Building PT GloMed Instruments in Indonesia – A Story of Quiet Resilience
When PT GloMed Instruments was founded in Indonesia, it wasn’t born from a moment of brilliance or a windfall of opportunity—it was built from necessity, grit, and a vision that refused to back down.
There was no team, no partner on the ground, no warm market to enter. Just a young entrepreneur—me—with a plan scribbled across time zones and to-do lists, and the belief that surgical and dental instruments from Pakistan could earn their rightful space in Southeast Asia’s healthcare ecosystem.
The Beginning: Walking Into the Unknown
It started with a single connection. No infrastructure, no warehouse, no local trust. I arrived in Jakarta with a suitcase and a mission. The barriers were immediate—language, regulation, trust gaps. Indonesia is a high-context business culture; relationships matter more than price tags. And I was a foreigner with a product.
So I started the old-fashioned way: knocking on doors, taking meetings no matter how small, and saying “yes” to everything I could deliver. I’d leave for client meetings in Jakarta’s humidity, rehearse my pitch in Bahasa with broken confidence, and come home to 14-hour days coordinating procurement, marketing, logistics, and follow-ups.
The Turning Point: A Health Scare at the Worst Time
Just as things were finally gaining traction, life hit back. In the middle of a packed schedule—daily meetings, onboarding our first major clients, and working late into the night—I began to feel unwell. I brushed it off. “Probably stress,” I told myself. But within 48 hours, the pain escalated and I was in the emergency room.
Diagnosis: acute appendicitis. Surgery was urgent.
I remember lying in that hospital bed, worried not just about my health, but about the dozens of open loops I hadn’t yet closed—shipments due, client queries, pitches pending. I asked the nurse to bring my phone the next day. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic. I just couldn’t let things fall apart.
And they didn’t.
Recovery and Rebuilding
The week that followed was the hardest. Physical recovery clashed with business momentum. But strangely, it taught me something I’d never read in any business book: the value of designing for sustainability.
I wasn’t chasing hustle anymore—I was building systems.
We set up better delegation protocols with the remote team. We began hiring smarter—contract-based sales agents, local fixers. We automated our pipeline tracking. What could be documented, got documented.
And when I returned to the field—tired but determined—we were leaner, more structured, and growing faster.
Where GloMed Stands Today
In under 6 months:
- We established distribution in key cities.
- Partnered with Samafitro, one of Indonesia’s most respected names in medical distribution.
- Built a client base of private clinics, government hospitals, and distributors.
- Exceeded $1M in closed sales.
- Operated entirely bootstrapped.
But more importantly, we built trust in a new market, from scratch, while holding onto our core values: quality, transparency, and relentlessness.
The Real Lesson
This isn’t a hero story. It’s not about million-dollar revenue or overcoming illness. It’s about persistence. About keeping the lights on even when your body wants to shut down. About listening more than selling. And about betting on yourself long enough for others to join the table.
GloMed wasn’t an overnight success. It was a quiet win built on loud failures, sweaty meetings, stitched wounds, and belief.
And we’re just getting started.
