Since its kick-off in 2016, “Marj3” is leaving its footprints in the Ed-Tech industry in Egypt. An online platform that has made it easier for students and graduates in the MENA region to find out and apply to various opportunities in education. We sat with Marj3 co-founder and Syrian entrepreneur and one of the Startups Without Border Summit speakers, Sami Al- Ahmad, to dig deeper into his journey of becoming an entrepreneur in Egypt.
By Eathar Abul Nasr
When Al Ahmad moved to Cairo, he started looking for scholarships to continue his studies after fleeing Syria due to the war conditions. In his struggle to adapt to the new life in Egypt, he came up with an idea to provide a platform for refugees to continue their studies in Egypt and offer training services to enter the job market. A few years later, he realized that more people can benefit from the service; it should not be only limited to Syrian refugees, Egyptians needed it too. So he partnered with two Egyptian co-founders and started “Marj3”, an online platform that facilitates access to educational opportunities and services.
Now, Marj3 has 2.5 million visitors per month and was selected as the StartUp of the Year by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Egypt in 2018. It has more than 70,000 users that have benefited from the service in both Egypt and abroad. Behind every success, there is a whole story of hard work, thriving, and persistence, and we were eager to find out more about Al Ahmad’s pathway to success.
What was your main challenge when you started “Marj3”?
The biggest challenge was finding a team of co-founders to believe in my idea. Also taking the first step to start implementing the idea. In addition to that, dreadful loophole of chasing perfectionism, wanting your product to be perfect before you launch. The truth is you need to just start, and make it better as you go.
What are your biggest milestones and future goals for Marj3?
That fact that “Marj3” is now one of the leading platforms in the region with 2.5 million visits per month is our biggest achievement. It is great to have this much traffic. Our goal is to reach 5 million visits per month. We are working on final edits and reviews for the website. Also, we are always looking to raise funds.
“Don’t rush it. Take the time to understand the market you are entering. Take the time to do market research, and don’t assume this country is the same as your home country. “
What advice would you give migrant entrepreneurs?
Don’t rush it. Take the time to understand the market you are entering. Take the time to do market research, and don’t assume this country is the same as your home country. Consumers, market needs, and opportunities are different in each country. So pay attention, don’t assume, and don’t be scared to experiment.
“Diversity in a team is always a positive thing. In my case, it was beneficial to have partners from different backgrounds. Our team also come from different backgrounds. Each person has a unique point of view considering their background and expertise.”
Do you think it is important to build an international ecosystem for startups?
Yes, building an international ecosystem and a space for people with different backgrounds to come together is a key factor for business growth. Diversity in a team is always a positive thing. In my case, it was beneficial to have partners from different backgrounds. Our team also come from different backgrounds. Each person has a unique point of view considering their background and expertise. So we are able to get the best of each world. It is always a good thing to know people internationally, so working with them makes the experience even better.
