The word ‘lazy’ may conjure up a negative image in the minds of many. But Manish Shrestha’s professional journey has made this word a symbol of creativity, innovative thinking, and success. 

World-renowned entrepreneur Bill Gates says, ‘I prefer to hire lazy people to do difficult tasks because they will find a way to do it quickly and easily.’ 

Embracing this thinking, Manish founded the company ‘Lazy’ in 2018 with the aim of encouraging creativity and making work more interesting.

His different thinking and adventurous journey have recently reached new heights. Presenting himself with a plan to expand the board game business in SAARC Tank Nepal, he was able to sign an agreement with Cabinet Shrestha for an investment of Rs 10 million in exchange for 25 percent equity and an additional loan of Rs 5 million. Expressing pride in his journey, Manish says, ‘We are proud to be lazy.’ 

He said that Cabinet Shrestha has been continuously guiding and facilitating networking opportunities for them after the SAARC tank. ‘This year alone, we are seeing a 20 percent growth,’ said Manish, ‘Next year there will definitely be further growth. In order to expand the leisure, we have now thought of collecting stories from the Himalayan region of Nepal and making physical board games, story books and animated stories based on them. How many games we used to play as children, now they are all disappearing. All the games in the market are either made in China or India. There is no way to find images and stories from Nepal in them.’ 

Manish’s childhood was not confined to the boundaries of any one city or country. Due to his father’s association with the United Nations, he spent about a decade of his childhood in African countries like Sierra Leone, Gambia and Namibia. Exposure to different cultures, different societies and different environments at a young age broadened his thinking and perspective.

Manish has about 60 employees in three companies, namely Kazi Studios, Alchhi and Alchhi Experiences. Although his early education began in Africa, he studied at Adarsh ​​Vidya Mandir in Lalitpur from grade 4 to 8. After that, Manish returned to Africa for secondary education and came to Nepal to study Plus Two after completing grade 9 and 10 there. And, he enrolled in Bhanubhakta Memorial College in Panipokhari.

His relationship with technology was deep since childhood. In 1997, his grandmother started the first Nepali web designing company ‘Aama Network’. When the internet and web technology were still in their infancy in Nepal, 17-year-old Manish became the first employee of that company. His daily routine was going to college in the morning and sitting in the office in the afternoon designing web. At that time, there were very few such companies in Nepal, but Manish was moving forward on that journey, seeing the potential for the future.

This interest and experience took him to America for higher education. He graduated in Computer Engineering from George Mason University. During his nearly 10 years in the US, he had the opportunity to work on various startups to large technology projects. These experiences not only enhanced his technical skills, but also strengthened his foundation for new thinking, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

He was involved in developing tech systems for companies like ‘Business Card Two’, which made digital card apps, to world-renowned brands like Yahoo, Google, Coca-Cola, and Nike. Business Card Two was a professional social networking platform similar to today’s LinkedIn. After that company closed, he worked for a digital solutions company called ‘Nardary.’ The company was very small when he started, and he was the fourth employee. ‘By the time I left, it had become a very large, Fortune 500 company. And, I was the oldest employee there,’ he recalled.

Manish began to find work in the US boring. The green card process was underway. But rather than spend another five years waiting for it, he thought it would be better to return to Nepal and do something. He returned to Nepal in 2010. After coming here, there was no shortage of work. Sometimes one job came, another came, and eventually they settled here. ‘In 2010, I started ‘Kazi Studios’ with Mrs. Kriti Shakya,’ said Manish. ‘Initially, I did some outsourcing work. We worked on technology implementation with development partners in South Asia. The studio, which was started by two partners (Mr. and Mrs.) with two laptops, is now working in the field of technology and design with organizations like the Government of Nepal, the World Bank, UNDP, and UNICEF.

There were some creative limitations when working for service recipients. Manish said that they conceived of ‘Alchhi’ to break them and bring their own original products. ‘Especially after the birth of my daughter, I felt that original games were disappearing in Nepal and that there was more foreign influence in the market,’ he said, ‘That is why we started making a board game and card game called ‘Samrajya’ that suits the Nepali environment.’

‘Samrajya’ did well. ‘Alchhi’ now has various card games and board games. Games and learning technologies like Dharahara, Bagchal, Langurburja, Dhikichayun, Momo, Fittu and Jatra can be purchased from ‘Alchhi’s Shop’.

Manish’s three companies, Kazi Studios, Alchhi and Alchhi Experiences, employ about 60 people. Technology systems and design systems are made from Kazi. He is working with the Nepal government on some projects. ‘We did technology development work under the Prime Minister’s Employment Program,’ said Manish, ‘In the first year, about 2.2 million people registered for it. From that, 6 billion rupees were paid through this 

system. Manish has worked on a malnutrition tracking system in collaboration with UNICEF in Bangladesh. ‘We develop a system for health offices,’ he said. Manish’s focus is not only on product development but also on building and implementing the entire system. 

Manish’s daily routine starts at 6:30 in the morning. After sending his daughter to school, he goes to the gym. And, reaches the office around 10:00. He loves to travel. ‘My family and I travel to different places in Nepal. I have reached Everest Base Camp three times,’ he said. 

It may be because of the pressure of work, Manish has not been able to read many books. Even though I am reading Steven Bartlett’s ‘Diary of a CEO’, I have not finished it, I have not found the time,’ he said. ‘Earlier, I used to watch a lot of films, but now I am missing even that. Earlier, I used to play the keyboard and guitar. Due to my busy schedule, I have not been able to touch even that.’ Manish married for love. He met Kriti while he was in America. ‘I was in the tech field, he was in the design field. After meeting, we both returned together to do something in Nepal,’ he says. 

Entrepreneurship is not just a means of earning money, it is a ‘driving force’ for him. It keeps pushing him to move forward and think new things. He feels that if the system in business is made well, it can be sold and expanded well. ‘Investment and thinking alone are not a big deal, their effective implementation is important,’ he said. 

The main challenge of working in Nepal is the lack of proper manpower and work ethics. ‘When I came from America and started working, I trained some people myself and taught them design, but most of the young people would learn the job and go to work in big companies abroad or go abroad for studies,’ said Manish. Manish is trying to apply the working style and technology he learned in America here.