Jad Halaoui is the Chief Operating Officer of Washmen, which is the UAE’s fastest-growing DryCleaning and Laundry business. He has successfully transitioned from a promising career as an engineer in the oil & gas sector to building a thriving startup based in Dubai.

Jad is a passionate guy who gets right to the point and helps us explore how to effectively bootstrap your way to growth. In this episode, Jad shares how his social network and community around him helped to propel him to entrepreneurial success.

Enjoy the show!

Posted on February 5, 2018

Show Notes:

• 1:30 – Making choices and picking a career path
• 2:15 – How striving for challenges in life motivated Jad to do hard things
• 3:00 – An early and developing career in the Oil & Gas industry
• 4:00 – Why getting promoted may not always be a good thing
• 6:00 – How a hectic schedule can be an incredible time of learning & growth
• 7:45 – Tough times in the O&G sector and transitioning to something new
• 8:30 – Getting started with Washmen as an investor and co-founder
• 9:45 – Making the jump from a secure career to building a company
• 10:30 – Why lifestyle and community played an important role in shifting paths
• 13:30 – How to leverage your prior experience to do new things
• 14:00 – When you create a startup you’re doing every role in the company
• 15:00 – Thinking about the logistics of creating a business
• 16:00 – Selecting and using freelancers to get work done
• 17:45 – Taking a comprehensive view of the user experience
• 18:30 – Deciding to Make or Buy something for development
• 19:45 – How to hire and train your team
• 23:00 – The importance of culture for a small startup
• 25:45 – How getting your “hands dirty” in the details makes you a better leader
• 29:00 – Thoughts about scaling a business
• 34:30 – The experience of starting a business with a good old friend
• 39:00 – How to balance your energy and create a life you love
• 42:00 – The importance and value of community and friends
• 44:00 – Sharing life wisdom from the journey so far