E05: From Management Consulting to FinTech Founder & CEO | Mark Chahwan (Co-founder & CEO, Sarwa)

Описание: Hiring childhood friends, fighting for licenses, and the reality of a "Hard Series A." Mark Chahwan (CEO of Sarwa) reveals how he built the Middle East's most trusted fintech.

In this episode of The Human Orbit, Mahmoud Bouchelif sits down with Mark Chahwan to go beyond the "Fintech Hype." Mark discusses the high-stakes world of digital banking, why being a "naïve" founder is actually a superpower, and the moment a business disagreement almost cost him a lifelong friendship.

From the regulatory battles of the UAE to the "War for Talent", this is a masterclass in scaling a category-defining company.

00:00 – Why traditional banks can't compete with the Sarwa experience.
05:30 – Will Sarwa become a Digital Bank?.
10:45 – Robinhood in the UAE: How to defend your home turf.
15:20 – The "Naïve" Founder: Why consulting experience isn't enough.
22:15 – How to quit your job and start a company today.
28:40 – The "Build in Public" Strategy: Why Mark shares his pitch decks.
35:10 – Pivoting your business: How to tell your co-founders you were wrong.
42:25 – Mixing Business & Friendship: Saving the bond with Jad Sayegh.
49:00 – The Sales Pitch: Walking through the "hardest" Series A raise.
55:30 – Hiring Mistake: The pattern every founder misses after PMF.

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