FCODE LABS: CREATING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH PERSEVERANCE

When Co-Founders Buddhishan Manamperi, Tharindu Malawaraarachchi and Ramesh Rathnayake decided to take a chance, pursue their passion and establish their own company, they had to start from zero in a journey where they had to create their own opportunities. Today, Fcode Labs has become a success story operating in Sri Lanka and Singapore, employing more than 60 team members, handling significant clients in Sri Lanka and worldwide, and competing with global companies much larger than they are. The trio spoke with Echelon to reveal the story behind their success.

What sparked Fcode Labs’ creation and your journey so far?

We started as friends and fellow university students at the University of Moratuwa who were passionate about creating startups. We dreamt of doing big things, but almost all the companies we formed during our student years failed. Having gone our separate ways after graduation, it wasn’t long before we realised that although we were comfortable, we still wanted to be bold and pursue our passion, which led to us creating our company in 2018 to give it one last try.

There is a significant amount of talent in Sri Lanka, and we saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market, solving problems with innovation. Fcode Labs is a services-based company, meaning we deliver services and build products, working with the manufacturing, energy, healthcare and other sectors. Some of our solutions help connect patients with doctors, and others contribute to operating million-dollar businesses. These have created efficient systems, reducing costs and contributing to the Sri Lankan economy.

We managed to build all this because of the synergy we had. Ramesh is a genius who can solve almost any technical problem. With Buddhishan and Tharindu handling operations as Co-CEOs and Ramesh as CTO, we all had skills that complemented each other and worked on things we enjoyed.

Ramesh was the first to quit his job and commit to the company fulltime, and it wasn’t long before all of us were. Starting from scratch is challenging, and we had to create opportunities with the few connections we had, making sure to deliver our best for every chance we got. Four years later, we have over 60 employees and are an award-winning company, working with clients across more than seven countries and some of the biggest exporters in Sri Lanka. We were even named one of the best places to work in Asia in our category

What challenges did you face breaking into the international market, and what was your approach to overcoming them?

Our dream was always to build a brand that extends beyond our borders because there’s a lot of opportunity for high returns, and doing so will support Sri Lanka’s economy. By seeking projects through international friends, we sought small opportunities and delivered the best we could in every one of them.

That led us to becoming a registered vendor to Singapore’s Ministry of Health, competing with other global players far more significant than us.

Delivering the best quality with integrity and transparency to every client at every opportunity we get, building a connection, actively seeking and receiving feedback, and sharing that they are a part of our journey of growth was the secret behind the development of our international clientele from Singapore to Australia, the Middle East, and Europe.

What other elements helped Fcode Labs flourish into a successful business?

At the start, the academic achievements of the founders did help convince some of our early Sri Lankan clients to work with us, but the real key to our success is all about hard work and the trust we have in each other. Our integrity and transparency in communicating with clients, building a supportive company culture and the enthusiastic team members who believed in our vision were crucial to our success.

How did Fcode Labs create and nurture a team culture aligned with its vision for the future?

Creating the proper environment is essential to building a strong team culture within Fcode Labs. We created an environment where everyone receives equal treatment with respect and dignity and allowed flexible working hours for team members to have a healthy work-life balance. We also encourage team members to pursue further education, even sponsoring their studies and professional qualifications.

Picking team members with the right attitude and work ethic is essential. We have been fortunate to have team members who think like founders and can lead and take active roles, allowing us to pursue greater opportunities. We want to help nurture them and create leaders.

Our achievements in the past few years are incredible, but we have only begun. We are in a better position than ever, ready for the next leap of growth. But we are looking to do so sustainably; everybody needs to enjoy the development, and we are committed to finding ways for our team members and us to grow.