Over the past few months, we’ve had the privilege of sitting down with the founders behind some of the most exciting startups in the Plus VC portfolio.
Through our Founder Series, we set out to uncover the raw, unfiltered truths about building businesses in emerging markets.
The conversations were honest, inspiring, and packed with insights we believe every entrepreneur should hear.
As we reflected on these stories, patterns began to emerge. While each founder’s journey is unique, the lessons they’ve learned often point to the same North Stars:
listen to your customers, stay obsessed with the problem (not the solution), and never lose your drive—especially when things get tough.
Here are a few of the most powerful takeaways from our conversations:
Your Customer Is Your Compass
This isn’t just a nice sentiment—it’s a survival strategy.
Again and again, our founders credited customer feedback as the force that shaped their products and guided their pivots.
Moaz from MTOR put it bluntly: “Throw away any founder bias. Listen to your customers.” After pounding the pavement to speak directly to local mechanics, the team discovered a critical pain point and built their MVP in a day.
One customer even became their Director of Experience—proof that your users don’t just use the product; they can help build it with you.
Partment’s Nadim Nagui echoed this mindset: “Do not fall in love with your solution, obsess over the problem.” It’s a mantra that encourages adaptability and keeps your product relevant—even when the market shifts.
For Settle, customer interviews led to a complete re-evaluation of their user persona—from a general assumption to a targeted focus on CFOs. This shift unlocked clarity on what value they needed to deliver, especially around integrations and banking connections.
As the founder of Better put it: “It’s not about what you want to sell, it’s about what your customers want to buy.” Their team spoke to hundreds of users, letting data—not ego—drive the direction of the business.
Maharat kept it simple and sharp: “The customer knows best.”
Persistence Is the Price of Entry
If there’s one universal truth in entrepreneurship, it’s that nothing comes easy. Founders reminded us that grit, not glamour, is what builds great companies.
Suplyd’s Gohar Said captured it perfectly: “Keep pushing, keep fighting—you are changing how the industry operates.” In industries resistant to change, like F&B logistics, standing your ground every day is what earns trust and traction.
BRKZ’s founder, Ibrahim Manna, emphasized the same idea: “Be persistent, do a reality check every now and then, and pivot as needed.” His advice is a sobering reminder that while vision is critical, reality often has the final say.
Holo’s team shared a story of getting their first customer within 10 minutes of launching ads—but their biggest lesson was about tenacity: “Never give up. Procrastination can end up killing inspiration.” That mix of speed, optimism, and endurance is what turns sparks into fire.
Know When to Pivot—and Be Willing to Change
Startups evolve. Products iterate. Markets shift. The best founders don’t resist change—they lead it.
Prop AI’s Ranime was candid: “Your product will always change. Whenever you feel slightly comfortable, check with your customers.” Comfort is the enemy of innovation, and staying in touch with your users ensures you don’t get stuck building something no one wants.
Growdash and Settle both introduced AI integrations after recognizing the limitations of legacy tools and manual work. Their responsiveness to customer needs—not just internal assumptions—turned their platforms into strategic assets.
Fincart, too, saw exponential growth not from a product launch, but from trust. Their success with merchants led to word-of-mouth referrals, helping them process and deliver over $6 million in orders. Listening, delivering, and repeating—that’s what scaled their impact.
Own It. Fully
Founders wear many hats, but there’s one role they can’t outsource: responsibility.
Arman from Maharat said it best: “No one is coming to save you.” He believes that when you take full ownership—of the problem, the process, and the outcome—you start to dictate your own future.
Alexander from Qureos reinforced the importance of hiring for experience when resources are tight: “You should always hire based on experience because that is going to accelerate the startup.”
In other words, if you’re going to own the outcome, surround yourself with people who can actually help move the needle.
In Closing: The Founder Series Wasn’t Just About Wins
We launched the Founder Series to go beyond pitch decks and highlight the people building real companies in real conditions.
Our founders taught us that building a startup is equal parts obsession and humility. You have to be relentless in your pursuit of solving a problem—but humble enough to let your customers show you a better way.
The Founder Series wasn’t just about showcasing wins. It was about surfacing the hard-earned lessons that often go untold.
So yes, it is a celebration of our portfolio—but more importantly, it’s a window into the grit, humility, and hard-earned wisdom of the builders shaping the future of our region.
We’re grateful to our founders for sharing their stories, and we hope these insights help other builders find their footing, their direction, and their courage to keep going.
If you haven’t already, check out the full Founder Series on our YouTube , Website and social media channels—and stay tuned for more unfiltered stories from the frontlines of innovation across MENA and beyond.