

π I'm the Managing Editor here at Hacker Noon. I also make podcasts and write stories.
This post is part of the Hacker Noon Shareholder Series, where we interview some of the super-investors who made the site you're on right now possible.
Louis Lebbos has been helping tech startups scale-up for over half a decade.
We sat down to find out what heβsΒ learned.Β
Two of our core values are to dream big and make it happen. Our mission to have a real impact over a very long horizon coupled with the constraint to make it happen in the immediate future force us to be creative and innovative in the way we design and deliver our products and services.Β
I think the other core element of our culture is that we take our work but not ourselves seriously. So this combination of humor and mental flexibility ends up playing an important role in freeing us from constraining intellectual frameworks and a specific βright wayβ to do business.
Be an organization that truly cares about developing its team. A group of people who are living authentically attracts other people who have similar values and aspirations.
Where do you think the biggest opportunities are for tech entrepreneurs and/or software developers in Dubai?
Donβt do it! Kidding. Do itβββbut bake it on the side, while working somewhere else. Honestly, it takes a couple of years to get something going and if everyone is saying βQuit and do itβ we end up seeing so many people who have exhausted their savings but the traction is not there yet to be able to fundraise.Β
Bake it while you are getting a full time salary or a paying gig and when it has generated traction you can jump onboard and take it to the next level.
RECONSIDER! Funding is not for everyone. Thereβs like 2β5% of business models and founder types that fit the Venture Capital model.
For everyone else, consider bootstrapping, consider alternative modes of funding. (If you are in the US, the team at indie.vc and Earnest capital are doing interesting stuff.)
It is tempting to have a funding announcement be the milestone you are proud of.Β
Read Joel Gascoigne, Sahil Lavingia, DHH and Jason Fried first.
Two things:
1. Look at anything you are spending $ on because of ego and cut it out. You will get there.
2. Donβt be shy about charging money for what you do (and charge more).
Freedooommmmmm!!!! <insert braveheart gifΒ :) >
First, itβs important to not feel like you need to be busy to be effective.Β
Effectiveness correlates to how clearly you think & your ability to make sound decisions. Time is not the bottleneck, but people still feel the urge to fill-up their time with βworkβ. If you analyze outcomes you will notice that true value was driven by 10β20% of the time spent.
The second element is a robust filtration mechanism. Some practical examples:
* Eliminate notifications; distraction is the enemy of clear thinking (Apps, email, junk newsletters).Β
* Limit the use of messaging (No WhatsApp). Manage a clean inbox (Inbox zero + Gmail Snooze + getting off of CC loops).
Professionally, only work with people (clients, partners) who get things done.
* Spend most of your time with the people you value the most and on the challenges that excite you the most.
* Meditate.
In brief:
Twitter as a learning mechanism, LinkedIn for recruiting, publishing and feedback, Facebook for family and really close friends, Instagramβ¦ havenβt mastered that one yetΒ :)
To the whole hackernoon community in the MENA region or visiting, we would love to have you join us as speakers at one of our meetups or instructor in our Academy; and we obviously would love to have you join us as well. Reference Hackernoon and get a month off your annual membership!Β :)
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