Podcast: Starting a tech business in Morocco

“You can learn a lot from a ‘no’” says Amine Azariz, a serial entrepreneur in Morocco. But in the North African country’s family-focused, often slow-moving business culture, start-up founders often struggle to get the answers they need to get their businesses off the ground.

Mr Azariz’s first start-up, Greendeezer, failed despite a promising start. He then joined a team that built the country’s third largest online payments platform. Now he is striking out again on his own in a new venture. He gave the Financial Times a candid rundown of the highs and lows of starting a business in Morocco — from currency restrictions to regulation.

“It’s like learning to play the piano on a boat in the middle of a storm,” Mr Azariz says, and yet he remains highly enthusiastic about the opportunities that the country’s young, tech-savvy population can offer.

Listen to the full podcast here:

The other episodes of the World Tech Founders podcast — including interviews from India, Malaysia, Jordan and Turkey can be found here: