Ahmed Al Rawi: Building Calo from MVP to MENA's leading meal subscription service

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The MENA Startup Show

Samer Bejjani

11 episodes

6 days ago

Where founders, investors & experts share their authentic experience building and growing MENA startups. 🔍 No fluff, no sugar-coating, just real conversations about the actual challenges faced by MENA startups and the true reasons behind their growth and success with the people building in our region. 🎬 Hosted by: Samer Bejjani — a founder, growth marketer, and angel investor with 15 years of experience in building startups. Currently bootstrapping and scaling a profitable startup studio and helping 100+ MENA startups grow at Growth Levers. 📧 For feedback: hello@themenastartupshow.com

Entrepreneurship

Business

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All content for The MENA Startup Show is the property of Samer Bejjani and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Entrepreneurship

Business

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Ahmed Al Rawi: Building Calo from MVP to MENA's leading meal subscription service - E2

The MENA Startup Show

2 hours 8 minutes 34 seconds

1 year ago

Ahmed Al Rawi: Building Calo from MVP to MENA's leading meal subscription service - E2

A chat with Ahmed Al Rawi, the founder and CEO of Calo, to discuss how he built the leading meal subscription service in MENA in just three years. Ahmed shares his journey, from dropping out of college to building multiple startups, and how he eventually found his calling with Calo. We discuss the challenges he faced, the lessons he learned, and his vision for the future of Calo. Key takeaways: - Ahmed's journey from a young tech enthusiast to a successful entrepreneur - How Calo was launched with just a $2,000 MVP budget - The power of invitation-only launches and viral growth in Saudi Arabia - Calo's customer-centric approach and obsession with service - The importance of culture and values in building a successful startup - Ahmed's vision for Calo's future, including global expansion Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Calo's Success 00:42 Ahmed's Background and Philosophy 02:48 Early Ventures and Entrepreneurial Journey 05:06 First Business and Startup Learnings 12:07 Challenges and Realizations 17:51 Exploring New Ideas and Validating Concepts 20:10 The Birth of Calo 40:56 Proving the Business Model 41:23 The Last Bet and Cracking the Model 42:25 Launching the Food Tech Idea 43:22 Early Challenges and First Customers 44:09 Building the Team and Experimenting 45:39 Invitation-Only Launch Strategy 47:04 First Day Success and Social Media Buzz 50:47 Investor Relations and Fundraising 56:47 Age and Leadership 01:04:21 Hiring and Company Culture 01:16:56 Customer Obsession and Exceptional Service 01:23:25 Exploring LinkedIn as a Customer Acquisition Channel 01:25:25 The Saudi Launch: A Case Study in Rapid Expansion 01:28:37 Overcoming Challenges and Betting on Saudi 01:34:13 The Power of Scarcity and Viral Marketing 01:37:42 Expanding to New Markets and Dominating the Competition 01:43:20 The Drive Behind Success and Personal Motivation 01:53:58 Future Plans and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs