This is an interview with Raja Younes of Startupsfund, Futuris Technologies, Lebanon. We wanted to look at the Lebanese startup ecosystem, especially in hardware, so for producing physical products. We don’t hear about Lebanon enough, even though we should as there are some strong reasons for it - you can find out in this episode about some of these reasons.

All tech startups run into a problem sooner or later which is connected to their workforce. There is actually a megatrend related to this, which can become a huge bottleneck for further growth worldwide. Other topics Raja will talk about is some facts on Lebanon and its effects on making the Lebanese startup ecosystem a unique one in the region or in the world. Why should startups or established companies seriously consider going to Lebanon? What are some examples for companies doing that? We will touch on these questions, and Raja’s initiatives to alleviate these issues.

Enjoy this episode.

Raw transcript is available at: https://www.thehardwareentrepreneur.com

Show highlights can be seen below:

• A guide to Lebanon and its startup ecosystem - [1:58]
• Underlying problems in today’s world and Raja’s solution to them - [4:00]
• Main incentives of the Lebanese ecosystem that make it attractive for investors and entrepreneurs - [6:42]
• Success stories from Lebanon and major international companies in the country - [10:04]
• Missions of Futuris Technologies and Startupsfund and key benefits of their services - [12:37]
• If you could go back in time to the time when you were in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? - [16:33]
• If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your thinking and on your career? - [17:58]
• Some habits that help Raja stay organized and relaxed at the same time - [18:55]
• Some observations Raja had on cultural differences throughout his career - [20:02]
• What is the best way to reach Raja? - [22:20]

We have a different episode than usual as we’re taking you on a ride on a Kickstarter campaign. My guest was Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, from Florida, who is a fitness student, consultant and pioneer.

In this set of episodes you get to hear about the before and after cases for a hardware product. This is the first episode which was recorded just before launch.

How familiar are you with the concept No pain, No gain? I guess, actually very familiar. But does fitness really have to be that grueling? Is it really justified that we’re supposed to give our best, to kill ourselves in exercises from day 1? Joey challenges this philosophy with his thinking, program and now his machine. With his techniques he simplified fitness and he has distributed his programs to every country; his top selling programs have been translated into 5 languages.

He will tell his story about how fitness became central in his life, his many years of struggles, and during the whole time his entrepreneurial thinking will also shine through. His venture is self-funded which is a rare feat in hardware, when you want to bring out a physical product. Joey will tell us how he came to the idea of his product, some of the manufacturing challenges he overcame, the target audience which is very important for quick adoption of his product. Last but not least, he’ll talk also about some considerations for his Kickstarter campaign. Check out his campaign, which might be out by the time you hear this interview.

Enjoy this conversation!

Raw transcript is available at: https://www.thehardwareentrepreneur.com

Show highlights can be seen below:

• By universal design - [2:34]
• What sparked the fitness interest in Joey and what it evolved into - [5:33]
• Rediscovering playgrounds - [11:36]
• Self-funding that turns the tables 180° - [16:50]
• How to find a company for serial production of your prototype - [22:11]
• “What about my husband?” – first validation experiences - [29:15]
• The potential of Kickstarter beyond your own capabilities - [35:48]
• If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [39:18]
• Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [40:30]
• Non-negotiable habits for a better quality of life – [43:36]
• Some cultural differences that Joey observed throughout his career and examples of how he overcame them – [47:38]
• Changing the no pain, no gain game – [51:12]