Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Capital
welcome Soaring
ambition
Hong Kong investor The aspiration to become
an entrepreneur in
Commanding
attention
Entrepreneur
Leanne Kemp
Startup
Everledger
makes a
knockout first
impression
20
Oswald Wong with H.E.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak
Al Nahyan and artist Shi
Dachan at the latter’s
exhibition in the UAE
30 24 20 42
CULTURE: CULTURE: INNOVATOR: TECH:
BUSINESS UNUSUAL DESIGN Capital welcome SHINY
Inspired pursuits Fashion focus Hong Kong investor #TamTalksTech
Turn your passion into a The MENA region is making Oswald Wong Gadgets and doodads that
viable business- MENA ‘treps a concerted attempt at The President and CEO of you might’ve missed out on,
talk what works (and what nurturing entrepreneurship in CIDIC is looking to invest sourced by a tech aficionado.
doesn’t). the style sector. up to US$2 billion on Yes, it’s okay to want them
Middle East projects (and all… and no, it’s not our
he’s looking to partner with fault.
SMEs along the way).
44
70 CULTURE:
TREPONOMICS: TRAPPINGS
SKILLSET ‘Trep gear
Building values The executive selection for
Founder and CEO Omar the entrepreneur on your list
Kassim on how he and his that has everything. Okay,
team are building JadoPado maybe for a little self-reward
as an organization. as well.
38 62
TREPONOMICS: ‘TREPONOMICS:
PRO MARKETING
Soaring ambition Modern marketing
The aspiration to become an Ramzi Haddad, Managing
entrepreneur in the MENA Director, Carat UAE and
region is on the rise- and so Lower Gulf, offers five tips
are the physical attempts at for building your brand from
establishing a business. the ground up (in today’s
market).
54
CULTURE: 72
LIFE IN PICTURES:
Learning to be creative Plugging in
James Clear enlists five steps Alibaba Cloud and DSOA host
72 Pieter Sleeboom, MD, Marhababy; winner of the Dubai edition of CACSC to enable more innovative startup challenge to reward
thinking. Middle East entrepreneurs.
50 68
TECH: CULTURE:
THE FIX LIFE
Paradigm shift Question the status quo
IBM’s Juan Jose De La Torre Contrary to popular thought,
on the need for MENA having entrepreneurial
businesses to embrace employees in your
digital transformation. organization is a good thing. 42
HTC Desire 10
Pro
50
Juan Jose De La Torre,
IBM, Digital Transformation
Leader for Middle East
and Africa
34
Leanne Kemp at IBM Edge 2016
58
‘TREPONOMICS:
MARKETING
All about the #feels
76 Melissa Moubarak, Strategy
START IT UP: Manager at UM MENA,
Q&A offers a perspective into
Breaking (linguistic) the future of targeting-
barriers customized communication
Morocco-based Sahih is the way forward.
Business provides
accounting software in the 16
Arabic language for MENA EDITOR’S NOTE
64 82 small businesses through By Aby Sam Thomas
‘TREPONOMICS: START IT UP: its Aliphia platform.
MARKETING ECOSYSTEM 80
Crowdsourcing customer Global ambitions 52 START IT UP:
acquisition Shant Oknayan, Regional ‘TREPONOMICS: STARTUP FINANCE
According to Melltoo Head of E-commerce, ESQUIRE GUY “We got funded!”
co-founders Morrad Retail, Online Services and The don’t-be-a-schmuck compareit4me.com gains
Irsane and Sharene Lee, Media at Facebook Middle guide to rescheduling US$2.4 million in latest
for startups, the most East and North Africa, Yes, it happens to investment round, which
cost-effective way to get says it’s a lot easier now everyone, but there’s a means the startup has now
customers is through other for MENA businesses to right way and a wrong way raised a total of $6 million in
customers. venture into new markets. to go about it. funds to date.
30
Omar Samra, founder,
Wild Guanabana
27
Henri Asseily,
Manager Partner,
Leap Ventures
MIDDLE EAST
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Impact investments
First, we put in time and effort into the ecosystem-
and now, capital
W
hen Entrepreneur us working over weekends, so as
Middle East was to catch up with time we lost over
launched two years the week!), and we were keen on
ago, one of the foun- using our platform to throw the
dational principles spotlight on not just the business
that we laid out people who had “made it,” but
for ourselves as a also the fledgling new enterprises
publication was that we needed to that showed the potential to actu-
be more than a mere spectator of ally affect change in the region.
what’s happening in the region’s It is thus this particular founda- At Entrepreneur Middle East,
business arena- our mandate tional value that is governing our we’ve so far put in time and effort
was to be active participants of newest initiative at Entrepreneur to helping build this ecosystem-
the entrepreneurial ecosystem Middle East: a contest that will and now, we are putting in
here, cheering, supporting and see us give away US$25,000 each capital as well. Stay tuned for
enabling the men and women to two deserving startups operat- #EntMEStartups.
trying to make a definite impact ing in the Middle East. You’ll
in the MENA region through their hear more about this competition
professional endeavors. and how you can enter it over
Now, I’ll be the first to admit the course of October- keep an
that having such a directive eye out for #EntMEStartups on
hanging over our heads has been our social media channels; that’s
a daunting affair for those of us the hashtag we will be using to
working under this banner. Our refer to this contest over all our
desire to be different from the sta- platforms. At its very essence, our
tus quo meant that we had to be aim with #EntMEStartups is to
inventive in how we went about find enterprises in the region who
doing things- we became purpose- are being (at the risk of sounding
ly choosey about what we feature cliché) really innovative, and Aby Sam Thomas
as content; we made it a point to award them with this prize that, Editor in Chief
be at as many ecosystem events as we hope, will contribute to their @thisisaby
we can (this is why you often see success in the long term. aby@bncpublishing.net
The search is on
Global startup competition The Venture
T
2017 launches US$1 million fund
he Venture, a
global competition
staged by Chivas,
NYUAD
is back this year
seeking promising,
up-and-coming
startups that also
have a positive impact. The com-
petition is open to startups that Dumyé founder Sahar Wahbeh’s pitch at the
have a working business model, Gulf finals of The Venture 2015 in Dubai, UAE
and at the same time, create
social good with its endeavors. crafted eco-friendly dolls that
With 32 countries taking part, can be personalized and donates
each region will have its regional to an NGO with every purchase,
round, whose winners will then while the 2016 GCC winner was
A scene from a prior edition of NYUAD Startup Series participate in the grand finals Taka Solutions, presented by
for a chance to win and share founder and Managing Director
a stake from the US$1 million Charles Blaschke and co-founder
Kicking off social entrepreneurship fund. and Commercial Director Chris
NYUAD and Flat6Labs launch Startup Last year’s judges at the grand Burkhadt, a startup that aims
Series 2016 in Abu Dhabi finale in New York included Eva to use its tech to save money
Longoria, Sonal Shah, Joe Huff and reduce the world’s energy
N
ew York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and Alexandre Ricard. consumption. Think you have
and Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi have come The contest has had an impres- what it takes to represent the
together to organize the newest edition sive line up of social entre- GCC region and have a stake at
of Startup Series, a four-month-long program preneurs over the years: the the $1 million fund? Head to
comprising of panel discussions and group 2015 GCC winner was Dumyé, The Venture and apply before
activities aimed at promoting a culture of presented by founder Sahar November 30, 2016.
entrepreneurship among its students as Wahbeh, a brand creating hand- www.theventure.com
well as the community at large. As part of
NYUAD’s startAD entrepreneurship initiative,
the Startup Series talks aim to create an
“interactive educational experience” with
expert speakers sharing technical advice
and experiences with existing and aspiring
entrepreneurs.
Structured as 90-minute talks, the Startup
Series and other startAD community
education programs are designed to
function as a source of guidance for aspiring
entrepreneurs and also “engage public and
private organizations.” The Startup Series
sessions will be held at NYUAD during
September to December, and they will cover
topics such as team dynamics in business,
customer development, crafting a pitch, and
managing burn rates, among others. Besides
the Startup Series, the startAD initiative
also includes other concept programs open
to all, such as Tech Tuesdays, a tech startup
community meetup, Legal Clinic, sessions
connecting the startup community with legal
professionals, and others.
Charles Blaschke and Chris
http://sites.nyuad.nyu.edu/nyuadstartad/ Burkhadt of Taka Solutions,
winner of The Venture GCC 2016
Capital
welcome
Hong Kong investor Oswald Wong
The President and CEO of CIDIC is looking to invest up
to US$2 billion on Middle East projects (and he’s looking
to partner with SMEs along the way)
By Aby Sam Thomas
I
t’s hard not to be at least a little company based out of Hong Kong, CIDIC
flabbergasted when looking is focusing primarily on infrastructure
through China International and property development, with its
Development and Investment business activities stretching all around
Corporation Ltd. (CIDIC) the world. Projects under its current
President and CEO Oswald .
purview include a US$1.4 billion
Wong’s career summary- besides mixed-used development at Arizona
details about the senior executive in the United States, a $1.2 billion
roles and responsibilities he has had to biofuel project at KwaZulu-Natal and
shoulder in his various jobs so far, the Mpumalanga in South Africa, a $125
resume that I looked at (which is eight million residential development at
pages long, by the way) is peppered Alberta in Canada, and a $350 million
with images of Wong’s meetings hospital project in Saudi Arabia. When I
with several distinguished business asked Wong if there was an approximate
personalities from the Middle East. amount that he thinks CIDIC would
These include H.E. Saeed Mubarak be investing in projects in the Middle
Al-Hajeri, Chairman of the Board at East, he replied that the enterprise
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company is targeting projects that go from a
(TAQA), Aabar Investments CEO “minimum $50 million, up to $2 billion
Mohamed Hamad Al Mehairi, Sobha in construction value.”
Group founder and Chairman P. N. C. The sheer size of the investment
Menon, Emaar Properties COO Amit his company is considering to spread
Jain, and so forth- Wong’s resume thus around in to the region is, indeed,
makes it seem that this Hong Kong-er impressive and welcome, with Wong
is quite comfortably connected to this noting that CIDIC’s target sectors
region’s business community. As for in the Middle East include property
how this came to be: well, that’s where development and infrastructure, with
Wong’s enterprise, CIDIC, comes into the latter focusing mainly on power
the picture. A diversified investment projects like solar energy, and –perhaps >>>
1,364,270,000 Population of
China according to the Doing
Business 2016 report
Amato at FFWD
Fashion focus
ping the market here, UAE Vice Presi-
dent and Prime Minister and Ruler of
Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum set up the Dubai
The MENA region is making a concerted attempt Design and Fashion Council (DDFC)
at nurturing entrepreneurship in the style sector to steer design and fashion initiatives
in the Emirate. If DDFC was meant to
By Sindhu Hariharan be the umbrella entity for all things
F
design and fashion, the move was fol-
or a long time now, the Middle large spenders, but it also needs to ce- lowed up with the creation of Dubai
East region’s ties to the fashion ment its place in the evolution of the Design District (d3), a free zone to
industry has been primarily a industry. house and nurture the region’s crea-
commercial one- the region’s Take Dubai, for instance. In many tive thinkers. To make the space a hub
prominence as a retail hub, ways, 2013 was a landmark year for its for the region’s creatives, d3 aims to
owing to its purchasing power, fashion ecosystem. It was a year when create a close-knit community, where
and its population’s flair for the country took a leap to get closer to designers can share space, collabo-
elegance and opulence are what came the billion-dollar industry dominated rate on ideas, and attract talent from
to one’s mind when thinking of the by the Europe, the U.S. and others. across the globe. In the meantime,
region’s fashion sector. But while the With top fashion brands already tap- the region also got its own official
early goals of the region (especially the
UAE) may have stressed on wielding
influence as a powerful customer base “the design industry is gaining grounds at a rapid rate.
for Western creations, the narrative Its market value surpassed US$100bn in 2014, and now
has, in recent years, shifted to a focus constitutes over 4.5% of the global design market. The
on developing a fashion ecosystem sector has grown at more than double the pace of the
right here. Policymakers and stake-
holders have begun to realize that it’s global industry over the last few years, and is expected
not enough for the region to have just to continue outperforming the global design industry.”
5. Communication is key. It is
important to get the word out on
your business and your product on
the best channels for it. Know your
target audience and aim for them
through the popular channels that
they frequent.
Dubai
get any support from
the industry.” Gebreel
notes DDFC is aware of of the economy, we have to focus on
this issue too. “There is creating brands that we can export to
also a need for dedicat- countries,” says Nakad. “We need to
ed training and men- convince the end consumer to shop
torship,” she says. “One local; to shift part of the spending
of our most recent power from imported or interna-
initiatives is a partner- tional brands to regional ones.” Nakad
ESMOD group), which bills itself as ship with Chalhoub Group. As part of believes that providing more exposure >>>
Dubai’s “first and only fashion insti- the partnership, Chalhoub Group will
tute,” are also a move forward. The provide expertise to designers on a
school stresses that building a fashion wide array of topics.” “We need to convince the
business requires skills in “creation, Like in other industries, the con- end consumer to shop
production, marketing and commu- sumer mindset on dealing with local local; to shift part of
nication,” and offers courses such as brands is a key hurdle for the fashion
fashion design, fashion management, sector too. Nakad believes that that is
the spending power from
luxury management, fashion buying, a primary challenge they focus on at imported or international
and others. ESMOD Dubai Manag- FFWD. “If you look at sustainability brands to regional ones.”
Zaid Farouki
with his design
Dripping Amends
www. dubaidesigndistrict.com
As for the road ahead for the fashion
industry, while it’s easy to look back
and be awed by the distance covered in
such a short time, industry insiders say
that there’s a need to continue chasing
progress. Nakad believes that just like
entrepreneurs, d3 and DDFC too are
going through an interesting learning
to local talent and offering products can collaborate or cross-promote differ- curve of their own. “We want to help
“on par or even better” than global ent industries.” He believes growth of them [policymakers] to help position
brands can help the cause. Designer sectors such as e-commerce and mobile Dubai as a global fashion capital and
Zaid Farouki says cost pressure is also commerce can aid the ecosystem’s more success stories will help material-
an issue, along with talent sourcing and growth, owing to their inter-relation. It ize this,” he says. As for the entrepre-
retention. “The majority of the tai- is this connection that also prompted neurs in this space, Farouki believes
lors, embroiders, pattern makers, have global consumer electronics giant it is the responsibility of designers to
learnt the trade through inheriting it Samsung to back the EPIC program. fight the internal struggles of pleasing
from their parents, or through practice, Abdo Chlala, Regional Head - IT & both the creative and business sides
but it is very little talent that you find Mobile Division, Samsung MENA, says of their ventures. “As a creative, your
that went to school to learn the trade; that the company saw the potential to business model needs to be updated
therefore, you really have to filter the “enable the fashion space in the region all the time to last, and you need to see
talent pool down.” Aya Sadder, lead or- through meaningful technologies.” “The eye-to-eye with investors,” he says. But
ganizer of this year’s edition of Startup primary challenge in fashion and design at the same time, dreaming big is good-
Weekend Dubai that focuses on the industry today is that yesterday’s wow and Farouki encourages that whole-
fashion sector, adds that practical chal- is today’s new normal,” Chlala says. heartedly. “Everything will fall into
lenges every entrepreneur faces in the “It (technology) is key to maintain the place eventually, but work for what you
region also applies to designers. “SMEs excitement and longevity of fashion dream for every day and every hour,
have to pay various amounts like rents, content, and remain relevant in today’s and let the world work in its mysteri-
employee cost, and other bills, even be- world.” ous ways.”
fore you start creating any magic with
your designs,” she notes. She adds that
Abdo Chlala,
without a family to back you monetar- Regional Head
STARTUP WEEKEND DUBAI 2016
ily and in other ways, it’s difficult for - IT & Mobile Startup Weekend Dubai Fashion
designers to get their name out, given Division, will bring together industry experts,
the regulatory hurdles. IFDC’s Khan Samsung
designers and developers to
MENA
highlights a need for aspiring designers brainstorm and “create the best
to focus on affordable production solu- MVP’s” in relation to wearables,
tions without comprising on quality. design and technology products,
“Sourcing, production [management], on October 13-15, 2016 in Dubai.
quality control, and challenges of The startup crash course, which
securing enough orders from retailers,” encourages “learning by doing,”
are other issues, she notes. invites participants to pitch an
Be it a tech startup, or a fashion idea, start building on the ideas,
venture, every business needs money to and present their prototypes to the
grow, and according to Nakad, getting judges- all in 54 hours. Advocating
investors to look at fashion in a “futur- the lean startup methodology, Startup
istic” way is the way to go. “We live in Weekend Fashion aims to help fashion
a day and age of collaboration,” he says. entrepreneurs to go out there and
“Technology and lifestyle can be a great “actually do it.”
combination and I would definitely en- www.dubai.startupweekend.org
courage angels and VCs to see how they
Inspired
pursuits
Turn your passion
into a viable business
MENA ‘treps talk what works (and what doesn’t)
Hussein Bazaza
Ali Mansoor
Nada and Noor Alawi
Rosemin Manji
Omar Samra
Sultan Al Qassemi
Michelle Karam
Brought to you by
Al Qassemi
Junkie Diary
reotypical discussions that we
have surrounding the Middle
East and Arab world.”
Founder, Barjeel Art
Foundation Q From your perspective,
what’s the case you’d made
As the founder of an organiza- for a company in the region to
tion dedicated to the develop- invest in a MENA-based artist?
ment of the art scene in the
Arab world, Barjeel Art Foun- A “To begin with, you are
dation’s Sultan Al Qassemi is creating a distinct environment
keen on shifting the narrative by injecting culture into the
about the region in the global space that makes a state-
landscape- and he’s using ment about your vision as a
the digital arena to make this corporate leader. It’s a unique
change. “It’s important to use
the internet to respond to
statement about the corpora-
tion; it says that ‘We differenti- Michelle who turned their passion into
a successful career closer to
people who generalize about
the Middle East,” Al Qas-
ate ourselves.’ There is also a
CSR responsibility, as many of Karam reality.
semi said at the 2016 STEP these companies are not taxed Q How do you make sure your
Conference in Dubai. “I think in the region so it’s a way to Founder, platform, Travel Junkie Diary,
the onus is on us -whether
it’s appearing on television,
give back to the community.
It’s an immediate investment in
Travel Junkie Diary continues to remain innovative,
stay relevant and appealing to
going on radio- we have to culture and community- it’s not It may be easy for people to your current followers, while
always counter the narrative.” a CSR initiative that doesn’t dismiss Travel Junkie Diary attracting new ones as well?
And that is essentially what have a direct return to the founder Michelle Karam as
he is doing with Barjeel as institution. These artworks will “just another digital influenc- A “Creativity is the key, and
well. “My aim for Barjeel is go up in value, [as] the more er,” but a closer review of what you cannot get creative without
to establish a collection that people that buy quality work, this entrepreneur does on her research. Getting to know what
has a unique identity,” Al the more certain the valuations online travel platform (curated the brand represents makes
Qassemi says. “A collection of are in these artworks.” trips, creative content, brand it easier for me to deliver the
Arab artists that is accessible, campaigns) and associated so- right message in my content,
approachable and available “My aim for Barjeel is to cial media channels (check out and curate the right itinerary
for loan, that kind of nur- establish a collection her Instagram presence) may for guests. It’s about learning
tures cultural understanding, that has a unique cause you to reconsider that the trends in travel and creat-
tour-able in that you can take identity. A collection notion- the digital revolution ing it at the same time. Being
it out of the country, show it of Arab artists that is has changed the way consum- consistent is always great, but
elsewhere and bring it back, accessible, approachable ers shop for travel products, sometimes, a change every
and contributes to broadening and available for loan.” and Karam is simply capitaliz- now and then can help you
ing on this shift in the market. increase your followers. A new
“Travel Junkie Diary is not destination that has not been
Sultan Sooud just about a beautiful Insta- done over and over is always a
Al Qassemi, gram image,” Karam explains. fabulous appeal to attract new
Founder, Barjeel
Art Foundation “It’s true, our followers cannot (and maintain) followers. Being
see what we do behind the informative in almost every
scenes, but we give our clients, post I do also helps a lot. At the
the brands we work with, same time, branching out and
a digital solution, consult- writing for different print and
ing them on the right path online publications in English
for using social media on the and Arabic helps me to reach
right platforms, and making a wider audience across the
sure they work with the right globe.”
influencers or bloggers.” And
in an era where quantity over “Being consistent
quality seems to be the norm, is always great, but
Karam is keen on moving in a sometimes, a change
different direction with what every now and then can
she does- making her dream of help you increase your
becoming known as someone followers.”
Our Family Apartment is a spacious Our 3-Bedroom Suite is a wide 160 sqm unit
1-bedroom unit that offers 100 sqm of space with 2 master bedrooms and a twin bedded
and a sofa cum bed, ideal for 2 adults room, perfect for stays of up to 6 adults and 2
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All rooms are equipped with the same complete facilities as all our suites
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•
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To book your room today, you may call +971 4 3098 122 or email reservations@hsdubai.com.
Getting closer to the top of the tallest mountain in the UAE will soon be a lot easier, thanks to the fleet of
Volvo construction equipment used in the building of the road to the Jebel Jais mountain. When it’s finished,
the route will run from Ras Al-Khaimah right to the 1,910 metre summit. The road has already become a
popular destination for motoring enthusiasts, who like to show off what their machines can do. But when the
road runs out, that’s where the Volvo operators show off their machines. And it’s impressive to see what they
VIDEO can do. If you want to get closer to the action, scan the code and watch the video.
http://goo.gl/FPsU43
Building Tomorrow.
TREPONOMICS ETHICS | ESQUIRE GUY | SKILLSET | MARKETING | PRO
Soaring ambition
The aspiration to become an entrepreneur in the MENA
Regular income
I
Lack of finances to start own business %26
t is hard to think of a time Entrepreneurship represents Enjoy the social aspects of an office
%16
when the economic and a key process in creating environment
job-related conditions in economic value and employ- Unaffordable economic conditions %14
the Middle East and North ment opportunities across
Africa (MENA) region were all industries and sectors. Current political system %11
static or predictable. The Entrepreneurs often revolu-
Consistent resources / flow of work %11
region is highly dynamic to tionize existing products and
the extent that daily occur- services; they fill in the gaps Little risk involved %10
rences create new and criti- by addressing unmet consum-
cal data for those of us keen er needs and desires, shake No investment required %9
on navigating our respective up dormant competition,
industries and job markets. and, along the way, generate Lack of necessary skills to be self-employed %9
Given how damaging the ever- new investment platforms
Severity of the self-employment decision %5
growing instability has been and career opportunities for
to the region’s economies, the their countries. Therefore, it Lack the confidence for running own business %5
automatic prediction would is undisputable that entrepre-
point to a stagnant environ- neurship is a positive phenom- Lack of an appropriate business idea %4
ment for all types of employ- enon and is becoming a more
ment, investment, and entre- integral part of the MENA
preneurship. Yet, it comes to economy. When Bayt.com con- stronger than before. This is unemployment. 2016 brings
many as striking that aspiring ducted the Entrepreneurship particularly true among recent about a highly enriched, yet
entrepreneurs are on the rise in the Middle East and North graduates and millennials, challenging, environment for
across the MENA region and Africa Survey, August 2016, it currently experiencing the employment and retention;
are taking more steps and was evident that more people, highest unemployment levels one in four young people in the
exerting more effort to join the when compared to the survey in the world. MENA region are unemployed.
force of the self-employed. findings of 2015, are opting for This number is much
self-employment. Addition- Why entrepreneurship is higher, in fact, if we include
State of self-employment ally, more aspiring entrepre- on the rise informal unemployment and
neurs in 2016 are taking the It may still sound counterin- underemployment figures.
necessary steps to launch their tuitive that more startups are Despite the fact that persistent
businesses. For instance, 71% popping up across the MENA unemployment is economically
21% of the 2016 survey respond- today when the economic con- and psychologically taxing,
ents prefer self-employment ditions seem more challeng- it can motivate job seekers
while 64% preferred self- ing than ever. There are, in to explore alternative routes
4%
employment in 2015. It is not fact, a few factors that further such as entrepreneurship. This
merely about preference, as explain this trend. ultimately creates jobs for the
75%
more respondents in 2016 said entrepreneur and for many
that they have taken the first 1. The unemployment others.
steps towards establishing effect We can think
their own business and have, of self-employment and Entrepreneurs often revolu-
hence, began implementing unemployment as alternatives. tionize existing products and
their ideas on the ground. It is a simple analogy to show services; they fill in the gaps
Between 2011 to 2016
Based on the survey find- how higher unemployment by addressing unmet consumer
(in the last 6 years)
needs and desires, shake up
ings, entrepreneurship is works as an incentive for
Between 2006 to 2010 dormant competition, and, along
(in the last 10 years) certainly not declining in the aspiring entrepreneurs. At the way, generate new investment
More than 10 years ago
MENA region; in fact, it is the end of the day, many of us platforms and career opportuni-
(2005 or before) appearing more favorable and prefer self-employment over ties for their countries.
Lama Ataya is the Chief Marketing Officer at Bayt.com. In this role, she heads the Marketing department at Bayt.com, and within that role, she is also
responsible for communications, content, community experience, and corporate social responsibility.
From slick smartphones to ultra-thin laptops, this month’s tech lineup showcases products that you’d
need in your day-to-day life. Yes, it’s okay to want them all… and no, it’s not our fault!
Worldly desires
HTC unveils its new flagship smartphones
HTC has unveiled two new a 20MP main camera with pre- mode. A fingerprint sensor that to 2TB of expandable memory
smartphones, the HTC Desire set options like sport mode and recognizes your finger from and share the same stunning
10 Pro and the HTC Desire 10 night mode, electronic image every angle and position sits on look with metallic gold trim that
Lifestyle, both of which feature stabilization to provide smooth the back of this model too. The complements the matte finish.
stunning design and flagship- videos even with shaky hands, HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle boasts Available in four distinct colors
level features. The Desire 10 and auto HDR on both the front a 5.5-inch, 720p HD screen, up -Stone Black, Polar White, Royal
Pro has a 5.5 inch, 1080p Full and rear cameras. Snap your to 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage Blue and Valentine Lux- the
HD display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB best selfies with the 13MP front space and HTC BoomSound Hi- HTC Desire 10 Pro and Lifestyle
storage space and amazing camera that features a new Fi Edition plus 24-bit Hi-Res au- blend function and fashion…
high-resolution cameras. It has 150-degree Selfie Panorama dio. Both smartphones offer up flawlessly.
HTC Desire 10
Lifestyle
Smart home
HomeIQ offers a wireless management system for your home
HomeIQ’s connected home hub that works with other smart by restricting access to game
wireless system is an easy and device like A/C thermostats consoles and TVs to specific
efficient way to manage your that program themselves, flood times through the installation of
home. The system requires no detectors that shut off water a simple smart switch. The sys-
drilling or technical expertise supply when a leak is detected, tem is entirely customizable and
to install and allows you to smoke alarms that send notifica- available through HomeIQ’s on-
automate lights, locks and appli- tions in case of fire, and smart line platform. Once installed you #TAMTALKSTECH
ances as well as protect against locks that can remotely unlock can manage your smart home Tamara Clarke, a former
leaks, fire and theft. Hardware a door. Got kids? HomeIQ can using an app on your Android or software development
professional, is the tech and
for the system includes a central help automate their lifestyles too iOS mobile device.
lifestyle enthusiast behind
The Global Gazette, one of
the most active blogs in
HomeIQ the Middle East. The Global
Gazette has been welcomed
and lauded by some of the
most influential tech brands
in the region. Clarke’s goal is
to inform about technology
and how it supports our
lifestyles. See her work both
in print regional publications
and online on her blog where
she discusses everything
from how a new gadget
improves day-to-day life
to how to coordinate your
smartphone accessories.
Visit www. theglobalgazette.
com and talk to her on
Twitter @TamaraClarke.
‘Trep trimmings
The executive selection
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make the approved executive selection list. In this issue, we present the COS AW16 men’s
range, a new timepiece for travelling ‘treps, and our suggestions for eyewear to include in
your better accessories collection.
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Commanding
from a personal standpoint,
the Edge 2016 speaker that
particularly stood out to
me –entrepreneur Leanne
attention
Kemp- didn’t belong to a
“big” company per se: Kemp
is the founder and CEO of an
18-month-old startup called
Everledger, that currently
employs a team of 20 people.
But as Kemp outlined the
Startup Everledger makes a KNOCKOUT first impression work that her enterprise
Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp was doing, the technology
it was using to do this, and
F
By Aby Sam Thomas
the scope of its applications,
it was easy to see why the
or an event States in September at the President Tom Rosamilia London-headquartered
that was MGM Grand in Las Vegas, took to the Edge 2016 stage Everledger (with offices in
organized by Edge 2016 aimed to inspire to deliver this message, Australia and New York)
IBM, one of its attendees to “outthink the which was further bolstered warranted a presence on the
the largest status quo,” with IBM using by its partners in these Edge 2016 stage, despite the
(and oldest) the event to showcase how endeavors, which included company’s relatively young
technology it was enabling great strides bigwigs like Red Bull Racing, age and small size- this
companies in and delivering value in fields Welch’s, and Hortonworks. startup definitely seems to
the world, it was no surprise as varied as cognitive busi- But while all of these be on to something with its
to hear “innovation” being ness, cloud technology and prolific industry names gave offering, and Kemp’s passion
the center point of this year’s collaborative innovation. presentations that were and drive for her company
edition of the Edge confer- High-ranking IBM executives impressive in their own was, quite simply, grand and
ence. Staged in the United like IBM Systems Senior Vice right, I must admit here that, infectious.
“We knew what the problem was, and we luxury goods Leanne Kemp with a
few of the awards won
and more. “You
had the ability to say, hey, there is some by Everledger
know, Amazon
technology here that could actually started with
really solve this. And these problems are books, and
problems that have not yet been solved Everledger
before today- so we truly are trying to started with
solve a problem that is real world issue.” diamonds,”
Kemp says.
“Our vision is
Everledger describes itself Everledger offers can be so much bigger.
as “a permanent, digital, put to good use in diamond You go from
global ledger that tracks verification processes by diamonds to
and protects diamonds and banks, insurers, law enforce- colored stones,
other valuable goods on ment, and even the owners rubies and sap-
their lifetime journey.” With themselves, who can now be phires; you can
the use of technology like confident about their asset’s go to watches
blockchain, smart contracts, sourcing. “I think the real to art to wine.” It’s a bold vi- think that’s a testament
machine vision and AI, this game changer for us is when sion- but it’s one that Kemp to our ability to distill the
startup essentially creates an we are able to give enough is confident that Everledger technology to its pure potent
immutable digital footprint transparency with a depth can accomplish because of form to really understand
for a diamond, thereby pro- of data over time, so that the ingenuity of its solution. the core building blocks that
viding a secure, transparent the consumer can have the “I think the reaction to were never going to change
record which stakeholders full consciousness of mind Everledger from day one has through the evolution of the
throughout the supply chain around the purchase of the been somewhat of an ‘aha!’ tech, and to apply that to a
can use to track and protect diamond,” Kemp says. “I moment for many, many problem… We knew what
their assets. Given its cur- think the horizon for us is people,” she says. “And I the problem was, and we >>>
rent focus on the diamond to bring full spread of the
industry, Kemp explains that true provenance, the chain
Everledger’s clients include of custody, and the reputa- “the real game changer for us is when
banks, insurance companies tion of the diamond to the
we are able to give enough transparency
and certification houses, and consumer.”
its technology has, so far,
with a depth of data over time, so that the
And while Everledger’s
been used to certify over a technology has been consumer can have the full consciousness
million diamonds. That’s no currently put to use for of mind around the purchase of the diamond.
small feat for a company that diamonds, the underlying I think the horizon for us is to bring full
was founded only in April ledger concept can be used spread of the true provenance, the chain of
2014, which also boasts of to track other valuable assets custody, and the reputation of the diamond
having won a number of in- as well, like gemstones, art, to the consumer.”
dustry awards, like the 2015
BBVA Europe Open Talent
Competition, the 2015 Meffy
Awards, and the 2016 Fin-
tech Finals, to name a few.
The value of what
Everledger brings to the
table can be best understood
when one looks at what is
at stake here: the diamond
industry is worth about
US$80 billion, but it is
rattled with problems like
theft and fraud, as well as
www.everledger.io | images courtesy ibm
had the ability to say, hey, “IBM is one of the chosen companies that’s the million diamond mark,
there is some technology been around for 100 years. They’ve continued and it was actually quite a
here that could actually to re-innovate themselves; innovate the sobering moment for me at
really solve this. And these market. And they understand security. They Christmas, because it had
problems are problems that understand hard architecture. And they dawned upon me that whilst
have not yet been solved a lot of people were applaud-
understand enterprise level applications. So,
before today- so we truly ing the engineering efforts
are trying to solve a problem
for me, it was around, really, being counter- of our team, the reality is
that is real world issue.” intuitive, around some of the decisions that we need to go from a million
Kemp, a serial entrepreneur we were making as a startup.” to 10 million to 30 million
who has built and sold start- diamonds. How do we scale
ups successfully in the past, diamonds space, Everledger can consume it, and we can that securely, how do we do
says that Everledger was announced at Edge 2016 solve problems,” she ex- that globally, and how do we
predominantly funded from that it has now extended plains. “We have some of the also bring the elasticity in
her own personal wealth. its technology to tackle the brightest minds in the insur- terms of that service offering
The startup was invited to be trade of rough diamonds as ance business; we have some to market? And so, to bring
a part of the 2015 Barclays well, certified through the of the brightest engineers that elasticity, as well as the
Accelerator program in Lon- UN-mandated Kimberley that are working with us. But rigidity ensuring that if you
don, which afforded it an in- Process, and thus enabling we are not a protocol-based stretch it too long, it’s not
vestment of US$120,000 as transparency at every stage engineering team, so we’re going to snap, [we chose to
well. “We were supported by of a diamond’s journey. reliant upon the emerging work with IBM].”
an industry name this year, Everledger’s presence at Edge fabrics that come to market. And Kemp doesn’t seem
but we haven’t publicly an- 2016 is also reflective of the And there have been very to regret her decision one
nounced that,” Kemp reveals. good working relationship many startups that have bit- she was quite gracious
“We will announce that as between the startup and attempted in the space that of IBM’s efforts in relation
part of our Series A that IBM, and I was curious to have built certain architec- to Everledger. “IBM is one
will come out in the next hear from Kemp how this ture, and we’ve embraced of the chosen companies
number of months.” Having partnership came about. “We that architecture. But when that’s been around for 100
showcased its digital encryp- are a company that enables we got to the first year [of years. They’ve continued to
tion expertise in the polished technology, so that industry the company], we achieved re-innovate themselves; in-
novate the market. And they and to weather the storms “we’ve invested a lot in understanding the
understand security. They that happen is really the key challenges of us wanting to really take
understand hard architec- to success. You know, for ourselves to new heights. But IBM has been a part
ture. And they understand me, we’ve invested a lot in of that sherpa process for us. And, you know,
enterprise level applications. understanding the challenges we have not necessarily spent a lot of time in
So, for me, it was around, of us wanting to really take the business-facing end of IBM; we really have
being counter-intuitive ourselves to new heights. But
been spending a lot of time with the technology
around some of the decisions IBM has been a part of that
team. We’ve been making the engineering
that we were making as a sherpa process for us. And,
startup. Actually kind of do- you know, we have not nec-
investment. We’ve been contributing to the open
ing the old Wayne Gretzky, essarily spent a lot of time source initiative.
you know, let’s go to where in the business-facing end
the puck is likely to be, of IBM; we really have been ten that. So, at the very core tivities that we’ve brought to
rather than trying to be there spending a lot of time with of IBM, you know, they really the engineering framework.
right this very second. And, the technology team. We’ve have the embodiment of We really understand the
you know, that intuition is been making the engineering trust. And I remember hav- acuteness of the problems
paying off right now for us.” investment. We’ve been con- ing a conversation with some in the marketplace. And you
Given Everledger’s successful tributing to the open source of the top management team, know, we’ve been agile in our
collaboration with IBM, I initiative. You know, we’ve and looking them in the eye approach. I mean, a 20-hour
ask Kemp if she had any tips been giving first; we’ve been and saying, you know, this working rhythm for us, 24/7
for other entrepreneurs who giving it out, and respect- could potentially be a David across three countries in 18
may be, like her at one point, fully, IBM has supported us and Goliath moment. I mean, months, is really something
weighing the pros and cons through this journey, and there’s no reason why you that I guess they probably
of working with an industry quite rightly, probably to the couldn’t shove Everledger haven’t seen too many times
giant. Kemp replies with a benefit of them, as well as it to one side, and actually in a startup. I mean, we’re
mountaineering analogy. is to the benefit of us.” put an engineering army of hungry. We want IBM to
“There are ways to scale But weren’t there ever any 200 people to it, and take work with us. We’ll do what-
the heights of Everest. And concerns about working with us out of the market in five ever it takes to be sure that
I think that the air is thin a giant like IBM- perhaps split seconds. But I really the industry can consume
when you get up there quite worries about the startup think, and, you know, maybe this technology. And for me,
high. But the ability to find being swallowed by it? I’m putting words in IBM’s I want to be the crazy old
images courtesy ibm
the right sherpa in industry “You know, IBM was once mouth, but I really think lady in a nursing home that
to bring you through those a startup,” Kemp replies. that they’ve enjoyed the true tells the story, that there was
parts, and the challenges and “They were once a startup. collaboration. I think that something that we did to
the potential avalanches, And I don’t think I’ve forgot- they have enjoyed the sensi- change the world.”
T
what is the one thing that need to embrace this, and the
ech has changed the part of our customer journey, businesses, large and small, people that you need to bring
way we work and we’re still not there.” As for should keep in mind when in to help you to actually
live, and with that, why this is the case, De La thinking about their digital conduct this.”
more so than ever, Torre feels there’s a misun- strategies? “What’s the end?
the need for enter- derstanding of sorts about What do you want to get out
prises and startups to shift to what digital transformation of it? It’s a very simple ques- Executive speak
strategize the digital market exactly entails when it tion, and it’s basic, but an J. J. De La Torre’s
is high. Businesses are called comes to a business. “Digital important one- are you going impressions on the MENA
to create more efficient and transformation now is a to use technology to commu- startup ecosystem
seamless ways to incorporate buzzword,” he says. “Everyone nicate to your customers? You
consumer-centric experiences is using it, everyone wants it, want to use it to understand “What we see in the region
with digi technologies, and and everyone wants to have them better? You want to use when it comes to startups,
IBM’s Digital Transformation it as part of their strategy- it to increase your sales? You are regional replicas of global
Leader for Middle East and but digital transformation want to use it as customer trends. There’s a global
Africa Juan Jose De La Torre is very difficult, [and] very care? What is the aim? And startup that is becoming
focuses on addressing this different to digitalization.” that aim should be translated successful, then we have our
demand. According to De La As an example, De La Torre to vision. From aim, we go to own local version, which then
Torre, digital transforma- points toward the onslaught vision, from vision we go to comes down to a matter of
tion is all about helping of businesses getting on social customer experience: so what execution and a matter of
clients leverage technology media channels like Twitter, is the customer experience time to market, like, local vs.
“to actually reinvent their for instance, and then failing that you want to create? And global, who will win- the one
business models to reinvent to keep an up-to-date and how that is going to encom- that is able to grab the most
their operations, to reinvent responsive presence on the pass [digital]? Then you take traction in the market in the
the processes, and basically platform. Another instance is that customer experience short time. What I would like
to transform.” Enhancing when a retailer creates an e- and decompose it into KPIs, to see is more unique value
customer experience needs commerce side to the existing objectives, etc. This [might propositions that were born
to be the centerpoint of this business- but while it should look a bit] disconnected, but out of the region, based in the
transformation strategy, aim at channeling the same this is the way to do it and be region, and basically that solve
which should essentially re- kind of customer experience successful. When you design, a particular situation from
late to the consumer’s specific it already has, it’s often a dif- you design with an intention the region, that we can scale
needs and wants. “You need ferent operation entirely, with of a behavior, and by having then to the globe. Again, IBM
to change how you actually different pricing, strategies, that, you achieve your busi- is helping startups, not only
create, and how you actually etc. ness goals. It’s exactly the in the region but across the
Image location courtesy of St. Regis Dubai
build the proposition,” he “Digital transformation is same. When I open a digital world, by putting a number
explains. not about digitalization, it’s channel, I need to understand of tools at their disposal by
While De La Torre agrees about transforming your op- why I’m opening it, or if I’m supporting the ecosystem. It’s
with the notion that the rate eration,” De La Torre explains. going to digitize, why I’m not about pushing technology,
of digital adoption is high in “If I open a new channel, that going to digitize.” Once the per se, it’s about identifying a
the MENA region, when it channel needs to be consis- operating model has been put need that then can be solved
comes to “using these digital tent with experience. It needs in place, then the focus, De for a value proposition, that is
technologies embedded in to be actually something that La Torre says, needs to be on fueled by digital technology.”
us as part of the business or elevates the experience. It’s the people putting this into
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H
i. Sorry. I know you came all pendable they are in business. The re- why you need to postpone. If you do,
this way, but I’m gonna have scheduling request is both minefield and you’re just telling them where they are
to reschedule this reading opportunity. But mainly: opportunity. on your hierarchy of responsibilities. But
experience. You didn’t confirm, when someone reads, “Unfortunately,
so I thought it wasn’t going to work for The mechanics of rescheduling I have to reschedule our meeting for
you. So, anyway, I’ll get in touch about Earnest times call for earnest words. If tomorrow,” they imagine any number of
another time, OK? Sorry, it’s just been you’re going to bump that lunch meet- scenarios- from the mundane to trau-
really crazy the past few days. I’ve been ing, you need to show that the meeting matic. But, importantly, they can’t judge
sick, and I’m just, you know: “Aaah!” is still important and that your profes- the situation.
Let’s analyze why the above’s such a sional bond remains intact. That means Let them fill in the blanks. Don’t give
bad way to reschedule. expressing four things: contrition, avail- an excuse. Preserve the leverage that
1. It happened too late. ability, deference and reassurance. “Use discretion affords.
2. It placed blame on the other party. words like important or I need to change If you do it wrong, rescheduling weak-
3. The rescheduling is left open-ended. the schedule or Let’s get this rescheduled ens a business relationship through
4. “It’s just been really crazy” is not a as soon as possible,” says Jeffrey Seglin, irritation and complication. If you do it
valid reason to postpone anything in director of the communications program right, you will irritate and complicate,
business. at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy but you will make the other feel like
See this article in its entirety at Entrepreneur.com
5. “I’ve been sick” is unnecessarily bur- School of Government. they matter more than they did when
densome information. you first scheduled the meeting. You’ll
And 6. “Aaah!”? Aaah! And then get down to the turn a mundane scheduling matter into
No professional action is more revealing rescheduling. an occasion to prove sincerity, persever-
than the manner in which a person re- But don’t just ask, “When’s good for ance, respect and ownership of one very
schedules a meeting. It indicates how im- you?” says Greg Avola, co-founder and impressive onus.
portant the person thinks they are, how CTO of Untapped. “If you say, ‘When are Speaking of, I’d like to get next month’s
important they think the other person you available?’ it puts the onus back on column on your calendar. How’s a month
is and how efficient, considerate and de- them.” And now you’re playing onus vol- from now for you?
A
lmost all great ideas follow A problem in need of a creative A flash of insight
a similar creative process, solution Ives got his start as a printer’s ap-
and this article explains how In the 1870s, newspapers and printers prentice in Ithaca, New York. After two
this process works. Under- faced a very specific and very costly years of learning the ins and outs of the
standing this is important problem. Photography was a new and printing process, he began managing
because creative thinking is exciting medium at the time. Read- the photographic laboratory at nearby
one of the most useful skills ers wanted to see more pictures, but Cornell University. He spent the rest
you can possess. Nearly every nobody could figure out how to print of the decade experimenting with new
problem you face in work and in life can images quickly and cheaply. photography techniques and learning
benefit from creative solutions, lateral For example, if a newspaper wanted to about cameras, printers, and optics.
thinking, and innovative ideas. print an image in the 1870s, they had to In 1881, Ives had a flash of insight
Anyone can learn to be creative by commission an engraver to etch a copy regarding a better printing technique.
using these five steps. That’s not to say of the photograph onto a steel plate by “While operating my photostereotype
being creative is easy. Uncovering your hand. These plates were used to press process in Ithaca, I studied the problem
creative genius requires courage and the image onto the page, but they often of halftone process,” Ives said. “I went
tons of practice. However, this five-step broke after just a few uses. This process to bed one night in a state of brain fog
approach should help demystify the of photoengraving, you can imagine, over the problem, and the instant I
creative process and illuminate the path was remarkably time consuming and woke in the morning saw before me,
to more innovative thinking. expensive. apparently projected on the ceiling,
To explain how this process works, let The man who invented a solution the completely worked out process and
me tell you a short story. to this problem was named Frederic equipment in operation.” >>>
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Ives got his start as a printer’s Most important, the ability to gener- was constantly tinkering and experi-
apprentice in Ithaca, New York. After two ate new combinations hinges upon your menting with different ways of putting
years of learning the ins and outs of ability to see the relationships between ideas together.
the printing process, he began managing concepts. If you can form a new link Third, Ives stepped away from the
the photographic laboratory at nearby between two old ideas, you have done problem. In this case, he went to sleep
Cornell University. He spent the rest
something creative. for a few hours before his flash of in-
of the decade experimenting with new
photography techniques and learning Young believed this process of creative sight. Letting creative challenges sit for
about cameras, printers, and optics. connection always occurred in five steps. longer periods of time can work as well.
Regardless of how long you step away,
Ives quickly translated his vision into re- 1. Gather new material you need to do something that inter-
ality and patented his printing approach At first, you learn. During this stage, ests you and takes your mind off of the
in 1881. He spent the remainder of the you focus on 1) learning specific mate- problem.
decade improving upon it. By 1885, he rial directly related to your task and 2) Fourth, his idea returned to him. Ives
had developed a simplified process that learning general material by becoming awoke with the solution to his problem
delivered even better results. The Ives fascinated with a wide range of con- laid out before him. (On a personal note,
Process, as it came to be known, reduced cepts. I often find creative ideas hit me just as I
the cost of printing images by 15x and am lying down for sleep. Once I give my
remained the standard printing tech- 2. Thoroughly work over the brain permission to stop working for the
nique for the next 80 years. materials in your mind day, the solution appears easily.)
Alright, now let’s discuss what lessons During this stage, you examine what you Finally, Ives continued to revise his
we can learn from Ives about the crea- have learned by looking at the facts from idea for years. In fact, he improved so
tive process. different angles and experimenting with many aspects of the process he filed a
fitting various ideas together. second patent. This is a critical point
and is often overlooked. It can be easy
3. Step away from the problem to fall in love with the initial version of
Next, you put the problem completely your idea, but great ideas always evolve.
out of your mind and go do something
else that excites you and energizes you. Ives stepped away from the problem.
In this case, he went to sleep for a
4. Let your idea return to you few hours before his flash of insight.
Letting creative challenges sit for
At some point, but only after you have longer periods of time can work as well.
stopped thinking about it, your idea will Regardless of how long you step away, you
come back to you with a flash of insight need to do something that interests you
and renewed energy. and takes your mind off of the problem.
The printing process developed by Frederic Eugene Ives used
a method called “halftone printing” to break a photograph
down into a series of tiny dots. The image looks like a 5. Shape and develop your idea The creative process in short
collection of dots up close, but when viewed from a normal based on feedback Robert Frost said, “An idea is a feat of
distance the dots blend together to create a picture with For any idea to succeed, you must re- association, and the height of it is a good
varying shades of gray.
lease it out into the world, submit it to metaphor.”
criticism, and adapt it as needed. The creative process is the act of mak-
The five stages of the creative ing new connections between old ideas.
process The idea in practice Thus, we can say creative thinking is
In 1940, an advertising executive named The creative process used by Frederic the task of recognizing relationships
James Webb Young published a short Eugene Ives offers a perfect example of between concepts.
guide titled A Technique for Producing these five steps in action. One way to approach creative challeng-
Ideas. In this guide, he made a simple, First, Ives gathered new material. He es is by following the five-step process
but profound statement about generat- spent two years working as a printer’s of 1) gathering material, 2) intensely
ing creative ideas. apprentice and then four years running working over the material in your mind,
According to Young, innovative ideas the photographic laboratory at Cornell 3) stepping away from the problem, 4)
happen when you develop new combina- University. These experiences gave him allowing the idea to come back to you
tions of old elements. In other words, a lot of material to draw upon and make naturally, and 5) testing your idea in
creative thinking is not about generat- associations between photography and the real world and adjusting it based on
ing something new from a blank slate, printing. feedback.
but rather about taking what is already Second, Ives began to mentally work Being creative isn’t about being the
present and combining those bits and over everything he learned. By 1878, first (or only) person to think of an idea.
printing process image jamesclear.com
pieces in a way that has not been done Ives was spending nearly all of his time More often, creativity is about connect-
previously. experimenting with new techniques. He ing ideas.
James Clear writes at JamesClear.com, where he uses behavior science to share ideas for mastering your habits, improving your
health, and increasing your creativity. To get useful ideas on improving your mental and physical performance, join his free newsletter
JamesClear.com/newsletter. To have James speak at your entrepreneurial event contact him jamesclear.com/contact
#feels
A perspective on the future of targeting
By Melissa Moubarak
P
ersonalization, an age-old tactic used by marketers to lure us into think-
ing we’re special. Especially in today’s era of mass communication –the
one-size-fits-none model– personalization remains potent. Just ask
anyone who bought a can of Coke with their name on it. Digital media
has opened up new ways to customize communication, but so far, most
of it remains focused on demographic personalization; basically, your gender,
name, and date of birth1.
Facebook? Just because I’m being watched on YouTube. (gender, name, date of birth)
a single female in my 20s Special mention here goes to
* Not a historical fact, nor an actual forecast 4 IPG Media Labs, “The Power of Relevance”, January 2016.
1 UM Strategy. 5 Harvard Business Review, “The New Science of Customer Emotions”, November 2015.
2 Google Beacon August 2016. 6 CANVS, “Teen Wolf S5 Finale” White Paper 2015
3 Festival of Media 2016.
Melissa Moubarak, Strategy Manager at UM MENA, is responsible for the creation of inspiring and measurable media communication
campaigns for the entire client portfolio across the regional offices. With a unique skill set and background of marketing research and financial
analysis, Melissa’s contribution to all the brand teams has been a crucial element of their campaigns successes. She is a storyteller at heart and
an evangelist for the importance of data in marketing, with five years of experience operating in startups across London and Beirut. Melissa has
a strong penchant for words and is a regular contributor to UM’s thought leadership initiatives, including the MENA region’s first media trends
report, Next Thing Now 2016.
2. The traditional
approach to advertising
is dead
The key launch visual that
you used to usher a campaign
Modern marketing into existence with, and then
the follow-up promo ad to
Five tips for building your brand from the ground up sell your product are both
(in today’s market) deceased- may they both RIP.
D
Think of the story, not the
By Ramzi Haddad
visual. Remember that a story
today is told in multiple parts
rive down Sheikh in time, selling took over from statement should be taken to on multiple media, and it will
Zayed Road, one storytelling. heart by companies and corpo- most probably start on a mo-
of the longest I was in Tokyo two years rations in the region that need bile and not on a TV, because
highways run- ago when I heard one of our to think different. A friend of that’s where consumers are
ning through executives say: “If you’re not a mine just launched a new tech spending most of their time.
Dubai, and startup, you’re a turnaround.” company out of Beirut, and his Brand building used to be ref-
an average of In this fast moving economy of current focus with his small erenced as a long-term objec-
18,000 visuals the digital age where consum- team is driving the quality of tive tracked with research on
will bombard you with their ers are constantly online, and his high tech product up to a brand attributes over time, and
messaging. I’ve been in the ad- the way they interact and standard by which it will be then correlated to the general
vertising industry for 15 years, transact with brands is shifting ready to launch commercially. sales pattern of a brand. Brand
and I can’t help but notice that closer to the convenience of When he came up to me for connections today, however,
the majority of messaging to- wherever they might be, and advice on media choices to are created on the fly, and just
day has become promotional in farther away from the brand’s promote his product, I told like the human relationships
nature, because at some point actual physical store, such a him these five tips: of today, they are volatile,
visual. Remember that a story They’re already online four are placed in the tumbler and shaken at an optimal
today is told in multiple parts
hours a day, if not more, and speed until the parts lock together, all in under a
on multiple media, and it will
most probably start on a
they don’t have the time to minute.
mobile and not on a TV, because watch a long piece of content
that’s where consumers are about your brand or product.
spending most of their time.
5. Remember that cash is
3. Find a set of influencers still king
who can show and try In this region, customers still
your product seek the emotional security of
You can’t build a brand today not storing their credit card
if you don’t have cool people to data online on any portal,
talk about it, show it, and try simply because they don’t
it as well. A YouTuber recently trust regional websites to be Self assembling phone parts
got bumped into first class by so robust when it comes to the
Emirates, and he filmed his ex- security of their data. One out The MIT Self Assembly Lab based its process on
perience with the flight. More of three people who shop on- the similar way of how proteins work when cells
than 3 million views later, the line in the UAE still prefer pay- are formed- and the team is trying to learn as
airline is still benefiting from ing in cash on delivery. They much as it can from the biological ecosystem to
the exposure with potential also want the guarantee to apply concepts to its products. The idea for the
customers who want to know return something if they’re not phone comes from MIT professor David Mellis,
what first class is like, without happy with it. That’s a reality who proposed a DIY cell phone kit, open-sourcing
having to actually be there. that any business built around instructions for a basic cell phone design with parts
The “showroom” is on their e-commerce needs to come worth US$200. Proposing a cheaper and easier
screen, and that recommenda- to terms with. Even cashless alternative to high-cost consumer electronics, the
tion from someone trusted on companies like Uber have team has been working on Mellis’ phone, with
a major video portal to provide started offering cash payment Tibbits and his team developing prototypes for its
“cool” and “real” reviews is all for rides in the UAE, because parts to assemble itself since 2013, its concept low
they need to trust the experi- they finally understand that budget and simple. All details can be optimized-
ence. I’m sure many business they’re missing out on the with various tumbler speeds or more parts in the
travelers who watched this “cash is king” customer. tumbler to assemble faster. The team hopes to scale
video will seriously consider it for mass production, as well as that the method
upgrading to first class on Consumers now interact and can help reduce the cost of automated assembly.
their next flight. transact at the same time on the It’s not the team’s first foray into experimental
same mobile device, so brand manufacture: in 2011, Tibbits set up a team to
building and influencing have to
4. Make sure the brand conduct research with 4D printing and has received
go hand in hand with selling. With
story is creative and fast the shopping funnel being turned funding from Defense Advanced Research Projects
A good story needs to build up upside down, there are more Agency (DARPA) to conduct experiments with
quickly. Just think: there are chances for your consumers to materials that can assemble itself. So far, they’ve
2000 stories on Facebook for a interact and buy immediately. come up with a self-constructing Ikea table, self-
replicating spheres, and à la Back To The Future,
self-lacing sneakers. An exciting aspect of it is
how other blocks can be mixed in the tumbler for
Ramzi Haddad is a communication professional with 15 years
of experience in building brands. He’s worked with advertising
different functions as well, akin to the now defunct
agencies the likes of Saatchi & Saatchi and BBDO on Google’s Project Ara phones. It’s just the start, and
multinational brand assignments in the GCC and in Europe. we can’t wait for more.
He now leads Carat, one of the fastest growing media agencies
in the UAE and Lower Gulf.
O
if your content is truly unique and
ur startup, Melltoo, hit a luxury we cannot yet afford. Right doesn’t exist elsewhere, and again, you
an important mile- now, what matters is growth that is need to appeal to niche audiences. It
stone in June this year, quantifiable by revenue or users. This makes sense to devote resources to
when we reached US$1 is not to say that brand marketing this if you are in the business of con-
million of sales on our is irrelevant, but given our limited tent, where content is your product;
peer-to-peer market- resources, brand marketing is not cur- otherwise, you cannot compete with
place for secondhand rently the priority. people who sell content. Just think of
things. For a small, not-very-well- pitting your content against Michelle
funded startup, we are very proud of What worked before doesn’t Phan and PewDiePie, or Entrepreneur
ourselves. We had no fancy marketing work anymore and CNN.
campaigns, no popup booths, no pro- Customer acquisition strategies that As technology accelerates change
fessional PR, no outdoor advertising, were once successful in the past have in customer behavior, marketers are
and only a limited PPI (pay per install) been copied a lot, and many have struggling to keep up. One thing is
budget. What we do have is a product lost their effectiveness over time. for sure: there is no one-size-fits-all
people love, which makes it possi- For example, cold emails (aka spam) marketing; every startup, every busi-
ble for us to crowdsource customer to targeted users were very effective ness, is different, and therefore, how
acquisition. when Airbnb first automated this on you acquire customers must also be
First of all, it’s important to note Craigslist in 2009. Today, however, different. The best practices of the past
that customer acquisition is not like most people have trained their email don’t apply anymore. Today’s customer
brand marketing, where impressions clients to recognize spam, and when acquisition strategies are best crafted
and awareness are the key metrics. these emails do land in the inbox, not by professional marketers, but by
What counts in customer acquisition people delete them without so much the people at the frontlines interacting
is when someone becomes a customer as a glance. with customers. Focus on what cus-
that generates revenue, or becomes a The same can be said with social tomers want, and craft your customer
user of the product. For most early- media. Startups assume that acquiring acquisition strategy accordingly.
stage startups, such as Melltoo, devot- customers must be easy with plat- Acquire, convert, retain: you’ve no
www.meltoo.com
ing resources to brand marketing is forms like Facebook and Instagram. doubt heard of this paradigm before.
Crowdsourcing customer
acquisition: what’s in it for
them?
The best advertising for startups is no
advertising, because people are condi-
tioned to ignore advertising. So unless
your budget rivals Apple, you’re not
going to get far. You might build brand
recognition, but you won’t acquire
customers. For startups, the most YouTube. At the same time, YouTube and thereby benefits individual
cost-effective way to get customers also allows people to embed videos users. Each additional buyer means
is through other customers. Think in external websites, which is akin to sellers have a greater chance of
about it as crowdsourcing customer dropping breadcrumbs all over the in- selling quickly, and each additional
acquisition. Instead of paying Face- ternet for users to find. Website own- seller means buyers have a greater
book and Google, figure out a way to ers get value from this because they chance of finding what they want at
“pay” your customers instead. Pay don’t have to write their own video the right price. Hence, our customer
them with your product, which means streaming code, nor do they have to acquisition strategy focuses on
your product better bring value or bear server costs of hosting videos. making our users partners in our
this won’t work. YouTube shares ad Another example is Facebook: I can’t network. Through Melltoo’s referral
revenue with their content produc- think of many websites today that program, we incentivize users by
ers. Therefore, content producers are don’t let you sign up with Facebook. rewarding referring and referred
highly incentivized to get people onto The Facebook login is an incredible buyers with credit to purchase in-app,
user acquisition tool. You can’t avoid which in turn helps sellers sell faster.
it, and you can’t ignore it. Why do We further incentivize referring
developers use Facebook logins and users if the friends they’ve referred
promote Facebook for free? Because to purchase or sell in-app by sharing
Facebook shares their user data with a portion of the revenue with them.
developers, and that’s how Facebook Every member of our network benefits
“pays” them. and is highly motivated to grow the
marketplace.
The best advertising for startups
is no advertising, because people Psychology and details matter
are conditioned to ignore To figure out what your customer
advertising. So unless your budget acquisition strategy should look like,
rivals Apple, you’re not going to you need to understand what your
get far. You might build brand users want, and how that can drive
recognition, but you won’t acquire your business model. In other words,
customers. For startups, the most
how can you “pay” users with your
cost-effective way to get customers
product (and not actual money), and
is through other customers. Think
about it as crowdsourcing customer still motivate them sufficiently? Cus-
acquisition. tomer psychology matters: you must
think like your customers. All market-
At Melltoo, we make our customers ing messages are essentially calls to
our partners. By virtue of being a action, an attempt to get someone to
two-sided peer-to-peer marketplace, do something. So whenever you put
we benefit from network effects. Every a marketing message out there, think
new user that joins the marketplace about how a potential customer would
adds value to the network as a whole, react to it. >>>
Morrad Irsane and Sharene Lee are the co-founders of Melltoo, a mobile marketplace for secondhand goods, based in the UAE. The startup launched
in March 2014 and has experienced explosive growth since then. CEO Morrad is is a lifelong entrepreneur, having founded multiple businesses in the
past, including two successful prior exits internationally. COO Sharene is a serial entrepreneur, with Melltoo being her third major venture and two prior
successful exits in Los Angeles and France.
I
By Tarig El-Sheikh and Dr. Petar Stojanov Organizations run on rules, lots and
lots of them. The structures, systems
t was some time ago, over a employees, and how can we identify and processes that are necessary to
shared coffee, when I found them? run the existing business require rigid,
myself frustrated, complaining Vilfredo Pareto of the Pareto Prin- structured thinking. The problem
about having started working ciple fame noted that roughly 80% arises when the same rigid structured
for a corporate organization. of the peas in his garden came from thinking is applied in innovation and
My observant coffee companion just 20% of the peapods. Whilst it is the creation of new business models.
listened patiently, before sud- amusing to draw a comparison between Without questioning the status quo,
denly retorting, “Well, of course, peapods and employees, we observe a any attempts at innovation are doomed
you can’t stand working there! You’re similar phenomenon in the workforce, from the outset.
an entrepreneur at heart, and we all where both productivity and talent are Intrapreneurs are driven by purpose,
know that entrepreneurs make terrible disproportionately weighted amongst not by process. Rather than being mo-
employees.” high-performing employees. There is tivated by answers, they are motivated
This is when I began to wonder: do an undeniable link between high-per- by questions. Filing a weekly team
entrepreneurial employees really make forming employees and intrapreneurial report or a regular meeting simply “be-
for bad employees, or is it something tendencies. The litmus test for the cause it was always so” will invite vig-
else that’s causing the problem? long-term health of an organization is orous questioning. The phrase “that’s
Entrepreneurial employees, commonly when their highest-performers begin to just the way we do things around
labeled as intrapreneurs, are employees leave. In fact, most organizations will here” will never be acceptable to an
that embrace entrepreneurial thinking readily admit to not being able to retain intrapreneur. Apple, itself famous for
in order to bring value to their organi- their top-performing talent. At the challenging the status quo, embodies
zations. My companion’s misjudgment same time, a recent Bayt.com survey the philosophy of its former CEO Steve
was the same that tends to run through of entrepreneurship across the MENA Jobs, who famously said, “It doesn’t
most organizations, which is that intra- region found that 64% of respondents make sense to hire smart people and
preneurs make bad employees. would rather be self-employed. With tell them what to do; we hire smart
But are they really such a bad fit? In that being the case, this bad rep for people so they can tell us what to do.”
reality, nothing could be further from
the truth. When correctly nurtured and
managed, intrapreneurial employees Tarig El-Sheikh is an experienced entrepreneur and finance professional with a 15-year
track record across emerging markets in building global businesses, technology
can become standouts, contributing startups and finance. His most recent enterprise, Beneple, an HR and health
broad-ranging benefits to their employ- management platform was successfully acquired in August 2015 after only eight
ers and organizations. So who are these months of operations.
GET
have issues with authority. This also trapreneurial impatience acts as a proxy
couldn’t be further from the truth. for the fact that they connect their own
During my time at Lehman Brothers, purpose with that of their work; other-
our teams were actively supported and wise they simply wouldn’t care.
encouraged by the organization to work Impatience is a virtue to be nurtured,
outside of conventional boundaries. not a failing to be punished. It is this
Given that Lehman hired the very best ambition to “get the right stuff done
talent in the market from an extraor- properly” that should be encouraged in
dinarily diverse range of backgrounds, all employees as part of the organiza-
the single common rule was that senior
management never attempted to micro-
manage.
tional culture.
5. Intrapreneurs know
REWARDED
Intrapreneurs despise being kept on the value of time
a short leash, as most talented and Intrapreneurs understand the impor-
independent-thinking employees would tance of both efficiency and effective-
agree. In the right work environment, ness, and tend to be “efficiently effec-
intrapreneurs can be enormously pro- tive” to the point of ruthlessness. This
ductive; however in the wrong one, they means they tend to cut out the unneces-
can be more difficult to handle than sary or the redundant, especially when
petulant problem children. they see it is irrelevant to the outcome.
Politics, the social lubricant of the
3. Intrapreneurs are focused corporate environment and a wholly
on the pursuit of excellence necessary evil for career success, tends
Intrapreneurs strive for excellence, to be seen as both inefficient and inef-
whilst there are plenty of organizations fective by intrapreneurs, who tend not
and people within them that strive to involve themselves with politics.
for mediocrity. Average employees, Large corporates tend to be incubators
conscious not to disrupt the status quo, of inefficient cultures and processes,
can be excellent at creating a façade of riddled with layers of bureaucracy and
“busyness,” spending vast lengths of endless, pointless meetings. If you’ve
time trying to do as little work as pos- been following me so far, you can imag-
sible. New ideas and new ways of doing ine how this would spell disaster for an
GET UP TO
2,500
things are seen as extra chores with no efficiency-seeking intrapreneur.
direct benefit. The feeling extends to In conclusion, the negative stereotype
the higher ranks, with former employers of the entrepreneurial employee simply
of mine having openly said, “Let’s not isn’t true. In fact, it is exactly the oppo-
question the status quo,” or worse, “We site. Given the benefits, it makes sense
don’t get paid for this.” for organizations to embrace intrapre-
On the other hand, intrapreneurs are neurs by creating an environment with
keenly aware of connecting the dots the right support, leadership, rewards AED
between their work and the broader and compensation structures. Only then
BY INTRODUCING
vision of the company, tending to view can organizations win over the people
disruptions to the status quo as oppor- who hold the key to enormously posi-
tunities to make a difference, fueled by tive impacts on companies.
their purpose. YOUR FRIENDS TO
Intrapreneurs are driven by purpose,
4. Intrapreneuers are impa- not by process. Rather than being mo-
tient (and that’s a good thing) tivated by answers, they are motivated
This isn’t a misconception; I must ad- by questions. Filing a weekly team
mit that this one is true. Intrapreneurs report or a regular meeting simply E S TA B L I S H I N G S I N C E 2 0 0 9
tend to be extremely impatient. But it “because it was always so” will invite
www.vz.ae
Dr. Petar Stojanov is co-founder of Ebtikaar, a boutique consultancy whose aim is to
change the entrepreneurship and innovation landscape in the MENA region. Petar has
also facilitated strategic growth workshops for the Dubai SME Top 100 companies,
as well as working with regional banks and finance partners to close the SME funding TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
gap following the recent economic downturn.
Building
yourself going off track, your attempt to live by a set of
values should guide you back simple common sense rules
in the right direction. that worked for the 98%,
rather than the 2%. And
Designing organization thus was born unlimited
values
policies leave.
As we began to think more After much discussion and
about the organizational debate, this is our current
policies that were loosely in leave policy:
place, but were poorly de- “We have an unlimited
fined, we realized that most leave policy. Take as many
How we’re building JadoPado as an organization organizations build policies days off as you want.”
By Omar Kassim for what we call “the 2%,” That’s it. We’re typically
I
those individuals who have a met with skepticism and
n October 2015, we them the unfortunately typi- tendency towards disruption then incredulity, before
closed our first external cal lip service, he sent out an and therefore need rules to the realization that we’re
funding, raising US$4 email (we don’t do internal govern their organizational not trying to pull one over
million in a round led email, making this a pretty behavior. Unfortunately this them. The top two questions
by BECO Capital, a big deal) to the rest of our leads to long documents that are usually a variation of:
fast-growing VC firm based team, and simply asked what no one reads (until there’s a “Surely this can’t work?”
out of Dubai. As the t’s were they thought our most im- problem), and a complicated closely followed by “What if
crossed and the i’s were portant values were and used set of policies that the other it’s abused?” The response
dotted, Aamir Kassim, VP of their responses to create a 98% have to live by. More tends to be pretty simple.
People Operations at Jado- long list. These were then rules aren’t the right solu- Firstly, make sure that your
Pado, and I started mulling carefully distilled down to tion. team and whoever is manag-
over what the future of Jado- thirteen values that capture One of the issues that we ing you is ok with you going
Pado would look like. What the essence of JadoPado. came across very consistent- on leave. Unlimited leave
sort of organization were we While this may be seen ly was the confusion around doesn’t mean that you go on
building? How could we in- as clichéd, taking the time leave. How much leave had leave whenever you fancy.
still the values that were im- to define and express who one taken, how much they Secondly, if someone were
portant to us, while evolving you are, what you’re doing had left, what type of leave to abuse the policy, with the
and dissipating our culture and where you’re going is were they eligible for and the reasonable assumption that
as we grew into a larger and an important foundational list goes on. It was compli- we had the right individu-
more diverse team? building block for your cated and messy. Long being als in the organization, they
Aamir had already started organization. From whom admirers of Netflix’s incred- would be pushed out, as
work on defining the values you hire to what you end up ible people management they’d have a net negative
that we implicitly shared building can and should boil framework, we knew in our affect on team and organiza-
into a base from which to back down towards whether hearts that we would col- tional performance.
build. Rather than creating you’re fulfilling what you lectively be doing ourselves Six months later, unlimited
them in a vacuum or paying set out to do. When you find injustice if we didn’t at least leave is ticking along and it
has given everyone one less
thing to think about. We
strongly encourage taking
time off to travel, learn,
discover and unwind before
returning for the next big
push.
Plugging in
landing US$50,000 credits companies registered in the
to be redeemed on Alibaba Middle East which met the
Cloud’s products and services. criteria laid down by the
Alibaba Cloud and DSOA host startup The startup also heads to global challenge, i.e. “have
China to compete in the a clear business model,
challenge to reward Middle East international final to be held innovative products and a
entrepreneurs later this year, thus enjoying good potential to grow.” The
an opportunity to network startups showcased their
A
libaba Cloud, the partnership with Dubai with investors and business business potential to a jury
cloud computing Silicon Oasis Authority leaders in China’s market. panel, which included Dinesh
arm of Chinese (DSOA) and held at Dubai Alibaba Cloud also announced Ajmera, SVP of Technology,
e-commerce giant Technology Entrepreneur $10,000 credits in cloud Souq.com, Prashant Gulati,
Alibaba, hosted Centre (DTEC), the contest resources for all the other founder, The Assembly,
the Dubai edition saw ten technology startups participating startups. Wissam Younane, CEO, BNC
of Create@Alibaba Cloud working across e-commerce, The winning startup Publishing, among other
Startup Contest (CACSC) multimedia, gaming, social Marhababy is an e-commerce ecosystem stakeholders.
–a global entrepreneurship media, and other sectors, firm that creates and provides Souq.com, Careem, PayFort,
challenge- on September come together to present their soon-to-be mothers with free In5, Flat6Labs, and others
21, 2016. Conducted in ventures. E-commerce startup gift boxes filled with relevant were partners for the contest.
Alibaba Cloud CACSC, Dubai Edition The participants in Dubai edition of CACSC
E
stablished in 2009, by the end of this year.
Alibaba Cloud Excerpts from a chat with
develops cloud Gong, who was in Dubai for
computing and CACSC:
data management
platforms, and provides What were Alibaba
an array of cloud services Cloud’s reasons to
to Alibaba Group’s e-com- launch CACSC in the
merce ecosystem, and to Middle East?
third-party businesses. As “We are looking for innova-
part of its growth strategy, tions in all kinds of busi- What kind of support competing startups too will
the Chinese heavyweight nesses. We are a platform, can startups in the each get $10,000 [in] cred-
has already set up data and startups can use our region expect from Ali- its. Further, all the startups
centers outside China in the platform to reduce their baba Cloud? will also receive mentor-
US, Hong Kong and Singa- costs, and to improve their “Different startups have ing and guidance from
pore. Sensing a potential efficiency. So, we are here to different needs for cloud, the judges panel and from
in the Middle East cloud host and support this kind based on their industry. At Alibaba on a continuous
market and seeing global of a challenge. Our target is Alibaba, we can take care basis. This is one of Alibaba
providers marking their purely to support startups, of all their needs, which Cloud’s first initiatives for
footprint in the region, since we understand their can save time and cost. We entrepreneurship, and we
Alibaba Cloud has entered need. We wanted to see have an office and a local look forward to more.”
the region in a joint venture if the entrepreneurs have team based here in Dubai,
with Meraas Holding in the market understanding, and we can provide onsite How is the adoption of
2015 with an entity called if their product has the supports to the startups cloud-computing tech-
Yvolv. This joint entity is market potential- regional in the region, giving them nology by businesses in
working together to build a or international, the kind of the best of cloud infra- the region?
data center in Dubai, which technology they are using, structure and service. The “Though there are no
according to Yipin Gong, whether they have a clear winning startup today [in trends specific to the
Regional Manager, Alibaba go-to market strategy. All the CACSC challenge] gets Middle East market, we
Cloud International - MEA these are of importance to US$50,000 in cloud credits believe that the market is
& India, will likely open us.” from us, and all the other well placed to leverage the
global trend towards cloud
adoption. Yes, people need
to understand cloud first.
For example, the US market
is several years ahead, and
in the beginning companies
there too hesitated to move
on to cloud, but now more
and more people think
moving on to cloud is the
correct way. In this market,
it will indeed take some
time. We need to educate
the market and the cus-
tomer but we are confident
that it is the future. With
regards to the security and
data privacy, yes, we defi-
nitely ensure we align with
regulations, but we see it as
a potential opportunity for
us to grow.”
www.yvolv.ae
S E M I N A R
1 S UCCE S S
L D ’ S #
WOR
ALI AL SALOOM
Best Selling Author,
Cultural Consultant &
Local Media Celebrity ROBERT LADY
KIYOSAKI MICHELLE
Author of #1 MONE OBE
ANDREW Personal Finance Global Speaker,
MATTHEWS Book of all time Entrepreneur
Best Selling “Rich Dad Poor Dad” & Women’s
Author, Masterful Fashion Advocate
Illustrator &
International
Speaker
ACHIEVING
THE UNIMAGINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP • BUSINESS • HAPPINESS • WEALTH CREATION • INSPIRATION
I WANT TO EXPAND
MY INVESTMENT
PORTFOLIO
License # 55 - 2016
ecosystem | who’s got VC | Q&A | STARTUP FINANCE
start it up
Mohammed Adnan
Morabet, co-founder
and CEO, Sahih
Business
Breaking (linguistic)
barriers
The Aliphia platform offers accounting software in the
Arabic language for MENA small businesses
By Sindhu Hariharan
M
anaging fi- Being an SME themselves, co-founder and
nances, invoic- Morocco-based IT solutions CEO, Sahih Busi-
ing for products company Sahih Business was ness, summarizing
or services quick to realize that using the key proposition
provided, and large accounting systems of Aliphia. “Aliphia
other financial required a “long curve of offers a true Arabic
tasks may not be learning,” and needed users user experience
alluring aspects with prior experience with interface. That
of starting a business, but such software. In case you means that the soft-
they are undoubtedly key re- are wondering what’s unique ware was made to
quirements for running and about a startup creating a support the Arabic
scaling it. While established financial software, consider language from the
companies or even startups this: after launching its SaaS beginning, and
with deep pockets have the accounting product in 2011, not translated or
luxury to hire a large finance Sahih Business decided to “hacked” to poorly
team or implement systems go one step ahead in 2013 offer it,” he ex-
to automate finance function, with its flagship product plains. The cloud-
it’s often a budget that small Aliphia- the “first” Arabic based platform is
businesses cannot afford cloud-based SaaS accounting specifically tailored for small financial reports on its dash-
in early-stages of business. software for SMEs. businesses and freelancers, board, and supports Arabic
“Our objective is to offer allowing them to create and text formatting, including
Growing from feature to
feature, Aliphia now counts
a solution, easy to use, that customize invoices, maintain Persian numbers. As for why
an average of 14,000 active encourages the use of cloud, accounts, manage clients, they decided to create a sepa-
users for the product, and has and actually fits company and track financial progress, rate Arabic solution, Morabet
crossed the 500 customers requirements,” says Mo- among other functions. Al- says, “We should consider
mark just last quarter. hammed Adnan Morabet, iphia also offers personalized that only a few languages are
actually written from right
Aliphia dashboard to left in the globe, meaning
that a translation is required
to have your software ready,
and that was never a priority
for software vendors, due to
the market requirements.”
But governments across the
MENA region have increas-
ingly been adopting Arabic
as a legal mandatory for
businesses. For instance, in
the UAE, Dubai’s Depart-
ment of Economic Develop-
ment (DED) has instructed
commercial establishments
to use Arabic as the main
language for receipts and
invoices by 2017, in addition
to a language of their choice.
Morabet’s passion for web
design, and his work expe-
rience of over 10 years in >>>
L
aunched in August 2011 in surance. It has also grown its markets, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and this comes
the UAE, compareit4me.com with operations in nine countries to- after they joined the previous $3 mil-
started as a finance comparison day: UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, KSA, lion Series A funding round in 2015.
site for bank accounts and in- Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Oman. Mulverhill Associates, one of its origi-
surance, growing since then to include With a steady growth over the years, nal angel investors in its first round of
comparisons between personal loans, the fintech startup has continued to investment in April 2014 with a sum
mortgages, car loans, and is further garner investor interest. of $300,000, and later on in Decem-
diversifying its product portfolio to While it was aiming to achieve US$1 ber the same year, invested another
letting users compare and buy car in- million new funds, the startup man- $200,000, continues to show its sup-
port. As for new investors, SANED, a
VC fund focusing on MENA early-stage
startups, has joined in the ring, as well
as private investors who are executives
at e-commerce and financial compari-
son businesses, and VC firms. This new
round means that compareit4me.com
has raised a total of $6 million in funds
to date.
‘TREP TALK ME
Morocco using services from The Business
Facebook. Careem was able Park Key www.parkkey.com
to successfully scale its cam- The ‘Trep
paign across the Middle East Founder Adnan Masood
using the Lookalike Audienc- Q Can you give us a brief
es tool to further refine its overview of what Park Key is all
ad targeting across Facebook, about?
Instagram and the Audience A “The online platform Park Key
Network, which ensured that helps to connect parking seekers
it could reach more people at with parking providers. For the
a reduced frequency. parking seeker, the platform
Many more businesses in allows them to find parking
the MENA region have the locations, pricing and other site
potential to cross geogra- specific details. They can choose
phies into new markets. In the parking spot they like and
fact, across the UAE, 74% of make a booking with a click
people are already connected of a button. The user receives
to at least one business in a confirmation instantly. We also
Global ambitions foreign country. In Egypt and help user to navigate to the park-
in Saudi Arabia the figure ing spot. For parking providers,
It’s a lot easier now for MENA businesses to venture is at 63%. Regional busi- we offer a platform to advertise
into new markets By Shant Oknayan
T
nesses can easily leverage the parking spots to active parking
connectivity on Facebook to seekers, with secure cashless
oday, people this hold true. For example, grow and expand. Other than payments and efficient use of
around the 95% of the UAE economy is Lookalike Audiences, we’ve their parking spots. In short, Park
world are more comprised of SMBs; this is developed Worldwide Deliv- Key offers ‘on-demand, cashless
connected not just an inspiring statis- ery, which helps businesses parking for all.’”
than ever be- tic, but also demonstrates set up a global campaign Q What kind of effort went into
fore. In 2012, the potential of the SMB and find efficient conver- building the network of partners
there were sector in playing a role in sions. Additionally, Country and customers that you now
only 2.7 billion people on the the economic progress of Snapshots and Insights serve? Also, how are you getting
internet. By 2018, that num- nations. Playbook help businesses the message out about your
ber is expected to be 3.82 But one question we always create customized cam- business?
billion– a growth of over receive is: what next? For paigns in each country. As an A “We have been very fortunate
40%. And last year, more SMBs that have achieved entrepreneur, this means you in that partners have welcomed
than 900 million people a certain size, how do they can be located anywhere on us, and it only took a couple of
around the world had at least scale up further, secure the planet but still be able to appointments to sign partner-
one international connection new customers, and grow engage with the rest of the ships. The bigger challenge is
on social media. revenue? One solution is to world and achieve measur- to reach to the masses, and we
As technology brings the simply look at a map of the able results. use mix of online and offline
world closer together, it world, point and go! At Facebook, as we seek to marketing strategies to reach
not only connects people to Today, with the help of connect the world, we want customers. We are very pleased
people, but people to busi- technology-based tools and to be able to help businesses that the conversion rate of
nesses. The ease of access to solutions, engaging in inter- achieve global ambitions. customer reached to customers
modern day technology, and national markets has never That is why we’re evolving who bought the service is very
the reach it provides, has led been easier. The region’s our solutions to help busi- high, so we are only limited by
to the emergence of first gen- geographic location means nesses connect with new how much awareness as we can
eration entrepreneurs while that most Middle Eastern customers in new countries. spread.”
allowing existing small and and North African countries Being a partner in the growth
medium businesses (SMBs) have easy customer and of small and local businesses
to achieve scale. logistical access to the rest of means we are able to directly
In nations where SMBs the world. Take for example impact a nation’s economy
form the backbone of the Careem, the region’s app- positively from the grass-
economy, the opportunities based chauffeur-driven car roots up. By leveraging the
are massive. booking service. From a base power of technology, we are
Across the Middle East and in Dubai, Careem has entered able to create an ecosystem
North Africa, we have seen markets from Pakistan to that spurs economic growth.
Shant Oknayan is the Regional Head of E-commerce, Retail, Online Services and Media at Facebook Middle East and North Africa. As part of his
role, Shant leads efforts to enable e-commerce, retail and online services businesses in the region to scale growth and engage with consumers
on Facebook. Oknayan brings with him over 15 years of experience in leading business development, with subject- matter expertise in digital and
investment strategies for governments and corporations. His understanding of the startup space saw him co-found GlamBox, the first and leading
beauty e-commerce company in the MENA region. He holds a MBA from MIT and a MEng with Hons from Imperial College London.
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