Mudassir Sheikha, Author at ROCK CENTER STARTUP GUIDE

Seated man, Mudassir Sheikha the co-founder and CEO of Careem, reviews 3 consequences of hypergrowth

3 Consequences of Hypergrowth & How to Prepare

Growing at a rate of nearly 30 percent per month turned Careem, a mobile-based ride-hailing service, into the first unicorn of the Middle East. But rapid growth created internal strain. Co-founder and CEO Mudassir Sheikha shares how creating a distinct culture helped Careem navigate the challenges of scaling.

Three men (Careem's co-founders) standing in a line with arms on one another's shoulders, smiling, as they managed the pressures of rapid scaling

Managing the Pressures of Rapid Scaling

As you scale, the strengths and habits that enabled you to launch—visionary thinking, working nonstop, or making decisions based on experiential knowledge—can become liabilities that damage your startup’s capacity for long-term growth and have serious negative consequences. In an interview with Shikhar Ghosh, Careem’s co-founders Mudassir Sheikha, Magnus Olsson, and Abdulla Elyas reflect on their meteoric growth from 2012-2014. Candidly sharing the mistakes they made, they identify the consequences of rapid scaling and share practical advice for other founders.

How Culture Helped Careem’s CEO Scale a Startup into a Unicorn

Reflecting on Careem’s meteoric growth from 2012-2014, Careem’s co-founders Mudassir Sheikha, Magnus Olsson, and Abdulla Elyas share why creating a company culture was the key to scaling Careem.

4 Scaling Myths That Could Impact Your Startup

During scaling, the role of CEO differs dramatically from that of an early-stage startup. Your focus will shift from proving your idea works, building your product, and getting others on board, to hiring a competent leadership team, creating processes, and being the face of your startup’s mission and culture.