When Code Meets Reality: Why I Built Phos for Kindergartens
Many people ask me, "Hafizal, you've been in the IT world for almost 20 years, why are you busy making a kindergarten system now?"
My short answer is simple: because I saw firsthand how a kindergarten business can be a headache without the right system.
My wife owns two kindergarten branches, Ideal Moralis Preschool. So every day, I don't just hear stories about the kids; I hear about cash flow, messy staff claims, and the most painful part—when enrollment drops.
From Coding to Cash Flow
As a techy and CEO of SAFR+ Technology, my life usually revolves around logic, React Native stacks, or Supabase databases. But when I come home, I have to face the manual reality of the kindergarten business.
Many things that could actually be solved with automation are still being done using paper and WhatsApp. That was when I realized that kindergarten operators actually need an Operating System, not just a simple app to send pictures of their children.
Why Phos was Born from Pain
Phos (K-OS) wasn't built just to follow AI trends or simply to create a SaaS. It was born because I saw real pain points:
- Financial Stress: When fee records are messy, we don't know who has paid and who hasn't. This is the root cause of tight cash flow.
- Operational Overhead: Staff spend too much time on administrative work instead of focusing on the children.
- Communication Gap: Parents want to know their child's progress in real-time, not wait until the weekend to get an update.
That is why I pivoted from our original project based on travel agent management to Phos. I want to bring the technology discipline I've learned over two decades into the world of early childhood education.
Moving Towards 2027 and Beyond
With the upcoming 2027 syllabus changes, the challenges for kindergartens will become even greater. We can no longer remain stuck in old ways. Technology is no longer an option but a necessity to survive.
I'm not just here to sell software. I want to share my experience as the husband of a kindergarten operator and as an engineer who believes technology can simplify our lives.
Together, we're building a more systematic community, so we can focus on what matters most: the future of our children.