Before I started my company, I used to search for teammates at networking events. This is where I met Ahmed. He was well known in tech circles. He taught at a local university. His reputation preceded him, and I wanted him on my side.

It took almost a dozen phone calls and messages before he decided he was in and became my business partner. I was (and still am) someone with big dreams — and Ahmed’s technical expertise and grounded attitude provided the perfect balance.

Without Ahmed, and the rest of the team we built, the company wouldn’t have survived. And that’s not just a nice sentiment. Only a quarter of businesses make it past 15 years, and two out of 10 fail in their first two years of operations. These are familiar numbers to most of us; what’s less familiar, is why.

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