Utari Octavianty is no stranger to imposter syndrome.
Aruna, 28, is the co-founder of Aruna, an Indonesian farm-to-table e-commerce start-up that gives fishermen direct access to global consumers, earning a fair price for their catch.
“When we talked to another [start-up] Founders, they came from Harvard, Stanford, and suddenly there we are – from a local university in Indonesia,” he told CNBC Make It,
“But somehow she became the inspiration, it’s not the education that matters. That’s how we create the impact,” she said.
If this business keeps getting bigger and bigger, is my experience enough to handle it all?
utari octavianty
Co-Founder, Aruna
In fact, the impact she and her co-founders, Farid Naufal Aslam and Indraka Fadlilah have created, is far-reaching – more than 26,000 fishermen in 150 fishing communities in Indonesia now use aruna.
Indonesian President also praised him Joko “Jokowi” Widodo For his innovation and role in increasing the income of fishermen during the 2019 ASEAN Summit.
How is this multimillion-dollar fishery start-up getting started? CNBC Makes It Finds Out.
disapproval from parents
When Octavianti decided to start a fisheries-related business, his mother was so angry that she didn’t call for a month, she recalled.
“My parents did not allow me to join the fishery business because the economic value… is not good,” she said.
“So my parents told me to study technology [in university]They expected me to get a good job in the tech industry.”
Utari Octavianti with his mother.
utari octavianty
However, her mother’s concerns were not unfounded. Octavianti grew up in a fishing village and his mother sold fishing equipment for a living. Money was always tight, she said.
“At university, I realized that other kids [who were not poor] Could talk about dreams. But for me and my friends, we just talked about how to survive, how to have more money, how to pay for electricity for our homes.”
Indonesia is home to one of the world’s largest seafood the creator. In 2019, fishing sector in indonesia Contributed $27 billion to the national GDP.
Nevertheless, the World Bank pointed out high level of poverty In the small-scale fisheries sector – in 2018 the poverty rate in coastal villages was 1.3 times higher than in non-coastal villages.
Mostly it happens that the fishermen do not get paid… the middlemen will say that they will pay you tomorrow, but they will not. That’s why the fishermen get poorer and poorer.
utari octavianty
Co-Founder, Aruna
So when Octavianti found a way to marry technology and her personal experiences, she knew she simply couldn’t let it go, despite her parents’ resistance.
,[My co-founders and I] Created a timeline together. We said, let’s commit for at least a year and a half. If it fails, let’s find a job,” she said.
“At the time, we thought, If it’s not us, maybe someone else will do it differently… So let’s get started.”
removing middlemen
Aruna was founded in 2015, when all three co-founders were in their final year of the university. They had a simple objective: to provide consumers with a steady supply of seafood.
But after spending time with the fishermen, they realized there were more problems they could help solve.
For example, a long supply chain was a major factor that prevented fishermen from selling their fish at a fair price.
“The fishermen need to sell to the local middlemen and the local middlemen will sell to the city middleman, the city middleman will sell to the province middleman and so on.”
In 2019, the fisheries sector in Indonesia contributed $27 billion to the national GDP, but the World Bank reported high levels of poverty within the small-scale fisheries sector.
Aruna
“Mostly it happens that the fishermen are not paid… the middlemen will say that they will pay you tomorrow, but they will not. This is the reason why the fishermen keep getting poorer and poorer. This happened to my family earlier as well. It’s done,” said Octavianti, whose uncle is also a fisherman.
In addition to shortening the supply chain, the digital fish auction company Also uses data mapping to ensure fair trade.
“We have real-time data about the seafood season across Indonesia… [for example]That’s when it’s the season for lobsters, crabs and fish,” Octavianti said.
“Most of the seafood retail industry requires a steady supply of seafood … so if something isn’t in season on one island, we can supply from another island where it is.”
One of the challenges Aruna faced was inadequate infrastructure in the fishing villages. With many lacking electricity and internet connections, Aruna worked with local governments to get satellite internet and solar panels.
Aruna
Today, Aruna “has one of the largest integrated fisheries commerce in Indonesia,” Octavienti said. According to him, Matsya Manch exported 44 million kilograms of seafood to seven countries last year, most of them to the United States and China.
Giving fishermen direct access to the market has also benefited.
“We helped the fishermen to increase their income by two to three times more than what they had before joining Aruna,” Octavienti said.
personal mission
“I fear more. I have so many questions for myself. Will I be able to do this? If this business gets bigger and bigger, is my experience enough to handle it all?”
What he wrote in his diary 16 years ago is his personal mission – to lift the families of fishing villages out of poverty.
,[But now] It’s not there to prove it anymore [myself] for my friend. It’s more like, how can we keep [the business] sustainable, while improving people’s lives.”
If you can combine your personal mission with your business mission, you will have all the determination you need.”
utari octavianty
Co-Founder, Aruna