Meet the cop who developed a safety app for women

If Thomas Edison had believed in failure and had quit soon after his first setback, we all would have been still living in darkness today. If you look at the most inspirational innovators and icons throughout history, they all shared a common belief – they simply did not entertain the notion of failure, instead they understood that every failure encountered brings you one step closer to success. One such person who shared his story with us is Firoze Zia Hussain who is currently CEO of Totem international limited, a company that develops safety apps for women.

Like many UPSC aspirants, he also had to undergo the trauma of being rejected – rejected not once, but thrice – “Being a bright student from childhood, I had expected the exam to be easy for me but and at the same time I had a lot of expectation from my career, but the first setback in my life left me depressed” says Firoze. After going through a ‘callous’ situation, Firoze decided to serve people.

“At that time a thought of studying MBA and leading a nice corporate life crossed my mind, but then I was overtaken with the desire to experiment with life. Fear of failure had taken a back seat. I thought that if I don’t do it now, I will never get another chance.”

Asked about his journey towards success, he says, “Getting into the Pondicherry Police and working as an (Superintendent of Police) SP in Pondicherry taught me many things. Before anything, it taught me that there is no perfect way of doing anything.

Now, the women safety app developed by him is rated among the top 10 in Google playstore. The app has geo based messaging and global switching of helpline member based on location.

Talking about his success mantra, Firoze says that he believes in dedication to his mission for life. “Whether it is success or failure, one can enjoy both equally. The support of friends and family convince you of your goal. Whatever be the circumstances, it does not hold importance if you decide to stay motivated and keep trying.