5 Tips for Arab Start-ups

1.  Cultural differences.

So, you are an Arab entrepreneur, starting your own business today, you might go down the wrong way and consider some target audience recipe that was prescribed by a -business best seller book- in the US, not considering that you are living in a 3rd world country named Jordan/Egypt/Libya. it's not that what the author was saying in his book was wrong, but you should keep in mind the Arab world's characteristics, features and interests are special -check table (1) for clarification-.. in contrary with the audience he was discussing, although it might sound relative to some entrepreneurs (explained in a previous post).

   2.  People do not work for free.

Unfortunately, no they do not! You cannot go using those talented, passionate and self-motivated individuals or groups to help you out all the time,(Check this previous post about alternative musicians and entrepreneurs for more information) not because this is a pure faithful world; but because they are not a bunch of dicks, I assure you that they might come chasing you down someday, especially if you happened to spread and gain popularity in the future... so tone it down with a nice deal of paying back, doesn't have to be money by the way.

  3.  Avoid Media Obsession.

I know it's so flattering and exciting that it could bring your mama back from her coma. Still, the warning here specializes in your first stages; when you have this brilliant idea and still preparing for it, you should have a plan and a marketing method, not to mention the target, etcetera..  talking about that frankly with journalists is not really healthy; since you will be adjusting and implementing A LOT, be careful of these bugs.. beginners like you are the easiest preys.

  4.  Don't just quit your job.

People you look up to, suddenly quit their jobs, rented an office or imprisoned themselves in a garage to start working, that doesn't happen everyday!! Make sure to still have money for your daily consumption and bills before you quit your job, and don't be fooled by statistics.

 5.  Disappointment is coming your way!

If your girlfriend complimented your so called revolutionary idea and your dad rubbed your back with a kiss on the head when heard about your ambitions, do no expect everyone to be so, some people just love crashing your self-motivated and productive spirit  well, I'm sorry dear but sometimes the closest people to us lie to us the most. Your girlfriend might be sleepy or horny, so might your papa be!