How I Built Hibiskeys Into a Rs. 2M+ Startup at 15

It Started With a Hobby

Back in 2022, during COVID, I started tinkering with computers. I was in Sargodha, Pakistan — building and fixing PCs, learning electronics from YouTube, and spending way too much time looking at mechanical keyboards on Reddit. I couldn’t afford the boards I wanted, so I figured I’d learn to build them myself.

That first build was rough. Wobbly stabs, uneven lube, and a spacebar that sounded like a door slamming shut. But I was hooked.

From Hobby to Business

By mid-2023, friends were asking me to build boards for them. Then friends of friends. Then strangers on Facebook groups. I realized there was a gap — people in Pakistan wanted custom keyboards, but nobody was doing it locally. International shipping was expensive and unreliable.

So I launched Hibiskeys. No investors, no loans. Just me, my tools, and a lot of late nights after school.

Scaling to 100+ Builds

The first year was about proving the concept. Could I deliver consistently? Could I maintain quality while keeping prices reasonable for the Pakistani market? The answer was yes — but it took systems.

I built spreadsheets for inventory tracking, created a workflow for client consultations, and standardized my build process. Every board gets the same attention to detail whether it’s a budget build or a premium commission.

What I’ve Learned

Start before you’re ready. My first builds weren’t perfect, but they were good enough to earn trust. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

Bootstrap if you can. Not having investors means I own 100% of my decisions. I can experiment, pivot, and take risks without answering to anyone.

Community is everything. Hibiskeys wouldn’t exist without the keyboard community. That’s why I co-founded KEOP — to give back to the hobby that gave me everything.

What’s Next

We’re expanding our product line, working with more international designers, and exploring group buys. The Pakistani keyboard scene is growing fast, and I want Hibiskeys to be at the center of it.

Rs. 2,000,000+ in revenue. 100+ builds delivered. Sponsorships from leading brands. And I’m just getting started.