CULTURE LIFE
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN STARTING UP Lessons from launching -and failing at- an entrepreneurial pursuit
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s soon as Netflix documentary of the Fyre Festival fiasco dropped, I rushed to watch it. Brimming with the sordid details of one of the most disastrous music events in history, the feature exceeded my expectations, leading me to watch it again, and again, and again- after all, who doesn’t enjoy witnessing a train wreck in slow motion? Aside from fueling hundreds of memes and providing thousands of viewers with much-needed humor, the documentary was a cautionary tale detailing what not to do when starting up a new venture. It still is a valuable lesson in business that should forever be immortalized in a business school syllabus.
In the span of a week, I had watched the Netflix feature every single day, replaying parts of it over and over. My interest in it bordered on compulsion. It wasn’t long before this obsession signaled a much deeper root cause- I was seeing the same mistakes that I made during my stint as an entrepreneur. It suddenly made sense; I was witnessing someone else make rash business moves similar to the ones I had taken a year earlier. It was easier for me to watch Fyre Festival co-founder Billy McFarland fail, than to confront the path that led me to give up on a lifelong dream. As soon as I began my career in advertising, I set my eyes on launching my own superior agency by the age of 25. I used my time in the industry to hone my skills, diversify my experience, and gain a
deep understanding of the ins and outs of advertising. By late 2017, I was ready to put all that I’ve learned to the test, and just in time to become the 25-year-old entrepreneur I envisioned myself to be by launching INTEGR8. I began by tackling the essentials: a solid business plan, a cohesive brand strategy, and an innovative, albeit idealistic, vision. The thrill of running my own creative powerhouse nearly blinded me. I was overtaken by fantasies of pitching for the region’s biggest accounts, launching award-winning campaigns that would put Donald Draper to shame, and posing for my portrait in Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. While being able to envision a clear career path for yourself is admirable,
Ayman Jaber is a digital and social media strategist with experience working across a multitude of industries spanning automotive, entertainment, and construction. As a finance graduate, Ayman combines his knowledge of data analysis with a passion for creativity to develop innovative and holistic communications solutions. 58 / E N T R E P R E N E U R . C O M / November 2019
COVER ART FOR FYRE COURTSEY NETFLIX | BILLY MCFARLAND WEB SUMMIT IMAGE COURTESY THE COMMONS
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