Ghada Ismail

Every founder needs confidence. It’s what gets a startup off the ground, convinces early employees to take a chance, and persuades investors that an unproven idea is worth funding. But confidence has a darker side, a hidden cost many founders don’t realize they’re paying until it’s too late. Call it the ego tax: the silent drain on a startup’s potential when overconfidence begins to replace discipline, humility, and reality.

In Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing startup ecosystem — where ambition is high, capital is flowing, and competition is fierce — ego is becoming one of the most underestimated threats to early-stage companies. It rarely appears in pitch decks or failure reports, but its fingerprints are everywhere.

Ego Makes Founders Overestimate Their Market

Founders don’t intentionally misread the market. But ego can cloud judgment. It convinces startups that customers will “naturally” adopt the product, that competitors “don’t really get it,” or that early traction is a sign of inevitable dominance.

In practice, this leads to painful consequences: poor market sizing, weak customer discovery, and product-market fit assumptions that crumble under real-world pressure.

Many young Saudi startups expand too fast into multiple cities, or rush into new product lines before proving demand, not because the market asked for it, but because the founders believed it should.

Ego Blocks Feedback — Especially the Feedback That Hurts

The best entrepreneurs are feedback machines. But ego filters feedback, letting in only what feels good.

When overconfidence kicks in, founders ignore:

• Customer complaints
• Team warnings
• Investor concerns
• Industry benchmarks

In boardrooms, investors often see the same story: brilliant founders who stop listening after the first round of praise. The ego tax grows quietly each time a founder dismisses a tough question or refuses to pivot.

Ego Creates Blind Spots in Building the Team

A founder with an unchecked ego tends to hire people who won’t challenge them. That leads to weak leadership teams, inflated titles, and a culture where problems stay hidden until they explode.

Some of the most unfortunate startup failures in the region come from teams where everyone “agreed” not because they genuinely believed in the plan, but because it felt safer than disagreeing.

Ego Leads to Overbuilding and Burning Cash

Overconfident founders often overbuild products, raise too much too early, or spend aggressively to signal momentum. Offices too fancy. Teams too large. Marketing campaigns too soon.

Saudi Arabia's startup scene is no exception. With investor enthusiasm on the rise, ego-driven spending becomes an easy trap, one that later shows up in runaway burn rates and painful down-rounds.

Ego Prevents Startups from Admitting Mistakes Early

The most expensive mistakes in startups aren’t the wrong decisions. They’re the wrong decisions stayed with for too long.

Ego convinces founders that:

• “One more sprint will fix it.”
• “The market just doesn’t understand yet.”
• “If we stop now, it means we were wrong.”

But the smartest founders cut their losses quickly. They pivot without shame. They admit when an idea isn’t working, and that humility often saves the company.

How Founders Can Avoid Paying the Ego Tax

You don’t eliminate ego. You manage it. Here’s how:

1. Surround yourself with people who challenge you.
If no one in the room disagrees with you, you don’t have a team; you have an audience.

2. Treat customer feedback as data, not criticism.
The harshest feedback usually holds the strongest truth.

3. Do disciplined market validation before investing big.
Belief is not a business model.

4. Institutionalize humility.
Data analysis, weekly metrics reviews, and open culture create a system that keeps ego in check.

5. Remember: you are not the customer.
Your intuition matters; however, it cannot replace real-world testing.

Wrapping Things Up…

In the end, ego rarely destroys a startup overnight. It erodes it quietly in the assumptions left unchallenged, the decisions made without data, and the warnings ignored until they become crises. A founder can recover from a bad hire, a failed launch, or even a funding setback. But recovering from a culture shaped by overconfidence is far harder.

The founders who win in Saudi Arabia’s fast-evolving ecosystem will be the ones who pair ambition with self-awareness. Confidence gets you started. Humility keeps you alive.

Noha Gad

Starting a business can be the most entertaining experience entrepreneurs ever undertake. The ability to be the master of their own destiny has a huge draw; however, they should be aware that the odds are stacked against them.

Recent statistics by Get Indemnity showed that nearly 60% of startups fail within five years, and 20% will close within just 12 months. There is a wide range of reasons why startups fail; however, cash flow is commonly identified as the largest cause of concern for the majority of SMEs. Other reasons include the lack of market fit, operational inefficiencies, legal complications, and cybersecurity threats.

In light of these challenges, failure insurance represents a valuable tool for startups to mitigate the financial and operational impacts of risk events. It encompasses various policies designed to transfer risk away from the startup to an insurer, offering crucial protection against costly setbacks.

Incorporating failure insurance into a startup’s risk management strategy is more than just a safety net; it is a vital component of building investor confidence and long-term resilience. This protection not only safeguards the startup’s resources but also helps maintain business continuity in times of crisis, enabling startups to focus on growth rather than the specter of catastrophic loss.

Why startups need failure insurance?

Failure insurance helps startups navigate the uncertainties inherent in early-stage ventures, empowering founders to pursue innovation with a buffer against unpredictable failures.

Events such as fires, theft, lawsuits, or cyberattacks can lead to severe financial losses that most startups cannot afford to cover out of pocket. Failure insurance transfers these risks to an insurer, providing a vital safety net that can help startups recover and continue operating despite setbacks. 

Failure insurance could also help startups maintain business continuity in the face of disruptions. Business interruption coverage, which is often part of failure insurance packages, supports startups by compensating for lost income during periods when normal operations are halted. 

Additionally, having failure insurance in place signals professionalism and prudence to stakeholders, making startups appear more credible and trustworthy. Insurance coverage, such as general liability, professional liability, and directors and officers (D&O) insurance, reaffirms that the startup is protected against a variety of legal and operational risks. 

Startups face several risks that threaten their survival and success, notably:

• Lack of product-market fit: Most startups fail when the product or service does not meet market needs or attract customers.
• Cash flow problems: Running out of cash or insufficient financing to cover operational costs is a major risk.
• Team-related issues: Poor team dynamics, lack of skills, conflicts, or inappropriate team composition.
• Lack of clear business model or plan: No structured revenue model or strategic planning.
• Operational inefficiencies: Management failures, poor decisions, and organizational issues.
• Cybersecurity and tech risks: Data breaches, outdated technology, or system failures.

Choosing the right insurance

Selecting the right failure insurance involves a strategic and dynamic approach tailored to each startup’s unique circumstances. Founders can build a comprehensive insurance strategy that protects their startups and supports sustainable growth by following these steps:

• Conducting a comprehensive risk assessment.
• Understanding legal and contractual requirements.
• Evaluating coverage types and policy details.
• Considering the startup stage and growth plans.
• Consulting experienced insurance advisors.
• Updating insurance regularly in alignment with business changes.

Finally, failure insurance is an essential component of a comprehensive risk management strategy for startups as it helps protect founders’ investments, preserve business continuity, and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of unforeseen events. Securing appropriate failure insurance allows startups to operate with greater confidence and resilience in today’s competitive and uncertain market. Thus, founders should view failure insurance as an indispensable part of their business toolkit to safeguard their vision and hard work.

Ghada Ismail

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the startup narrative continues to gain momentum under Vision 2030’s banner of innovation and economic diversification. Yet beneath the high-profile headlines of unicorns and mega‑funding rounds lies a quieter, but equally vital story: that of entrepreneurs whose first venture did not succeed and how they regroup, recalibrate, and launch again. For many Saudi entrepreneurs, failure is not a dead‑end but a stepping stone. So what drives these second-time founders? Where do they go after their first setback? And what does their journey reveal about the evolution of the Saudi startup ecosystem?

The first failure: stepping stones, not detours

Failure remains a common part of the startup lifecycle. Research globally suggests the majority of new ventures struggle to survive. For Saudi founders, the hardships may be slightly tougher given local cultural expectations, but shifting attitudes and ecosystem maturity are changing the narrative.

Take the story of Abdullah Alsaadi, co-founder and CEO of Taker.io. He launched his first idea, a cryptocurrency app, and after building nearly 30,000 lines of code, realized he had built something cool, but there was simply no market for it. His second attempt, a Salesforce‑platform app, failed because the Middle East infrastructure and market readiness were not aligned. Only after several more attempts did the business model click.

Similarly, Hatem Kameli (founder of Resal) started his first online business early in his career, closing down more than one venture due to a lack of venture capital.  

Since launching his first company at just 19, Hatem Kameli has been a driving force in Saudi Arabia’s startup scene. Today, the digital entrepreneur is preparing for his boldest move yet as he takes his company, Resal, public.

When a young Hatem founded his first internet startup two decades ago, right after the dotcom crash, family and friends urged him to focus on university and pursue a stable government job instead. But he was determined to chart his own path.

Two decades and several ventures later, Hatem stands as one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognized entrepreneurs. As Co-Founder and CEO of Resal, the Middle East’s largest digital gifting platform, he continues to push boundaries.

“In all my companies, I have always tried to use new technologies in ways that make a real difference to the economy and have a positive impact on people’s lives,” he says. “Whatever I do, I want to add value to the community.”

The journey was far from smooth. Hatem shuttered two early online ventures because of the scarcity of venture capital at the time. After selling one of his more successful startups, he decided to gain corporate experience by working on digital strategy projects for major banks and airlines, while also completing an MBA.

That experience proved invaluable. By the time Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030, Hatem was perfectly positioned to ride the wave of transformation reshaping the Kingdom’s economy.

“Everything changed with Vision 2030,” he says. “We now have incubators and accelerators for startups, plentiful venture capital, and multiple financing programs. The ecosystem is incredible.”

“I’m grateful to work in a regional hub for technology, fintech, e-commerce, and digital entertainment.”

Hatem did not just benefit from this ecosystem. He helped build it. He contributed to one of Saudi Arabia’s first technology incubators, creating bridges between investors and startups. Alongside leading a digital marketing agency and launching a social media analytics platform, he pursued executive education at top international institutions and authored two books on social media marketing.

That same energy and passion for connecting people culminated in Resal, an award-winning platform that enables users and corporations to send and manage digital gift cards across hundreds of partner brands.

What emerges is a pattern: founders who don’t succeed the first time often gain resilience, domain familiarity, and networks, which prime them for a second act. From this, we realize that failure isn’t a detour; it becomes part of the journey.

What drives the comeback?

• Experience and resilience: Founders who have been through a rough first ride often have a thicker skin and better perspective. Alsaadi remarked that the six years of “failure after failure” taught him far more than success ever could. 
• Ecosystem backing: The Saudi startup ecosystem has grown substantially. Incubators, accelerators, government-backed funds, and regulatory reform now offer greater support than in earlier years of many founders’ first ventures.
• Refined idea selection: Having seen what does not work, second-time founders are often more deliberate about product–market fit, monetization, and business model viability.
• Network and credibility: Although prior failure carries a reputational risk, it also signals experience; founders who persevered have built networks, seen terrain, and can often draw on those assets for the next venture.

Paths taken after failure: Saudi second-time founder routes

In the Saudi context, second-time founders tend to follow one of a few broad routes:

a) Pivot and rebuild in the same or adjacent domain
Some entrepreneurs double down in their field, applying the lessons learned. Hatem Kameli’s pathway illustrates this: after early web‑ventures and business roles, he launched Resal in the digital gift‑cards sector when the timing and ecosystem were more favourable. This route allows the reuse of domain knowledge and contacts built during the first run.

b) Shift to a different sector or business model
Others take a hard pivot: they may leave a B2C model or consumer‑play and move into B2B, SaaS, enterprise, or niche segments where unit economics and market clarity improve. Alsaadi’s evolution is instructive: after his first few failed attempts, he focused on a SaaS platform (Taker.io) targeting restaurant ordering for a tighter set of customers, a clearer value‑proposition, and more achievable scale in Saudi. 

c) Serial entrepreneurship/portfolio approach
There is a growing mindset among Saudi founders: treat ventures as cycles. One venture may fail, but it becomes input into the next. Rather than view failure as ending the journey, they see it as calibration. In this sense, the second act is not “re-trying the same idea” but “applying accumulated experience to a better‑aligned idea”.

Lessons brought into the second act

From founder interviews and credible commentary, several recurring lessons appear:

• Test product–market fit early & deeply: Alsaadi admitted that his first app failed not because of technology, but because there was no market. 

• Own your destiny from day one: Second-time founders often emphasize controlling core components — hiring, metrics, cashflow — rather than relying purely on hype or external validation.

• Accept failure and iterate quickly: failure is not taboo, but rather a stage of the journey. 
• Adapt to the Saudi market context: Founders who succeed the second time have tailored their solution to local culture, regulatory environment, and consumer behavior rather than importing templates blindly.

Conclusion

The story of second-time founders in Saudi Arabia illustrates the evolution of the Kingdom’s startup ecosystem. Founders such as Abdullah Alsaadi and Hatem Kameli show that failure is not the end of the road; it can be the launchpad for a more aligned, disciplined, and timed second act. As the ecosystem matures, more Saudi entrepreneurs are using their first setback not as a stigma but as preparation.

Yet, success is not automatic. It demands realism, discipline, adaptation to the Saudi market, and courage to iterate. The key takeaway? For Saudi founders, the second attempt often matters more than the first. Failure is no longer taboo; it’s rather a credential. And in the Kingdom’s dynamic startup world, the founder who didn’t give up may be exactly the one who succeeds.

Ghada Ismail

Every startup starts with a spark.  That moment when a founder spots a problem and thinks, “I can fix this.” But once you dive in, you quickly realize the water’s already full of other swimmers, all chasing the same customers, the same investors, and often, the same idea.

Welcome to the Red Ocean, a sea of fierce competition where businesses fight for survival. The water turns “red” because everyone’s battling for the same slice of the market.

But just beyond that chaos lies another kind of ocean: calm, vast, and full of possibility. It’s called the Blue Ocean. This is where startups don’t just compete; they create. Instead of fighting for market share, they open entirely new markets that didn’t exist before.

For founders building in Saudi Arabia’s fast-moving ecosystem, understanding which ocean you’re swimming in — and when to change course — can be the difference between sinking and sailing.

The Red Ocean: Competing in Crowded Waters

A red ocean is an existing market that’s well-defined, familiar, and crowded. It’s where businesses fight to stand out by cutting prices, speeding up delivery, or launching new features every few months.

Think about how saturated the food delivery market has become across the region. Every app offered the same restaurants, the same deals, and the same “15-minute delivery” promises. Growth came fast, but it came at a cost of endless discounts and shrinking margins.

Still, red oceans aren’t all bad. They’re predictable. There’s already demand, data, and investor interest. If you’re more efficient or execute better than others, you can thrive. But you’ll need to stay alert because one small shift in the market can wipe out your edge overnight.

The Blue Ocean: Creating Calm Waters of Your Own

Now picture the opposite: a market so fresh it doesn’t even have competitors yet. That’s the blue ocean. Here, startups create new demand, redefine value, and make competition irrelevant.

Take Tamara, for example. When it launched, “buy now, pay later” wasn’t yet common in Saudi Arabia. Instead of joining the traditional payments crowd, Tamara introduced something new: a local twist on BNPL that emphasized flexibility, trust, and Sharia compliance. It didn’t fight for customers; it created new ones. That’s blue ocean strategy in action: finding unmet needs and meeting them in a way no one else has.

Why So Many Startups Start in the Red

Most founders don’t dive straight into blue waters. It’s much easier — and safer — to start in a red ocean. Investors like proven markets. Customers understand the product. The data already exists.

But there’s a catch: red oceans often turn into races to the bottom. When every company offers the same thing, differentiation disappears. You stop focusing on innovation and start focusing on survival.

Saudi Arabia’s booming startup scene is seeing this happen fast — especially in fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and SaaS. The number of players in each space keeps growing, and standing out is getting harder by the day.

That’s why smart founders don’t just compete harder; they compete differently.

How to Find Your Own Blue Ocean

You don’t have to invent an entirely new industry to swim in a blue ocean. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective.

Here’s how founders can start shifting from red to blue:

• Reimagine value. Don’t just add more features, rethink what truly matters to your customer.
• Look at non-customers. Who isn’t using your product yet? What’s stopping them? That’s often where opportunity lies.
• Simplify boldly. The best ideas solve one problem exceptionally well, not ten problems halfway.

Balancing Vision with Reality

Blue oceans sound exciting — and they are — but they’re also unpredictable. There’s little data, few customer benchmarks, and no guarantee investors will understand your idea right away.

That’s why many founders blend both strategies. They start in the red to prove demand and sail toward the blue once they’ve earned traction. This hybrid approach helps balance risk with opportunity, a smart strategy in a developing yet ambitious market like Saudi Arabia’s.

So, Which Ocean Is Yours?

If you love efficiency and fine-tuning an existing model, the red ocean might suit you. If you thrive on innovation and uncertainty, the blue ocean could be your calling. But the best founders know how to navigate between both, combining the best from the two worlds: learning from the red, then sailing into the blue when the tide is right.

Mohamed Ramzy

Amid the rapid growth of the Egyptian entrepreneurship sector, documented data and verified information emerged as the backbone of this sector, and one of the key drivers supporting both investors and entrepreneurs.

Entlaq is a pivotal player in reshaping Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, combining consulting, policy-making, and direct support programs for businesses. Its core strength lies in its government relations and ability to produce in-depth research reports, making it a vital bridge between entrepreneurs and policymakers.

In this interview, Sharikat Mubasher speaks with Managing Director Omar Rezk about Entlaq’s journey, programs, and future plans, in addition to his insights on the entrepreneurship sector in Egypt and the promising opportunities ahead for startups.

First, can you tell us more about Entlaq?

Founded in 2022, Entlaq is an entrepreneurial think tank providing specialized studies and consultancies, as well as market, economic, and strategic research for Egyptian and international entities, aiming to support and empower entrepreneurs. Its clientele includes local and global entities, venture capital funds, multinational companies, and startups operating in Egyptian and regional markets.

What inspired you to establish Entlaq?

We established Entlaq to fill the wide gap in accurate data and verified information that faces all stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, including the government, active entities, policymakers, the private sector, investors, and startups.

Entlaq plays a pivotal role in empowering entrepreneurs through specialized information and data, especially given the promising opportunities, young talent, creative ideas, and the national capital capable of transforming the sector. 

Entlaq offers various programs to support entrepreneurs. Can you share more about these programs and their impact on Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem?

We provide a wide range of programs for entrepreneurs and startup owners, each has its specific goal and is supported by relevant entities, whether from the government, the private sector, or developmental institutions. This includes:

• Capacity building and upskilling program: aims to equip entrepreneurs and businesses with advanced skills and knowledge to drive innovation, growth, and competitiveness in Egypt's startup ecosystem.
• Accelerators and incubators: tailored programs to support startups at different stages, offering mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities to accelerate growth and foster innovation.
• Corporate innovation and investment readiness programs: empower corporations to drive growth and sustainability by fostering innovation, integrating cutting-edge solutions, and collaborating with startups.
• Ready for Tomorrow program: aims to empower Egyptian youth and enhance their entrepreneurial skills. Nearly 840 entrepreneurs participated in the program through four structured stages, and 120 startups advanced to two pre-incubators, with 18 startups being shortlisted for the final stage.
• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Pre-Acceleration program: a 10-day hybrid initiative supporting up to 20 early-stage Agri-Tech startups, focusing on areas like geo-data, organic farming, and efficient irrigation

How many startups have benefited from these programs?

We implemented these programs in 12 governorates, benefitting around 4,000 individuals. They supported and empowered nearly 140 Egyptian startups, 45 of which have benefited from our incubators.

Entlaq also provides a training program, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and TikTok, to empower 10,000 male and female entrepreneurs to expand their projects.

What are the key companies that benefited from Entlaq’s programs?

Through our business accelerator, we invested in Tayar, a leading provider of smart transportation and delivery services across Egyptian governorates. We also invested in the health tech company QUBX3D and Bolt Energy, a pioneering company specializing in renewable energy solutions.

Do you plan to inject new investments in other companies in the near future?

Entlaq is not an investment institution, but part of our business model is to manage investments or funding provided by financiers to be injected into startups through our accelerators. Our investments in these companies have been made according to this model.

How does Entalq fund its operations, through venture capital or self-funding? 

We do not rely on venture capital funding; rather, we focus on expanding our income resources by enhancing operations and services.

Speaking about the first annual entrepreneurship report recently released by Entlaq, what are the main points that were highlighted?

In general, the report highlighted the growth of the Egyptian entrepreneurship sector over the past years, underscoring the pivotal role of the government and investment funds in supporting the sector and advancing the VC industry.

It also showcased the massive opportunities in the Egyptian market, evident in its vast pool of talent and skills, with around 700,000 university graduates annually. Additionally, the report discussed the readiness of the Egyptian market in regard to the technological infrastructure and other capabilities that enable the country to compete regionally.

In your opinion, what are the major challenges that currently face the entrepreneurship sector in Egypt?

One of the major challenges that the sector faces is the ability to maintain macroeconomic stability, which is considered a catalyst for entrepreneurship and startups' growth. Between 2018 and 2021, macroeconomic indices enjoyed a state of stability that positively impacted the performance of the Egyptian startups, securing nearly $1.2 billion in investments. Thus, the entrepreneurship sector is anticipated to thrive and grow by preserving the economic stability that Egypt has seen since the second half of 2024.

What are the most promising sectors for startups in Egypt?

Similar to the regional and global markets, fintech and e-commerce are among the most attractive sectors for investments in Egypt. We also see promising opportunities in the agriculture technology sector, given that agriculture accounts for more than 20% of the gross domestic product (GDP), along with other emerging sectors such as education technology, digital health, and property technology.

How do you assess the Egyptian market compared to neighboring markets?

Egypt is one of the region's most active markets for VC investments, and perhaps the most sustainable. Almost 42% of the capital volume in VC funds in Egypt is secured through development funds backed by international entities, while the remaining portion is secured by the private sector, with a very limited percentage of government contributions. This is what distinguishes Egypt from other neighboring markets.

For instance, in Saudi Arabia, government organizations and entities represent the largest source of VC funds. However, this model is not as sustainable in the long term as it is in the Egyptian market.

In your opinion, what is the total investment volume that Egyptian startups are expected to attract this year?

Egyptian startups successfully secured over $300 million across various sectors during the first nine months of 2025. We expect them to maintain the levels of the past two years, which ranged between $400 and $500 million. 

Does Entlaq plan to expand into other markets, or does it focus mainly on the Egyptian market?

We focus on the Egyptian market in the first place, but we also plan to expand into neighboring markets. Entlaq currently studies expanding into promising African markets, thanks to their high competitiveness and the increasing demand for technology and pioneering companies that can change people’s lives positively.

Translation: Noha Gad