OUR FOUNDER OF THE WEEK– Every Tuesday, Founder of the Week looks at how a successful member of Egypt’s startup community got their big break, asks about their experiences running a business, and gets their advice for budding entrepreneurs. Speaking to us this week is Aya ElGebeely (Linkedin), founder and CEO of recruitment technology platform Talents Arena.

My name is Aya ElGebeely and I’ve been in the tech industry since 2009. I’ve always been fascinated by computer science in general and how it impacts people’s lives. Throughout the years, I’ve played all the possible roles in tech, from development and software testing to software delivery, until I reached the point of being a CTO for Insurtech startups in Egypt. And then 10 years later, in 2019, I decided that it’s time to start my own startup, Talents Arena.

Talents Arena was built to bridge the gap between businesses and top talents in MEA. My core vision back in 2019 was to showcase how the Middle East and Africa are very attractive tech hubs when it comes to talent. There are more than two mn tech graduates every year in Africa alone, according to the International Labor Office. We help people by providing the tools that enable them to search for hidden gems as well as empowering youth and tech talents.

The best part of my job is its impact. People you’ve never met in your life can be affected by an idea you had and insisted on bringing to life. Even years later, people can tell you that this connection or this job changed their lives. These are very humbling moments that make me feel that what we are working on is worth doing.

The worst part of the job is the uncertainty that comes with running a startup,particularly as we navigate inflation, recessions, and so on. The main thing I gave up to start my business is sleep because you never rest nor settle down. Companies used to plan for three to five years ahead. Now you’re lucky if you can predict things in the coming 12 to 18 months — not to mention of course the rapid technological advancements that we need to keep on top of to avoid becoming obsolete.

My advice to anyone who wants to start their business is to know your “why.” It’s tough out there; when faced with difficulties, if your “why” isn’t big or convincing enough, you will find reasons to shut it all down because the road is not all butterflies and rainbows.

Talents Arena helps companies save around 87% of the sourcing and interviewing time and we do it in a matter of seconds using our talent matching engine — kind of like Tinder. We typically try to connect people within 48 hours to four business days.

The first KPI we consistently look at is the satisfaction of both parties after an interview. We also consider the number of companies meeting talents for every job opened on our portal. Another metric is how quickly companies can set up their teams.

For advice, I usually go to our advisory board and our investors. We usually focus on the people who’ve got skin in the game. Our investors also care about our strategy and direction, so those are my people. And then there’s my team: They’re very talented and I value their opinion.

Being the founder of a startup is a lonely journey. Sometimes you try to shield your team from the tough times and so you endure moments of despair alone. Also, if the community around you is not aware about the entrepreneurial lifestyle, you can feel isolated from friends and family. But this is part of the journey and it does get better over time.

We recently announced closing our pre-seed round. As we expand in the GCC and Middle East, we are planning more rounds by the end of 2024 to further finance our research and development as well as our product expansion and sales channels. We also have a very detailed expansion plan in sub-Saharan countries and North Africa. I firmly believe in the African scene and that’s what I’m banking on.

Our short-term goals include stabilizing our footprint in the GCC market and starting to launch SAS products — which is basically a more generic flavor of hiring — by the end of the year, so stay tuned for it.

My company was bootstrapped for two years andmy motto in the company was “sales are our fundraising vehicle.” However, for extraordinary growth, you need extraordinary financing. And that’s why angels and VCs were created: People who believe in the rapid growth you’re aspiring for and can provide help that exceeds the usual linear growth provided by sales, especially during times of recession and inflation.

If I had to exit my company tomorrow, that might happen through an acquisition where a bigger entity can make use of our technology and infrastructure. I don’t think we’re fit for an IPO yet. But either way, neither option is in the cards for us at the moment.

The local investment scene has witnessed rapid growth in the past few months, but still not as fast as the global one. We need to work initially on our local investment laws pertaining to employee stock options, liquidation, shareholder agreements, and other kinds of legal issues that are not yet officially acknowledged. We need to develop the entrepreneurial scene and startup friendly taxation and legal structures for entrepreneurs to thrive and not worry everyday about things beyond what they are already fighting for.

One startup that is doing an amazing job in Egypt is Breadfast.

If I didn’t have Talents Arena I would either stay a programmer building systems, or go for my secret dream of being a professional chef. Maybe also working with kids.

My family probably thinks I’m a little crazy. Every time I accomplish a milestone, they don’t understand what I’m doing. I guess they wish I had a more stable and systematic life, but they know I don’t fit within this framework. But at the end of the day, I think they’re happy that I’m happy.

I recently read a book by Mathhew McConaughey called Greenlights . It’s a great book — I loved it.

In my freetime, I like to practice meditation and yoga. I also like my coloring books, they keep me sane. 

For inspiration, I like to go anywhere with a sea or mountain. I like Egypt’s Eastern Desert where I can be completely unplugged and unreachable for two or three days. It’s a good spot to disconnect.

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