with Loulou

Abdullah Mutawi, Partner & Head of Corporate MENA at Taylor Wessing, and Kushal Shah, Private Markets Investor, join Loulou for a conversation (episode 102) on where opportunity really sits in the GCC today. They unpack angel investing, founder red flags, why many startups fail despite strong products, and the lessons that come from writing early-stage checks.

Philip Bahoshy, Founder & CEO of Magnitt, and Ziad Awad, Founder & CEO of Awad Capital, join Loulou for episode 100 of With Loulou.

I sat down with Philip Bahoshy, founder of MAGNiTT, for a no-holds-barred conversation on the realities of the startup world. We unpack the "Startup Valley of Death," exploring why founders fail, when to quit, and how to navigate burnout.

In this episode, we'll get practical insights from Chris as a founder, investor, global thinker and yogi. We'll explore what it takes to scale a business and why he believes in the potential of the MENA region.

I sat down with Talal Tabbaa, co-founder of CoinMENA, to unpack the latest in the crypto world. We dive into Bitcoin’s recent bull run and why ETFs are a game-changer for institutional adoption. Talal shares his take on altcoins, meme coins, and whether they’re worth the hype—or just a gamble. We also tackle the big question: is it too late to get into Bitcoin? Plus, we discuss how governments, particularly in the GCC, are positioning themselves in the crypto race. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode offers insights you can’t afford to miss. Support for the show comes from Capital.com a global investment platform with offices in Dubai. Click here for the chance to win AED 1m: https://bit.ly/3CDIT3f

I sat down with Abdullah Mutawi, Partner and Head of Corporate at law firm Taylor Wessing and prolific angel investor as the Co-founder and Chairman of Dubai Angel Investors and Saudi Angel Investors and we unpack some of the challenges that startups founders and venture capital investors are facing as they learn how to deal with a major downturn echoing the global venture capital downturn post 2020/2021 bubble. As a prominent lawyer, Abdullah is often called upon to mitigate distress situations, those that evoke strong emotions between the parties. Abdullah shares his learnings from various situations he has managed including one of the successful restructuring deals he worked on with Fetchr, the logistics startups that was saved, only to shut down again in 2021 in a twist of fate. If you are in the startup ecosystem or a stakeholder of the ecosystem, then you will certainly enjoy this discussion. Support for the show comes from capital.com, a global investment platform with offices in Dubai.

I sat down with Farida El Agamy, an entrepreneur, a lawyer and expert on the MENA family business landscape, to get a peak into the rise and challenges of the families that shaped our region from the Almajdouie and Zamil families in Saudi Arabia, to W.J. Towell in Oman, the Sawiris in Egypt and Juma Al Majid in the UAE and many more. Those family businesses grew to become multifaceted conglomerates employing thousands and creating a considerable economic and social impact across the region. Farida shared insights from her extensive research work at Tharawat Family Business Forum, highlighting the critical importance of succession planning, governance, and the role of women in family businesses. We explored the rise of single-family offices, how investment strategies are evolving across generations, and the increasing importance of sustainability. Throughout our discussion, we kept circling back to one question: how will the 3rd or 4th generation of family business owners navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world? To learn more about family businesses in MENA visit: www.tharawat.org and www.familybusinesshistories.org or connect with Farida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridafelagamy/

As you gear up for back to school season, I hope you enjoy part 2 of our 3 part - bite sized - summer special. In this episode, I share with you my personal views on what makes a great entrepreneur. Having been an entrepreneur myself over the past decade, having sat with unicorn founders, and hundreds of entrepreneurs that I’ve met over the past 5 years of venture capital investing, I offer you the 5 characteristics that make a great entrepreneur. Keen to know your thoughts!