Scaling is not just about growing bigger, it is about adding value and transforming how a business runs. That was the main message from The Scale-Up Playbook: Customers, Capital, Operations and Growth, a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurial Development, Innovation and Research at the Institute of Business Administration Karachi, in collaboration with Sindh Enterprise Development Fund and Sapphire Consulting Services. The session brought together founders from three different industries to explain how their companies changed as they grew, and the panellists were open about the challenges that came with each stage. Every phase brought something new, and resilience made the difference.
The panel featured Ayesha Samie Cashmiri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lush Crush Ice Pops; Waqas Mohsin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biowaste Energy Ventures Limited; and Ziana Sakhia, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Bechlo. Muhammad Hassan Khan, Associate Director at the center, moderated the discussion. Their businesses span consumer products, energy and e-commerce, which gave the audience a wide view of how scaling looks in different sectors, and the founders showed that while the products and markets differ, the pressures they face as a company grows are very similar.
The discussion produced four takeaways. On customers, founders were advised to know exactly who they serve, keep listening to them and give retention as much attention as acquisition. On capital, the message was to raise money with a clear purpose, match the type of funding to the stage of the company and build investor trust through transparency and traction. On operations, the panel stressed building systems before growth demands them, so that the founder does not become the bottleneck as the team and customer base expand. On growth, founders were urged to choose their markets, channels and business collaborators intentionally instead of chasing every opportunity that appears.
The organisers summed up the evening by saying that different industries follow the same playbook, and that scaling is not one decision but all four areas working together. The session fits closely with the center’s work with Sindh Enterprise Development Fund and Sapphire Consulting Services on the Sindh Acceleration Program, an eight month initiative that began in January 2026 and offers selected Sindh-based startups structured training, mentoring, milestone tracking and a Demo Day that connects them with investors and corporations. For founders who attended, the panel offered practical lessons from people who have already faced the problems that come with growth.
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