Early Interactions and the Challenges of the Initial Stage
Early Interactions and the Challenges of the Initial Stage
From the book: City, Data, Intelligence
After presenting the project to a group of entrepreneurship enthusiasts, we decided to formally submit Shahr Online to official institutions. At the time, we hoped to leverage the capacities of innovation centers, incubators, and cultural and urban organizations for practical support. Our initial budget estimate was around 1.5 billion tomans—a significant sum for a project’s early phase.
At first glance, these platforms seemed like gateways for professional development and financial and moral support. However, we soon realized that the reality extended far beyond the promotional slogans. Experts at one incubator candidly stated that projects with interactive structures or innovations in urban services were not a priority for support. One executive even advised, without any formal review, “Let’s not waste our time on bureaucracy.” In another center, the project review was put on hold for an extended period and only resumed after a change in management.
When we gained limited access to a specialized incubator, communications began to collect relevant data from responsible authorities, such as doctors and medical centers, for the first phase of the system. The project had been designed in phases: service presentation, online appointment scheduling, and remote treatment. Even a module for online drug sales was planned, but it never reached implementation due to the lack of official approval.
During development, we encountered resistance. Some individuals, without any legal documentation or agreements, claimed ownership or participation in the project and even issued threats. Despite the launch of the system’s first version, collaboration with one of the medical universities stalled due to the public display of doctors’ information, officially cited as a “security concern.”
After a change in university management, the project was reintroduced at an exhibition, and one of the evaluators even suggested that code review could lead to the project being selected. Yet, at the final hour, the university’s security prevented us from delivering the source code. Consequently, the opportunity was lost. Later, at the university’s request, the project’s programming language was changed from PHP to ASP.NET. However, subsequent stages—such as obtaining a payment gateway and service pricing—again faced obstacles imposed by the university.
Despite the company receiving knowledge-based certification and multiple correspondences, a version of the source code was delivered, and a nominal invoice was issued, but no formal contract was signed. Promises for follow-up through official letters or annual addenda remained unfulfilled verbal commitments.
We were concerned about potential legal and security consequences of independently implementing the project and, therefore, continued to wait for the promised contract. Meanwhile, our goal was not only financial support but the realization of the project at a citywide scale.
During this period, most of the companies based in that incubator were relocated to other branches, but we stayed. The project’s data, analyses, and infrastructure were fully prepared for expansion—just awaiting the formal contract. The system’s algorithm was not limited to healthcare services; it was capable of supporting all urban business sectors.
Yet, it was not just economic obstacles but also human barriers that emerged—barriers that gradually drained the energy of the team.
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