By mid-2006, I decided to start a project I had been thinking about for awhile and really excited about: building the first Arabic tech blog. I wanted it to be professional, to suit Arab readers, while conveying a neutral message instead of reiterating the PR-style of advertising companies. By July 2006, I finished building it and my new site launched under the name of GadgetsArabia.com.  

Just like any new entrepreneur, you think in the beginning that you are able to balance between your daily job and your new project, especially because entrepreneurs are always excited about their new ideas and think they are capable of managing their time without quitting their current job.

I started my new project when I was a student and my studies were my priority. I had no real excuse to neglect my studies or my project as my school responsibilities were limited at the time.

After GadgetsArabia.com began to succeed and expand, however, I realized that prioritizing my responsibilities had become a new and tough challenge for me. My studies, which I thought were a priority, now became a plan B, and my new project, which was only an adventure then, was becoming lucrative and successful.  

During that time, society was not ready yet for an online entrepreneurship sector as developed as it is today. Only a few were investing in this sector and many were still paving their way into the entrepreneurial world.

So I took a decision, a good one perhaps for me and for others, and I looked for a partner who could specifically serve as a project manager, especially when it came to advertising, business plan, resource management, monetization, legal framework issues, and other things that may hinder growth and investment for many entrepreneurs in the beginning.  

This method worked well for me. In case you are still hesitant about starting your own project today, because you think you will not be able to handle these aspects well, consider finding a partner who can complement your abilities from the beginning. And don’t worry, if you do some research, you will find someone who is keen to contribute their time and resources to the project for a share of equity.

Being a real entrepreneur is all about being serious about what you are doing and taking risks, lots of risks. But quitting your daily job one day one is not absolutely necessary for you to become a success. You simply need to realize when the best time comes to do that.

The investment ecosystem in the Arab world has developed a lot during the previous years. Investment sectors are numerous nowadays as well as incubators. Your ability to achieve your goal is more and more possible, and venture capital companies are willing now to take more risks in order to help people like you scale and compete.