Tail Studio is owned by Ali Khan Swati and works with different corporate clients. He says its clients include UNDP, Red Cross and Hascol Petroleum. He also says most of its clients are related to real estate.[1]

Where has Ali Khan Swati worked?

Ali Khan Swati started working at Coke for 15,000 rupees. He moved from Coke to a petroleum company, starting at 50,000 rupees. He moved to Hascol but did not enjoy it and went back to a petroleum company.[1]

What does Ali Khan Swati say about getting a degree?

Ali Khan Swati says his degree was the biggest factor in where he is today. He says a degree matters when it comes from the right university.[1]

When did Ali Khan Swati start working?

Ali Khan Swati says he has been working since 2009. He says he was earning around 10,000 to 15,000 dollars a month when he graduated in 2013.[1]

References

  1. Why skill always comes before money in digital marketing . Thought Behind Things , 2022-11-07.
Show the source passages (98 statements)
  1. Ali Khan Swati says he runs three companies. Aur basically main teen different companies run kar raha hoon.
  2. He owns Red Tail Studio. Ek meri Red Tail Studio hai.
  3. He says he brought Red Tail in as a digital marketing agency. To main Red Tail leke aaya as a digital marketing agencies
  4. Red Tail Studio works with different corporate clients. Red Tail Studio mein hum kaam karte hain different corporates ke sath.
  5. He says Red Tail Studio also covers billboards, TV commercials and events. us mein hum billboards, TV commercials, events bhi covered karte hain
  6. He says Red Tail Studio's clients include UNDP, Red Cross and Hascol Petroleum, and that most of its clients are related to real estate. UNDP, Red Cross, Hascol Petroleum, Red Sun Associates, majorly hamare paas zyada real estate se related clients hote hain
  7. He says the National Incubation Center has been one of his clients. Lekin different National Incubation Center mera client reh chuka hai.
  8. Red Tail Marketing has its office in Lahore. Red Tail Marketing office Lahore mein hai
  9. He says his wife had a brand of her own. jis mein meri wife ka brand tha Laisha ke naam se.
  10. He says his wife first ran the business and he did not give it much focus. To us mein pehle meri wife run kar rahi thi. Maine itna usko focus nahi kiya.
  11. In early 2021 he took over from his wife, though he says it was not a complete takeover, and he now does about 80 percent of the work. To jab 2021 ke start mein maine unse take over kiya. Take over to nahi kiya matlab 80% kaam ab main karta hoon 20% wo dekhti hain.
  12. He says his wife was making about three and a half lakh rupees in online sales. jab to meri wife teen saade teen lakh ki sale kar rahi thi online.
  13. He says his sales are about 30 to 40 lakh rupees in season and 20 to 25 lakh rupees off season. Ab hum season mein karte hain around 30 se 40 lakh ke darmiyan aur off season mein 20 se 25 lakh rupay ki hamari sales hoti hain.
  14. He says his product is sold B2B to salons and B2C online. Toh hamara product B2B pe salons pe sell hota hai aur B2C pe hum online sell karte hain.
  15. He says his range currently consists only of lashes and that he is adding five or six cosmetic products. Hamari abhi sirf lashes hain. Hum paanch se che products aur add kar rahe hain cosmetics ke.
  16. He says two of his outlets are open, one of them in Islamabad. jis mein se mere do outlets open ho chuki hain. Ek Islamabad mein, Safa Gold Mall mein aur ek Packages mein.
  17. Ali Khan Swati is from Mansehra. Basically main hoon Mansehra se.
  18. His father ran a school for underprivileged children for 13 years, paid for from his own pocket. mere father ne 13 years jo hai wo ek under privileged bachon ke liye school chalaya from the pocket.
  19. His father earned an MBA. To us waqt unhone MBA kiya wo gaon wapis gaye
  20. His father worked in Iraq and other countries before returning to Pakistan. unhone job ki Iraq gaye different countries gaye Pakistan mein job ki wapis aaye
  21. His father was working in Dubai at one point. basically mere father Dubai hote the.
  22. He ran the canteen at his father's school. jaise hi abbu ka school open hua to us mein jo canteen thi wo meri hoti thi.
  23. He designed football posters, delivered them to people and sold them. Football ke posters banaye, logon ko ja ke deliver kar diye, sell kar diye.
  24. He completed his FSc in Mansehra. Mansehra se hi FSc kiya.
  25. He failed the entry test for COMSATS Abbottabad. Phir main aaya mera maine COMSATS Abbottabad mein entry test diya aur fortunately fail ho gaya.
  26. He was admitted to Bahria University. Bahria mein mera admission ho gaya.
  27. He studied for a Bachelor's in Software Engineering at Bahria University. Meri jab Bahria University se maine start kiya to meri maine admission liya Bachelors in Software Engineering mein.
  28. He says Bahria was considered one of the top universities around 2009. Bahria aapko pata hai 2009 ya us time period mein kafi famous thi matlab one of the top universities mein consider ki jati thi.
  29. He says he observes things a great deal. main cheezon ko observe bahut zyada karta hoon
  30. He is the eldest of his siblings, with three younger brothers. Meri family mein sabse bada main hoon. To wo mere teen chote bhai hain
  31. He says he noted what was being discussed and then started his own blogging. Jo cheez ho rahi hain wo apne paas note ki wapis aaya apni wahi blogging start ki uske upar dal di
  32. He sold his hostel for 7 to 7.5 lakh rupees. wo maine apna hostel jo tha wo 7 7.5 lakh rupay ka sell kiya.
  33. He built a hostel. Ek maine hostel banaya tha.
  34. He says the hostel earned him around 70,000 to 80,000 rupees. wo 70 80,000 rupees main hostel se kamata tha
  35. He said he needed 4 lakh rupees to open a hostel. mujhe 4 lakh rupay chahiye maine business karna hai hostel hostel open karna hai.
  36. His maternal uncle gave him the money. To mama ne mujhe de diye.
  37. He says he was earning around 10,000 to 15,000 dollars a month when he graduated in 2013. 2013 mein jab main graduate hua to I was earning around 10 to 15,000 dollars per month.
  38. His father died three days after he left his job. within jaise hi maine job chhod di three days ke andar mere father ki death ho gayi.
  39. His father was ill with a lung condition and was bedridden for nine months. wo basically bimar the aur unko lungs ka issue tha. Nine months wo bed pe the
  40. He says he was handling his business, a new business and the responsibility for the whole family. Ab business ke sath sath new business plus sari family ki responsibility.
  41. He says that once his father died, a filter between him and many matters was removed and they reached him. Jaise hi father ki death hui wo sari cheezein beech mein se filter hata wo mere tak pahunchi
  42. He started working at Coke for 15,000 rupees. Maine 15,000 rupees mein Coke mein job start kar di.
  43. He says he did not know what HR or admin do. Mujhe nahi pata HR kya karti hai. Mujhe nahi pata admin kya karti hai.
  44. He moved from Coke to a petroleum company, starting at 50,000 rupees. Coke se main Out Reach Petroleum gaya 50,000 pe.
  45. His salary rose from 50,000 rupees, and the company gave him a car and free petrol. 50,000 se wo salary badhti gayi company ne gadi de di company ne petrol free kar diya
  46. He says he sat with the admin, HR and marketing teams. Ke main admin ke paas bhi baitha hota tha HR ke paas bhi marketing ke paas bhi
  47. His goal was to leave his job within three years and start his own company. Mera goal ye tha ke three within three years maine job chhodni hai aur maine company open karni hai.
  48. He left his job once he completed three years. jaise hi mere three years complete hue maine job chhod di
  49. He moved to Hascol but did not enjoy it and went back to a petroleum company. Hascol mein mujhe maza nahi aaya wapis maine Out Reach Petroleum join ki.
  50. He and a partner started a platform together, which was their first business. maine aur Ehtisham ne mil ke platform start kiya tha jo hamara pehla business tha Awami ke naam se.
  51. He says nobody in Pakistan was doing animation. Animation ek aisi cheez thi jo Pakistan mein koi nahi kar raha tha.
  52. He says that within a year they invested around 1.5 crore rupees and the company closed. ek saal mein humne us pe bahut investment ki around dedh ek crore rupay invest kiya aur wo company hamari band ho gayi.
  53. He stopped his blogging and article work in 2016. 2016 mein maine apne blogs aur apne articles wala kaam band kar diya.
  54. He says that in 2016 he saw that the work he was doing would end and that the future was video. Mujhe 2016 mein future nazar aa gaya tha ke ye kaam yahan pe band hone wala hai aur future hai ab sirf aur sirf video ka.
  55. He says Red Tail started on the day another of his ventures closed. jis din Awami band hui us din Red Tail start ho gayi.
  56. He says his first client was secured within the first month and is still with him. Mera pehla client within first month lock hua jo aaj tak mere sath chal raha hai Red Sun Associate.
  57. He says he has been doing work for that client for four years. main char saal se Red Sun ko kar ke de raha hoon.
  58. A UNDP contract came, and he ran a one-year campaign with Red Cross. phir UNDP ka contract aa gaya Red Cross ke sath ek saal ki campaign ki
  59. He met his wife at a startup event in Lahore. meri mulaqat hui meri jo abhi current wife hain unke sath. Ek startup ka event tha in Lahore.
  60. He got engaged and married within about three months. aur hamari mangni hui aur within three months hamari shadi ho gayi.
  61. After marriage he began learning the e-commerce industry alongside his wife. To mujhe e-commerce ka phir maine learn karna start kiya unke sath
  62. He says Pakistan has about 6% online buyers and expects 30% by 2030. Pakistan mein abhi 6% online buyers hain. 2025 se 2030 tak ye 30% pe market jani hai.
  63. He says India's online market share is around 30 to 32 percent. India ki market aaj 30 se 32% ke upar khadi hai.
  64. He says Pakistan is the fifth largest country, with 22 crore people. panchwan sabse bada mulk hai Pakistan ka 22 crore ki abadi hai.
  65. He says small e-commerce stores and startups in India grew into unicorns. jo chote chote e-commerce stores the, jo chote chote startups the, aapko daba kar unicorn milte ja rahe hain.
  66. He divides digital marketing into three segments, starting with brand awareness. Main digital marketing ko three segments mein divide karta hoon. Sabse pehli segment jo hai brand awareness hai.
  67. He says many companies want sales without first paying for awareness and brand development. woh pehle do phases ke upar paisa nahi lagana chahte. Woh directly paisa lagana chahte hain aakhri segment jo hai sales.
  68. He says influencer marketing is one of the most important parts of the mix. Influencer marketing bhi is mein sabse important cheez play karti hai.
  69. He says Pakistani influencer campaigns are often badly run, with clients expecting only follower growth. Pakistan mein influencer campaign bhi badi galat run ki jati hai. Example de raha hoon choti si ke woh expect karte hain ke inke through mujhe Insta ki following mil jayegi.
  70. He says the success rate in this industry is about 3 to 5 percent. Doosra mujhe is industry jo sabse bada issue hai, success rate hota hai 3%, 4%, 5%.
  71. He says the years of work behind successful freelancers are not shown publicly. Uski ek journey hai, uski ek learning hai aur uska ek ek time hai us industry mein. Woh nahi dikhaya jata, woh nahi bataya jata.
  72. He says this industry sells dreams to people. Sirf hume khwab bikte bade achche hain aur khwab beche bade achche jate hain toh hum khwab bechte hain logon ko.
  73. He says his degree was the biggest factor in where he is today. Main kehta hoon aaj main jis stage ke upar hoon, is mein sabse bada haath meri degree ka tha.
  74. He says a degree matters when it comes from the right university. Toh degree important hai lekin sahi university se.
  75. He says the people and environment around a student shape their vision. Kyunke akhir mein woh jo environment hai, woh jin logon ke darmiyan woh uthte baith rahe hain
  76. He says practical experience gained over years cannot be given in a single course. jo aapko practical experience kar ke aata hai, woh ek course mein aap nahi de sakte.
  77. He says he has a fixed minimum rate and does not work for less. ek maine fixed rate is se neeche kisi ke saath kaam nahi karna
  78. He says selling the dream of money sells well to young people. Paise ka dream dikhao, bikta hai.
  79. He says there is no easy money anywhere in the world. Dekhen agar easy money jaisa koi bhi cheez nahi, phenomena nahi hai poori duniya mein.
  80. He says he knows friends who earn millions of dollars. Main apne kitne doston ko janta hoon jo million dollars mein kama rahe hain.
  81. He says that up to about 2015, talent was easy to see. ab main sacchi baat batau 2013-14 tak, 15 tak, jab tak ye manjan nahi sell hua tha, hota tha, jab tak ye cheezein nahi thi, talent nazar aata tha.
  82. He says there is no such thing as free money. Wohi baat hai ke koi free money wala koi scene nahi hai.
  83. He advises people to consider their temperament and the friends around them whose mentality matches theirs. Aapka temperament kya hai, aapke gird gird jo dost baithte hain jinke saath aapki mentality milti hai
  84. He says money does not come easily without passion and skill. Paisa itni aasani se nahi banega agar aapko shauk nahi hai, agar aapke paas skill nahi aayegi to paisa nahi banega.
  85. He says that if he entered this industry for money, he could not survive in it long term. Agar main paise ki wajah se enter hunga main long term survive nahi kar sakunga is industry mein.
  86. He says he sees growing awareness among Pakistan's young people. Main dekh raha hu hamari generation mein awareness aa rahi hai.
  87. He says successful people should guide young people in their fields. Hamare jo successful log hain wo thoda sa zyada guide karein is manufacturing ka hai ya jo bhi is tarah ke apni apni fields mein.
  88. He hopes Pakistan becomes the biggest exporter in Asia. at least poore Asia mein sabse bada jo exporter ho wo Pakistan se ho.
  89. He hopes women in Pakistan will run their own businesses. Hamara har aur khaas tor pe women jo hain unke apne businesses ho.
  90. He wants Pakistan's e-commerce and freelancing sectors to grow so that home-based manufacturing units emerge. Main ye chah raha hu ke freelancing hamari jo e-commerce industry hai wo itni ban jaye ke hamare gharon ke andar hi hamare manufacturing units lage hue ho.
  91. He says young people should be given the full picture. main hamara sirf ye hai ke youth ko poori picture deni chahiye.
  92. He says people should be told that the failure rate is about 97 percent and the success rate about 3 percent. hum batayein yaar 97% failure hai, hum batayein 3% success rate hai
  93. He says he does not claim to be among Pakistan's top five digital marketers. main bhi claim nahi karta ke main digital marketing mein Pakistan mein top five mein hu
  94. He says he has been working since 2009. Maine ye dekha hai 2009 se main kaam kar raha hu.
  95. He says he focuses on improving his own skills. Main khud ke upar zyada kaam karta hu.
  96. He believes money follows once skills improve in a field. Ke agar aapka skill set aap khud us field mein acche hote ja rahe ho na money automatically aata hai.
  97. He says he spent three years in the industry to learn it. Ke ye jo teen saal main industry mein laga raha hu ye main seekhne ke liye laga raha hu.
  98. He says he told someone to go and work for three years with different companies in the market first. Maine kaha teen saal jao, market mein khao ragda. Jao different companies ke saath kaam karo.