Mudaris Sheikh, co-founder and CEO of Careem, believes that the most promising opportunities for entrepreneurs are often hidden in the most complex problems. He advised founders operating in the region: if you want to achieve something significant, you need to tackle something big, and to do that, you must find a major problem. In his opinion, every problem represents an opportunity, and the bigger the problem, the greater the potential.
This philosophy will be presented by Sheikh as a judge at the second KT+150 conference in the e-commerce category. The event aims to recognize the 150 most dynamic residents of the UAE aged 35 and under, distributed across 15 different categories, with 10 laureates selected in each category.
Nominations are currently open in all categories, including e-commerce, and the public can nominate themselves or another person via the specified link.
For Sheikh, simply having a polished presentation or demonstrating rapid growth is not enough. He emphasized that every factor is important, but he will pay special attention to two aspects: genuine customer dependency and conviction in solving difficult tasks. Real impact is shown in consumer habits, not in loud statements or aggressive discounts. It is important that the product organically integrates into people's weekly routines because it genuinely simplifies their lives.
Sheikh noted that he is particularly interested in founders who are working on fundamental challenges facing the region's digital economy. Such problems include navigating unstructured address systems, removing barriers in the payment process, and gaining trust among first-time online shoppers.
He advised starting with an important problem but avoiding the temptation to solve all problems at once. One must find a problem that is significant enough but start acting in small steps, maintaining discipline and turning conviction into swift action.
The focus on solving local problems has always been a central element of Careem's journey. Before Careem was founded, there was a common belief that large tech companies should emerge in places like Silicon Valley, and this region should remain primarily a consumer of goods created elsewhere. However, Sheikh saw the situation differently.
He believed that the region was always ready; what was lacking were people willing to build for it with the right intention. As early as 2012, he noticed strong local talent whose potential, in his view, was limited by daily difficulties and a lack of self-confidence. The opportunity was not just to create a tech company, but to prove that a globally competitive business could be built precisely in this region.