Happy ArabNet Everyone

Happy ArabNet Everyone

Every year I get re-energized at ArabNet. It’s the time of the year where I get to see almost everybody in this industry. They all come not only for the panels or the talks, but also to see each other and have those little side chats here and there.

During the last few days in Dubai, I was given lots of business cards. As I was in the airplane going back to Amman, I looked at the cards and realized that more than 40% of them are for people I already know but they have changed positions, hence they have new cards. So it was a great chance for updates.

I have attended most of ArabNet events. Although I heard some feedback last week about ArabNet being boring for people who participate every year, but for me, this year I’ve seen lots of new faces! Specially international speakers.

I have been in the VC industry for few years now, and I thought that I know about each and every startup out there, but I was wrong. At this ArabNet, I met with few new startups and great entrepreneurs I never met before, 3 of them were so amazing!!!

Unlike previous ArabNets where ideas and/or seed stage startups were pitched, I liked the Digital Showcase concept this year, It was mainly for growth startups to share their stories.

One thing I didn’t like though, was how most of the founders dealt with the show case presentations. I mean most of the founder didn’t present, they let a marketing manager or a business development manager present.

To be honest, I am (and most of the audience are) not interested in your sales pitch at all, what I (we) want to hear is your story as an entrepreneur going through good and bad times over the last year or two and how you passed the hard first year of a startup lifecycle. That would have been amazing and would have added huge value.

Anyway, I am a big believer in ArabNet, and I think it has contributed a lot in evolving the internet and mobile industry in Arabia. I hope it continues to do this every year.

So Happy ArabNet Everyone :-)