E149: Mo Altaqatqa on the skill that separates the newcomer entrepreneurs who win from those who don't
Episode Description
In today's episode, I'm speaking to Mo Altaqatqa, Senior Business Development Manager at Futurpreneur.
Mo grew up in Jordan, left in 2011, lived in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Ukraine before moving to Canada. He's been working with entrepreneurs for over a decade, starting in banking, then running his own fundraising business working with startups, and now supporting young entrepreneurs through Futurpreneur.
I kinda already sensed this, but the point Mo makes about how the immigration process itself is preparation for building a business is such a great one. Because mahn, if you get through all the paperwork, the financial planning, the risk, and the uncertainty, I don't see why you can't go ahead and build a business.
But there are other things that separates those who launch from those who stall.
Mo and I chat about that difference, we also talk about:
How to tailor a business idea from home for the Canadian market
What 15 years away from home teaches you about adaptability and identity
How Futurpreneur's newcomer initiative bridges the credit score gap
Why Mo spent months saying no to jobs in Canada
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Dozie's Notes
A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:
A lot of newcomer entrepreneurs who fail do so because they don't understand their customer. You bring a product from home and you assume people here will want it the same way. But the customer here is different because their habits and tastes are different. As Mo says, when a customer says no, they're not rejecting your identity. They're telling you the product needs to meet them where they are.
Values-based job searching as an immigrant takes a kind of nerve that most people can't afford. Mo spent six or seven months without a steady income, saying no to jobs that didn't align with what he wanted to do. That wait was expensive but it's also what landed him at Futurpreneur, where his values matched the mission. Not everyone can afford to wait. But for those who can, Mo's story is proof that the wait can pay off. The wrong job at the right time is still the wrong job.
Official Links
✅ Connect with Mo Altaqatqa on LinkedIn
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