From Signals to Sensing: The Early Spark
Every time I look back at where this whole adventure began, I’m reminded of how simple the starting point was. I was just a young engineer obsessed with how things connected. My academic path shaped the first chapter — electrical engineering, telematics, and finally a doctoral dive into telecommunications.
Those years were filled with long nights, dense textbooks, and moments where I quietly wondered, “Is this really the road I want to stay on?” But something about networks — the way invisible signals could connect lives — kept pulling me forward.
My early years in academia gave me a grounding that I still rely on today. Teaching forced me to explain ideas clearly, question assumptions, and stay curious. It was the first real test of whether I understood the world of connectivity or was just reciting formulas.
Into the Telco Trenches
Eventually, the classroom walls felt too small. I wanted to see how these theories behaved under real pressure. That shift took me deep into the telecommunications industry.
Those years were intense: real customers, real failures, real deadlines. It wasn’t just about making a system work; it was about keeping it alive when the world depended on it.
Later, I moved to a national research agency, where I led teams working on early broadband, wireless sensor networks, and technologies that today fall neatly under the label of IoT. Back then, it felt like tinkering with the future. Testing prototypes in rural villages, deploying sensors in unfamiliar places, experimenting with wireless technologies that many considered too early or too ambitious.
Yet I couldn’t shake the thought: “What if this tech leaves the labs and enters daily life?” That question lingered for years.
The Entrepreneurial Leap
Eventually, that question grew too loud to ignore. I left the comfort of corporate structures and returned to the raw, unknown world of startup life.
First came a role in shaping a national IoT initiative. Then came the big leap: building a company from scratch.
That company was REDtone IoT. Running it taught me one of the toughest lessons — great tech means nothing if people can’t use it easily. Every client wanted IoT, but most didn’t know where to start. They struggled with device integration, cloud setups, dashboards, maintenance, and the countless hidden complexities that IoT quietly hides behind its shiny promise.
That frustration became the seed for something bigger.
The Birth of FAVORIOT
By 2017, the vision crystallised: create a platform that removes the chaos and gives everyone — students, SMEs, city councils, engineers — a simple way to bring IoT ideas to life.
FAVORIOT wasn’t built to be fancy. It was built to be practical.
I wanted a platform where a lecturer could run a complete IoT project without having to manage 10 different systems. Where a hardware company didn’t need to customise dashboards endlessly. Where a city council could monitor sensors without drowning in integration nightmares.
FAVORIOT was designed for inclusion. For accessibility. For the everyday builder, not just the big spender.
And every year since, that vision has deepened.
Wearing Many Hats
Even as FAVORIOT was growing, I continued teaching and speaking. These weren’t side gigs. They kept me grounded. They reminded me why I started.
Standing in front of students made me rethink complexity. Speaking to industry leaders challenged my ideas. Engaging with smart city stakeholders, founders, and device makers kept me aware of the real obstacles people face.
Sometimes I’d walk out of a lecture hall thinking, “This feedback is better than any consultancy report.”
Sometimes a conversation with a frustrated engineer made me go back and tweak the platform design.
Those experiences shaped FAVORIOT as much as any technology roadmap ever did.
Recognition and Reality Checks
Over time, things began to click. FAVORIOT earned recognition. My own work in IoT and smart cities gained global visibility. Industry groups listed me among the top influencers. Conferences kept inviting me to speak.
But none of that ever felt like a trophy finish. If anything, it reminded me that the journey had only just reached a new checkpoint.
“Alright, Mazlan, now don’t get comfortable,” I’d quietly tell myself.
The pressure increased. Expectations rose. The work became heavier… but also more meaningful.
Why the Story Still Matters
When I piece the chapters together, it becomes clear that every phase — the student, the professor, the telco engineer, the researcher, the entrepreneur — served a purpose.
- Academia taught discipline.
- Telco taught scale.
- Research taught imagination.
- Entrepreneurship taught resilience.
- Teaching and speaking taught clarity.
FAVORIOT stands today as more than a platform. It’s a symbol of what happens when technology is shaped around people — their pains, their limitations, their hopes.
I’ve always believed IoT should be accessible. Not something locked behind expensive teams or giant corporations. Not something only “experts” can touch.
If we can empower everyday builders, we’re doing something right.
A Note to My Younger Self
If I could sit with the younger version of me — the one carrying textbooks thicker than his arm — I’d probably smile and say:
“Every jump you make will make sense one day. Every detour, every frustration, every late night… you’re collecting tools. Don’t rush the process.”
And maybe I’d add:
“When you build for people, not systems, that’s when the real magic happens.”
If you’ve read this far, I’m curious — which part of this journey speaks to you the most? Drop your thoughts. Let’s connect through stories.
Dr. Mazlan Abbas 