Tanvir Ahmed Teyder: Memer to educator

If you were lurking around Facebook from 2016 to 2020, chances are you stumbled upon the chaotic genius that was 'DickTeyder'—a meme page so "dank," it practically oozed sarcasm. With clever humour, it quickly became essential scroll material for the youth who would endlessly share the memes on social media. But DickTeyder wasn't just about memes—he also dabbled in music (amongst other things), dropping catchy bangers like Fuchka Chotpoti, Meena (The Rap Anthem), and the gloriously unhinged Call Me Robindro.

Speaking of which, Call Me Robindro still cracks me up. Sure, the lyrics might seem like random brainrot, but they're catchy as hell. And in the world of internet fame, that's half the battle won.

However, the musician and memer Tanvir Ahmed Teyder then took an unexpected turn and founded 'EnglishBoli', a platform that began with skit-based English lessons. These skits initially looked like any other light-hearted 'deshi jokes' content, but they were, in reality, the beginning of a new approach to teaching English in Bangladesh.

Reflecting on this shift, Teyder explained, "As you grow older, you have to evolve. Before starting university, I knew I wanted to have my own revenue stream and be financially independent. I never intended to make money from the memes I used to post on social media."

To prepare himself for the next step, he diverted himself with business books and strategy.

"One of the first things you learn about business is to choose a market where money is already being made, because you can't create an entire market as one individual. I looked at popular markets—makeup and clothes for women, general clothing, and teaching English," he said.

Teaching English made the most sense to Teyder. It required no initial capital, and with his IELTS score of 8.5, he believed he had the credentials to teach. Initially, his English-related content followed the entertaining style of his meme days, but he soon realised this approach was flawed. 

At first, Teyder noticed that his skits were pulling in solid engagement—likes, shares, comments, the works. But there was a problem— none of it was translating into actual sales. "People don't spend money because they're entertained—they spend when they're convinced you can solve their problem," he said. In other words, making people laugh didn't necessarily make them open their wallets.

That insight led to a strategy shift—from pure entertainment to clear, value-driven content. Now, every video focuses on teaching English directly, building trust that turns viewers into paying customers.

"When someone watches [my videos], they know I can teach, and they trust that investing in my business will solve their problem."

The transition from memes to education might have felt abrupt, but his original followers barely noticed. "Surprisingly, none of my early fans knew until EnglishBoli was already big," he said. 

The meme page had primarily targeted a Dhaka-based audience, most of whom already spoke English. EnglishBoli, however, was created for an entirely different audience—people who didn't speak English but wanted to learn. 

As Teyder began producing long-form, free courses on YouTube, some running up to nine hours, results started to show. One of these, 'Kichui Pari Na English Course', has now been viewed 5.4 million times. These videos helped build trust and establish EnglishBoli as a leading source of English-learning content in Bangladesh.

With EnglishBoli, Teyder also aimed to fill a gap between how English is taught and how it is actually used. "I started with funny content, but that didn't help students learn effectively. So I worked with 3,000 students to develop my own system through a lot of trial and error. The result is a $50 programme with over 3,500 students and 141 reviews—140 of them five stars."

EnglishBoli promotes learning beyond the classroom. Students get a post-course guide with recommended shows and YouTube channels, plus access to a Discord group for speaking practice. "It's easier to learn with people who are just like you," says Teyder. 

Looking ahead, he keeps his vision clear: "Value beats everything in business." He believes in out-serving the competition and is now developing a tailored IELTS programme he's genuinely excited about.

Even while building EnglishBoli, Teyder continued to experiment with music. 

'Call Me Robindro' gained popularity for its satirical portrayal of Rabindranath Tagore. "I just wanted to make a random song to grow my following, and I thought, everyone knows Rabindranath, so why not? I'd been making memes about him since I was a teenager anyways," he shared.

The creative process behind his music is surprisingly structured. Teyder always begins with a concept, then plays a beat in his head and proceeds to write the main hook. He collaborates with his producer friend Kadin, who creates a beat to match his vision, after which Teyder writes the full lyrics and records the track.

For him, every song starts with a simple but critical question: Who will care about this, and why? He believes that without a large enough target audience, going viral is nearly impossible. Each of his songs has been crafted with a specific audience in mind. 'Kamla Bangladeshi' was aimed at anyone who has dealt with local goons, while 'Ami Ki Kolagach' resonated with young men going through heartbreak.

Teyder believes his biggest lesson was learning to prioritise quality over entertainment. "I couldn't balance the two—entertainment can never come at the expense of value in business. If I could go back, I'd tell my younger self: product quality beats everything. A great product markets itself."