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πŸ” Deep-dives

πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸ“° NewsπŸ—žοΈ Weekly round-upπŸ” Deep-divesπŸ”’ PremiumπŸ› οΈ Strategy BreakdownπŸ“˜ Founder PlaybookπŸ›£οΈ The Roadshow🎧 Podcast
πŸ” Deep-divesπŸ” Deep-dives
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Tamara turned a profit, but the real story is how
Jun 04, 2025

Tamara turned a profit, but the real story is how

Saudi Arabia’s fintech crown jewel is now profitable. But its Q1 financials come with caveats, and reveal a seemingly quiet re-architecture of its business model.

Jamie Lane
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+2+2
Arabic healthcare: for us, by us
May 28, 2025

Arabic healthcare: for us, by us

Why obesity in the GCC isn’t just medical, how GLP-1s could be the iPhone of health, why D2C is a necessary (but temporary) proving ground, and what asynchronous care gets right about shame and scale.

Jamie Lane
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
Building the AI voice for global storytelling
May 21, 2025

Building the AI voice for global storytelling

Why localisation is the hardest problem in GenAI, how to build foundational AI in an ecosystem still playing catch-up, and why Dubai doesn’t need more capital, it needs more conviction.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸ” Deep-divesπŸ” Deep-dives
+2+2
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENA’s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data – and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸ” Deep-divesπŸ” Deep-dives
+1+1
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#2)
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#2)

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENA’s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data – and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸ” Deep-divesπŸ” Deep-dives
+1+1
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#3)
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#3)

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENA’s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data – and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
AdalFi: Powering credit infrastructure across emerging markets
May 07, 2025

AdalFi: Powering credit infrastructure across emerging markets

What it takes to digitise lending inside legacy banks without triggering resistance, how to underwrite customers with no formal credit history, and why AdalFi’s refusal to lend may be its biggest strategic moat.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
Investing in MENA+ founders in the diaspora
Apr 30, 2025

Investing in MENA+ founders in the diaspora

The mechanics of how to build a high-performing syndicate, why values alignment is a competitive moat, and the MENA+ diasporic founders you should know.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+2+2
Rewiring B2B finance in Pakistan and beyond
Apr 24, 2025

Rewiring B2B finance in Pakistan and beyond

What it means to build in a market where volatility isn’t a risk – it’s a cyclical certainty, why going top-down beats direct-to-MSME, and how you build real moats in enterprise fintech β€” not with UX, but with trust, switching friction, and time.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
Building a band-aid for cancer
Apr 16, 2025

Building a band-aid for cancer

Seven years, 959 rejections, and a circuitous journey from San Diego to New York to Abu Dhabi – Khatija Ali MD and BioSapien’s mission to deliver chemotherapy locally is as much about persistence as it is about innovation.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
Hubpay: Building the financial backbone of MENA and beyond
Apr 09, 2025

Hubpay: Building the financial backbone of MENA and beyond

The long road to fintech infrastructure in MENA, the overlooked power of remittance corridors, why stablecoins are no longer a sideshow – and what it really means to build a business from the trenches of regulatory complexity.

Jamie Lane, +1
πŸŽ™οΈ InterviewπŸŽ™οΈ Interview
+1+1
MNT Halan: from ride-hailing to fintech unicorn
Mar 26, 2025

MNT Halan: from ride-hailing to fintech unicorn

CEO Mounir Nakhla on achieving fintech ecosystem lock-in, the company's acquisition and expansion strategy, why tailored risk models beat copy-paste approaches, and the potential path toward becoming a fully-fledged digital bank.

Jamie Lane, +1
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