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I have been thinking about the state of Arab tech startups for a while now. However, sometimes I am discouraged of writing about any particular company/startup/entrepreneur for fear of being labeled negative/pessimist or to just avoid a barrage of insults from people with more egos than they deserve. therefore, I will not mention any by name.
The Arab tech startup landscape is overflowing with mediocrity. Nothing that stands out. Nothing that is ground breaking. With a quick look at what's out there, one can classify all Arab startups as follows:
that's not all bad, though. with all this below average-ness, the opportunity to shine with a product/service is very much available to all those with tenacity and original ideas. How do you get original ideas if you spent your whole life, academic or otherwise, memorizing crap and never questioning the status quo? it's simple. think of the internet as a digitized way of doing the same things you've always done. Shopping, community organizing, political activism, sports playing/discussing/watching, entertainment, flirting, and so on were once done in the streets, cafes, shops allover the place. Now, they're done online as well. The question is: what else out there could we digitize?
- the outright shameless copy and paste. These people saw something that worked somewhere else and decided to do the exact freakin' thing! Not even localization is thought of in this category.
- the copy-paste with a twist. Arabizing a service/product is NOT original! Adding a social element to some over-consumed service is NOT original. Targeting a particular segment with an established service is NOT original!
- The wanna-do-it-all. These are companies that think of click count as the holy grail of entrepreneurship. Ad revenue is front and center for these people that they forget why in hell visitors even come to their sites.
- The Forums. no list discussing Arab internet behavior will ever be complete without at least a mention of Arabs' clinging to Forums. give it up people! it's 2010!
that's not all bad, though. with all this below average-ness, the opportunity to shine with a product/service is very much available to all those with tenacity and original ideas. How do you get original ideas if you spent your whole life, academic or otherwise, memorizing crap and never questioning the status quo? it's simple. think of the internet as a digitized way of doing the same things you've always done. Shopping, community organizing, political activism, sports playing/discussing/watching, entertainment, flirting, and so on were once done in the streets, cafes, shops allover the place. Now, they're done online as well. The question is: what else out there could we digitize?
Another way to come up with original ideas is to track your activities for a whole week. What was it that bothered/inconvenienced you during that week? what service/product could you provide to eliminate that negative experience? was there anything that could be digitized?
there are many other ways to come up with original ideas. But, don't start working on something only to be told: "video hosting and sharing sites are a dime a dozen!" the key is to have people you trust surrounding you and others that can provide you with crucial advice throughout the process. brainstorm with these people to know what they have to say, share experiences, and to provide you with a fresher look قبل ما تبلّش تخبيص!!
and finally, the Gates and Jobs of the world might be getting all the attention, but they wouldn't have made it if it weren't for other "team members" standing next to them.
there are many other ways to come up with original ideas. But, don't start working on something only to be told: "video hosting and sharing sites are a dime a dozen!" the key is to have people you trust surrounding you and others that can provide you with crucial advice throughout the process. brainstorm with these people to know what they have to say, share experiences, and to provide you with a fresher look قبل ما تبلّش تخبيص!!
and finally, the Gates and Jobs of the world might be getting all the attention, but they wouldn't have made it if it weren't for other "team members" standing next to them.
3 ►I charge thee, speak!:
Yes this is a problem, but it is not unique to the Arab world. The barrier to starting a website these days is so low, that anybody with a half-baked idea does that. Copy-cats are all over; how many YouTube-clones are there? how many Twitter-clones are there? Heck, if even the "million dollar homepage" was copied why should we expect any less :-)
To be fair though, there are Arab tech startups that are truly doing extraordinary work. Check out Kindisoft.com for example :-)
Thanks, Hussam, for visiting.
You're right that Kindisoft is an example of Arab success. but, I am always afraid of using a few examples of success for they could be the "exception to the rule."
as they say: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. copy cats are fine if done as a means for improving an learning. Otherwise, we will always be a step, or even more, behind.
Interesting!
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