Taha Elraaid is the founder and CEO at technology solutions company Lamah. His mission? To bring tools and technology from the West to improve ease of living in Libya as the leading tech company in the country. Under Lamah, Taha’s biggest success is building Libya’s first address system, completely digitized. Think Google Maps crossed with Yelp. Lamah also hosts the country’s biggest shared workspace and encourages entrepreneurs and innovators to meet, connect and collaborate.
What is Lamah all about?
“Lamah” translates from Arabic into “gathering” — and that’s exactly what we’re about. Helping everyone. Working together.
Our mission is to improve digital innovation and solve the everyday challenges for people in our region. Whether it’s through our own products and services or collaborations with government or other companies, we capitalize on progress and learning.
We host the biggest coworking space with facilities in Libya, just for that purpose. By providing a space and opportunities for young entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate, we can create a foundation for progress.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I grew up in Libya, a place where innovation is pretty stagnant. The country doesn’t have street names or any kind of addresses, something taken for granted in most countries now.
When I left at 17 to explore other countries, I saw how easy it was to fix many of the problems we experienced in Libya. Eventually, I decided to go back, with all the new experiences and ideas I had, to start changing things up. That’s when I created Lamah.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
While we have projects that we’re working on in-house, we’re also planning to expand our efforts to support governments and companies in the region to accelerate digital innovation.
There is lots of work today, and things will only get better if we collaborate. By supporting others and creating new opportunities for other entrepreneurs and innovators, we can see more holistic progress.
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
While the pandemic was and still is a struggle in Libya and across the world, it also gave us the chance to demonstrate the value of our system in a way that we couldn’t have imagined.
Our app, Makani, is the first digital addressing system in Libya, and launched just before the pandemic. Libya previously had no form of address, street name, postcode — nothing.
When lockdown hit, the value of an address became clear. People needed services to come to them and needed a way how. After 3 years, we now have over 1.2m registered addresses.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
The difference between Lamah and other big tech companies is the edge we have as locals. Most big companies have not set up business in Libya yet, and by knowing the challenges people experience, we can create the best solution for them.
The challenges Libyans face are quite unique. How many countries don’t have a postal system? We’ve experienced the day-to-day obstacles first hand, which is why we are best placed to solve them.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- The first mistake we made was moving too fast. We had a vague idea of the benefits we wanted to provide, but not the product. At the same time, we were rapidly building the team. But the activities weren’t aligned. We had a bunch of talented technical people but not much management. Before you hire, identify basic company needs. Yes, the product or service is the first thing to be built — but for that, you need management. Systems. Processes.
- The second mistake we made was hiring an external company without doing our due diligence. This goes for all hiring: ask questions. We hired an agency in India to support the development of our app. But down the line we realized they wouldn’t work out. The second time around, we did our research. We asked questions. And finally, found the right agency. Find the right people to do the job, not the first people.
- Finally, having a financial plan and a concrete vision is important when it comes to resource allocation. At the start of our journey, we went all out on creating an office. While I don’t regret it, dealing with changing contractors and construction put us way over budget. It got lengthy and complicated. Make sure you have a solid plan in place, as well as space for flexibility and budget changes.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
All of our campaigns are designed to encourage word of mouth, which from the start was our marketing method of choice. It was all about cultivating discussion and engagement. Our digital addressing system was a completely new concept to all Libyans, and so creating conversations and explaining the concept and benefits has been crucial.
We kicked off with a launch event. Just before Covid lockdowns began in February 2020, we invited government officials, business people, and journalists to generate a buzz. We’ve now met different people from other cities that have heard of our app.
If your product is B2C, make sure you are speaking to those consumers.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
The answer depends on the situation.
If I were building a software company, the $1000 wouldn’t matter. What does matter is finding a technical business partner. The money can be spent on software that is needed, but creating a system between two people shouldn’t run up too many costs.
But if you’re starting off freelance, I would spend the $1000 on getting the right tools. Whether it’s a tablet, access to the Adobe or Microsoft suite, or some other system.
For both cases, the remainder of the money would be spent on marketing. If you’ve managed to set up a free website using WordPress or Wix, the rest of the cash can be used to create a targeted marketing campaign. Start getting the word out!
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
There are problems we face on a daily basis that have become part of the landscape. We don’t bother trying to solve them anymore. But these are the challenges that I like to pick apart.
We’re constantly looking at aspects of our life that are slower or less efficient than they could be. By expanding our network and looking at solutions from other countries, we find new problems and solutions that keep us motivated.
What is your favorite quote?
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”
– Earl Nightingale
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Start building your network sooner rather than later. This is the most valuable asset you can have. If you have the right contacts you can stretch that $1000 to $10,000.
But it’s still not all about money or budget. It’s about having the right people around you. Learn and build from their experience.
Who should we interview next and why?
Chris Haroun. He’s a Udemy instructor that I met after a lecture he gave at the University of San Francisco. Chris was one of the first people that helped kickstart my career. The knowledge he has and the way he is able to communicate it so effectively is very inspiring.
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can reach me through my Facebook page, just search for @Elraaid. Or you can connect with me on LinkedIn, just search for Taha Elraaid.
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