Stay in touch & up-to-date via our social: https://linkin.bio/ontheupandup-io

--

Hey there Risers & Thrivers, 

In this riveting episode, you’ll meet Moroccan-born 2x founder turned investor, Zakaria Jaiathe. Here’s what you can expect in this episode: 

• From Dreams to Reality: Zak recounts his childhood dream of flying and how it became a reality when he moved to France for his studies. He discusses the cultural shocks he experienced and the unexpected familiarity he found among the Moroccan community in France.

  
  



• Challenges in Germany: Hear about Zak's battle with the German immigration authorities while facing potential deportation and how he navigated these challenges while building his first company.

  
  



• Building and Scaling Startups: Zak dives into the early days of his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the difficulties he faced in being taken seriously as a founder, especially when pitching a deep tech company in augmented reality and leading a business focused on the African market.

  
  



• Advice for Founders: Zak provides valuable advice for early-stage founders. He emphasizes the importance of doing thorough homework before approaching VCs, avoiding drastic pivots, and being selective with advice.

  
  

This episode is packed with inspiring stories, practical advice, and valuable insights for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and investment. Tune in to learn from Zak's experiences and get motivated to pursue your own dreams with resilience and strategic planning.

–

Acknowledgements

Intro/Outro & Interlude Music: Music by ⁠⁠oussama arichi⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

–

Timestamps

Zak's Childhood and Dream of Traveling (00:02:14 ) Zak shares his childhood dream of flying and his journey from a small city in Morocco to France.

Adapting to Life in France (00:06:47 ) Zak discusses his unexpected experience of encountering many Moroccans and familiar cultural elements in France.

Motivation to Move to Germany (00:08:04 ) Zak explains his desire to move to Germany and his analytical approach to choosing the country.

Transition from Employment to Entrepreneurship (00:11:16 ) Zak reflects on his decision to leave a comfortable job at SAP to pursue entrepreneurship and the catalyst for making that choice.

Facing Deportation in Germany (00:15:09 ) Zak recounts the experience of facing deportation in Germany and the stress and uncertainty it caused.

Challenges for Foreign Entrepreneurs in Germany (00:26:09 ) Zak and Janine discuss the difficulties faced by foreign entrepreneurs, particularly in obtaining visas and funding in Germany.

Challenges of Being Taken Seriously as a Founder (00:30:30 ) Zak shares his experience of not being taken seriously as a founder.

Pivoting and Fundraising Challenges (00:34:36 ) Zak discusses the challenges faced while pivoting his company and the difficulties in fundraising, particularly when focusing on African markets.

Investor's Perspective on African Markets (00:39:29 ) Zak sheds light on the lack of understanding and investment in African markets, particularly from the perspective of German investors.

Early Mistakes and Founder Pitfalls (00:42:01 ) Zak provides insights into the early mistakes made in building startups and shares an investor's perspective on common pitfalls for founders.

The Dangers of Rushing to Investors (00:50:01 ) Zak advises founders to thoroughly prepare before approaching VCs, highlighting the common mistakes and wasted time in fundraising due to lack of preparation.

Importance of Homework in Fundraising (00:52:56 ) Zak emphasizes the need for founders to do their homework before speaking to investors, including understanding the investors' focus and being selective in approaching them.