Maybe the secret to living a happy life is in not taking things too seriously. Maybe it’s also the secret to succeeding at whatever goal you desire, as it makes you less uptight and more likable. Maybe it’s ok to accept mediocrity every now and then, because life is like that. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and has mediocrity all over … Read More
The Rawi Model for Taking Decisions
Over the past few years, I’ve developed a decision making process that helped me navigate through the toughest and biggest decisions of my life so far, and it has never failed me as it runs on objectivity. Give it a try if you’re stuck with a decision. Here it goes: If you’re unsure of a decision, don’t ask people for advice … Read More
The Rawi Model for Getting Shit Done
Over the past few years, I have tested many task management tools, read about plenty of methodologies, and experimented with different approaches and routines in the pursuit of productivity. Let’s just say that I didn’t stick to any one of them for a good reason: they didn’t work well. The main reasons for their failure, I believe, are the following: … Read More
Life is a Piano Piece
The beauty in any piano piece mainly lies in 3 variables. It lies in having each note that plays to be slightly different from the one before it; not too similar, not too different (variance). It lies in having the piece shift between the fast and the slow pace to form the perceived harmony right in the middle (speed). It lies … Read More
How Do You Inspire Yourself?
I got into a conversation with an intellectual person from my circle recently, and after discussing my answer to “What Inspires You?” she asked me the following question. One more question if I may How do you inspire yourself? It’s like we wait for inspiration to come through books or people or something like a muse but how do you … Read More
What Inspires You?
A friend has recently asked me: “What inspires you?”. I kept putting the question off. Frankly, I don’t have an answer. Here, I come to my keyboard, trying to find one. I asked Google: what is inspiration? “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative” it said. What a beautiful definition. Keyword … Read More
How to Build an Ecosystem
Hi there, Let me start by saying that I have never built an ecosystem before. But I have built a startup. And I believe that building an ecosystem is not much different than building a startup. In fact, the two have so many similarities that I will use startup analogy to explain how I think an ecosystem should be built. … Read More
The Subtle Art of Bootstrapping
The process of bootstrapping is painful, yet beautiful. It teaches you so much about business that no other experience possibly could. The uncertainty of knowing whether or not you will survive another month and the anxiety caused by it is a tough master of discipline. I know this firsthand having run my first startup from a $1,000 loan I got … Read More
The Yoga Investor
Once upon a time, a friend invited me to a yoga class. Two months later, our company received a wire transfer from an investor. Those 2 events are completely correlated. As a tech startup CEO, a great chunk of my job is networking. Whether during events, in the elevator, while in a queue at Starbucks, or even in a yoga class. … Read More
Be Nice to Strangers in Tech Startups Events
Lesson learnt. Thankfully, the easy way. As I was leaving Bahrain Tech Week’s awesome event, I glimpsed a small group of the organizers on the side so I went to say hi. I thanked each one of them for what he/she was doing: “Thank you for the coverage!” “Thank you for MCing” “Thank you for the support!” until I reached … Read More