Start ups: Competition or passion?

[Hani_Farah]

Start school, move to university and go on in your life, you find ultimate competition with no way out! It is there that your own personal war starts, you want to excel in life, give it all you’ve got and believe that whatever you’ve got to deliver stands out from the rest. I keep telling myself this, trying to find a justification for this non-stopping aggressive competition in the Lebanese market.

Here’s what I mean, there’s an entire generation of doctors and architects, recently graduated, with no means of working in the field they are in (well at least not in Lebanon). Could this solely be a disorientation issue, or are the parents held liable here?

On the other hand, we find a good amount of youth going into the digital field, and development, working on applications that are not different in any way, simply ultimately competing! Food applications have been increasing intensely, i.e: you can order from your favorite online restaurant through Zomato, Onlivery, etc. several apps that only differ in the logo; but here I’m guessing it’s a personal choice to pick the one that suits you most.

Then you can move onto the healthy organic food wave, trending since a couple of years now. This industry is seeing more and more youth being engaged as consumers, or even as small entrepreneurs launching their own healthy food lines. The list of organic places starting from scratch and shutting down from one side, and places succeeding from the other side are both endless.

Is it passion towards a specific industry driving the youth to this? Is it a pure need for something new, a trial and error sort of thing to find a decent income in a worn out community? Or is it just a need for being unplugged from the whole enterprise system, wanting to be your sole leader? Hopefully startup competitions will help realize some of the youth’s dreams and create more diversity in the market.

Here’s a video I found interesting about last year’s TechCrunch Event in Beirut.

 

[JustLeb]

Start school, move to university and go on in your life, you find ultimate competition with no way out! It is there that your own personal war starts, you want to excel in life, give it all you’ve got and believe that whatever you’ve got to deliver stands out from the rest. I keep telling myself this, trying to find a justification for this non-stopping aggressive competition in the Lebanese market.

Here’s what I mean, there’s an entire generation of doctors and architects, recently graduated, with no means of working in the field they are in (well at least not in Lebanon). Could this solely be a disorientation issue, or are the parents held liable here?

On the other hand, we find a good amount of youth going into the digital field, and development, working on applications that are not different in any way, simply ultimately competing! Food applications have been increasing intensely, i.e: you can order from your favorite online restaurant through Zomato, Onlivery, etc. several apps that only differ in the logo; but here I’m guessing it’s a personal choice to pick the one that suits you most.

Then you can move onto the healthy organic food wave, trending since a couple of years now. This industry is seeing more and more youth being engaged as consumers, or even as small entrepreneurs launching their own healthy food lines. The list of organic places starting from scratch and shutting down from one side, and places succeeding from the other side are both endless.

Is it passion towards a specific industry driving the youth to this? Is it a pure need for something new, a trial and error sort of thing to find a decent income in a worn out community? Or is it just a need for being unplugged from the whole enterprise system, wanting to be your sole leader? Hopefully startup competitions will help realize some of the youth’s dreams and create more diversity in the market.

Here’s a video I found interesting about last year’s TechCrunch Event in Beirut.

Quick comments:
1- there are people who are passionate with what they do, there are those who like to discover or be the first to create something and of course there are those who ride the wave because they saw a good opportunity to make money.

2- there are always copycat but I don't see this as a problem but a way to differentiate among the same field.

3- even in Paris food applications are growing like mushrooms

4- being your own boss is sometimes very appealing to many (including myself), so I consider it an act of courage to throw yourself into the water and start swimming while there are easier solutions

5- having techcrunch in Lebanon is very good. Technology startups will surely benefit the country at all levels

 

[Hani_Farah]

Quick comments:
1- there are people who are passionate with what they do, there are those who like to discover or be the first to create something and of course there are those who ride the wave because they saw a good opportunity to make money.

2- there are always copycat but I don't see this as a problem but a way to differentiate among the same field.

3- even in Paris food applications are growing like mushrooms

4- being your own boss is sometimes very appealing to many (including myself), so I consider it an act of courage to throw yourself into the water and start swimming while there are easier solutions

5- having techcrunch in Lebanon is very good. Technology startups will surely benefit the country at all levels

Couldnt agree more! I really hope we will keep making positive use of tech here in Lebanon!

 

[Le منشار]

المكّننة كانت ضرورة عند أنطلاق الثورة الصناعية الكبرى في بريطانيا لأن أغلبية الشعوب والدول لم تكن قادرة على شراء المنتوجات بسعر مناسب ولم يكن الحرفيون حين أذ قادرين على تلبية أحتياجات المجتمعات بشكل عام من حيث الكمية أو أيصالها الى كل المدن والقرى بالوقت المناسب ومن دون خسائر.

الا أننا في هذا الزمان أصبحت المكننة متطورة الى حد ألقاء العاملين خارج الوظائف. أما بالنسبة للبنان فالأمر أسوء من ذلك حيث أن لبنان صغير المساحة وأغراق اسواقه ليس بالأمر الصعب بالنسبة الى المكننة. ولذلك لبنان هو الدولة الوحيدة المفترض في حكومته أن تحدّ من المكننة فيه قدر الأمكان بحيث يستطيع الحرفي أو الصناعي أو المزارع أن يجد لنفسه عملا. أما أعتماد سعدان الحريري وزبران باسيل سياسة المكننة على نطاق واسع فله هدف وحيد وخبيث وهو أن توضع كل المعلومات الخاصة بالشعب اللبناني بين أيّدي الصليبيين .. كل شاردة وواردة تخص أي مواطن لبناني تصبح بمتناول أجهزة المخابرات الصليبية وبالتالي الأسرائيلية بنقرة زر

بأختصار المسألة ليس مسألة كفأة والشخص الصحيح بالمكان الصحيح بل لديك عدد كبير من الناس المتعلّم والكفوء الذي لا يجد أبسط مقومات وحقوق العيش فكيف بالعمل وتكوين شركة. أن سياساتكم هذه لن تزيد الشعب اللبناني ألا فقرا ولن يجد شبابه ملاذا الا بالأنتماء للميليشيات والتنظيمات المسلّحة وعاجلا أم آجلا سيؤدي ذلك الى هلاك لبنان كدولة ..بحيث حتى هيكل الدولة المارقة لن يعود موجودا وستحل الفوضى وسفك الدماء ​

 

[My Moria Moon]

المكّننة كانت ضرورة عند أنطلاق الثورة الصناعية الكبرى في بريطانيا لأن أغلبية الشعوب والدول لم تكن قادرة على شراء المنتوجات بسعر مناسب ولم يكن الحرفيون حين أذ قادرين على تلبية أحتياجات المجتمعات بشكل عام من حيث الكمية أو أيصالها الى كل المدن والقرى بالوقت المناسب ومن دون خسائر.

الا أننا في هذا الزمان أصبحت المكننة متطورة الى حد ألقاء العاملين خارج الوظائف. أما بالنسبة للبنان فالأمر أسوء من ذلك حيث أن لبنان صغير المساحة وأغراق اسواقه ليس بالأمر الصعب بالنسبة الى المكننة. ولذلك لبنان هو الدولة الوحيدة المفترض في حكومته أن تحدّ من المكننة فيه قدر الأمكان بحيث يستطيع الحرفي أو الصناعي أو المزارع أن يجد لنفسه عملا. أما أعتماد سعدان الحريري وزبران باسيل سياسة المكننة على نطاق واسع فله هدف وحيد وخبيث وهو أن توضع كل المعلومات الخاصة بالشعب اللبناني بين أيّدي الصليبيين .. كل شاردة وواردة تخص أي مواطن لبناني تصبح بمتناول أجهزة المخابرات الصليبية وبالتالي الأسرائيلية بنقرة زر

بأختصار المسألة ليس مسألة كفأة والشخص الصحيح بالمكان الصحيح بل لديك عدد كبير من الناس المتعلّم والكفوء الذي لا يجد أبسط مقومات وحقوق العيش فكيف بالعمل وتكوين شركة. أن سياساتكم هذه لن تزيد الشعب اللبناني ألا فقرا ولن يجد شبابه ملاذا الا بالأنتماء للميليشيات والتنظيمات المسلّحة وعاجلا أم آجلا سيؤدي ذلك الى هلاك لبنان كدولة ..بحيث حتى هيكل الدولة المارقة لن يعود موجودا وستحل الفوضى وسفك الدماء ​

What is المكّننة mon frère?

 

[Le منشار]

What is المكّننة mon frère?

giving the upper hand to automation and machinery to do and produce work.
digitization is a subset of "مكننة".
mechanization is on a straight collision path with capitalism ... if you want full automation, your economy should find a different system
than capitalism.
In Lebanon, you don't need mechanization, you need to monitor "corruption"

 

[opium]

المكّننة كانت ضرورة عند أنطلاق الثورة الصناعية الكبرى في بريطانيا لأن أغلبية الشعوب والدول لم تكن قادرة على شراء المنتوجات بسعر مناسب ولم يكن الحرفيون حين أذ قادرين على تلبية أحتياجات المجتمعات بشكل عام من حيث الكمية أو أيصالها الى كل المدن والقرى بالوقت المناسب ومن دون خسائر.
الا أننا في هذا الزمان أصبحت المكننة متطورة الى حد ألقاء العاملين خارج الوظائف. أما بالنسبة للبنان فالأمر أسوء من ذلك حيث أن لبنان صغير المساحة وأغراق اسواقه ليس بالأمر الصعب بالنسبة الى المكننة. ولذلك لبنان هو الدولة الوحيدة المفترض في حكومته أن تحدّ من المكننة فيه قدر الأمكان بحيث يستطيع الحرفي أو الصناعي أو المزارع أن يجد لنفسه عملا. أما أعتماد سعدان الحريري وزبران باسيل سياسة المكننة على نطاق واسع فله هدف وحيد وخبيث وهو أن توضع كل المعلومات الخاصة بالشعب اللبناني بين أيّدي الصليبيين .. كل شاردة وواردة تخص أي مواطن لبناني تصبح بمتناول أجهزة المخابرات الصليبية وبالتالي الأسرائيلية بنقرة زر
بأختصار المسألة ليس مسألة كفأة والشخص الصحيح بالمكان الصحيح بل لديك عدد كبير من الناس المتعلّم والكفوء الذي لا يجد أبسط مقومات وحقوق العيش فكيف بالعمل وتكوين شركة. أن سياساتكم هذه لن تزيد الشعب اللبناني ألا فقرا ولن يجد شبابه ملاذا الا بالأنتماء للميليشيات والتنظيمات المسلّحة وعاجلا أم آجلا سيؤدي ذلك الى هلاك لبنان كدولة ..بحيث حتى هيكل الدولة المارقة لن يعود موجودا وستحل الفوضى وسفك الدماء ​

Seriously ? Do you really believe this article ?
Wow so Bassil is now accused of Maknana.

 

[Le منشار]

Seriously ? Do you really believe this article ?
Wow so Bassil is now accused of Maknana.

Bassil is spearheading digitization along with Saad el Hariri known as "eGOVERNMENT"
many official employees will be of no use

 

[Iron Maiden]

Bassil is spearheading digitization along with Saad el Hariri known as "eGOVERNMENT"
many official employees will be of no use

Yes more state job is what we need to fix the country not personal initiatives and innovation looool
We are a century behind where we need to be on the digital side of things and you’re asking for more state control over labour and economic initiative.
أمرك غريب يا أخّ منشار صاير متل جعجع ما بتصيب شي ههههه

 

[opium]

Bassil is spearheading digitization along with Saad el Hariri known as "eGOVERNMENT"
many official employees will be of no use

Maknana will lead to minimum interaction with public employees, a very efficient way to reduce corruption.
For example, when you are clearing a cargo container, the clearance broker will not interact face to face with the customs officer. The clearance broker will not have have to pass to many offices to get his file stamped and passed. He will simply submit the customs declaration and the documents required online, after it customs will xray the container and if they find any irregularities the container will be called for a physical inspection. This will save time and cost to the importer/exporter. This process will create an excess of employees at customs. They can be used in auditing, they can be diverted to patrol the borders and for spot inspections on commercials and traders shops/warehouses. Moreover new jobs will be created inside the customs for IT and software development.

 

[fidelio]

Bassil is spearheading digitization along with Saad el Hariri known as "eGOVERNMENT"
many official employees will be of no use

I would like to add one thing to what Iron Maiden & opium said.
Maybe the people working in the public sector can be better invested in the private sector. Less public employment is actually better. Even better when you have a new breed of public servants and employees who did not inherit the job from their parents, but rather a new generation with a completely new outlook on the job; opium's software and IT example is a good illustration.
i would fully support the leap towards eGovernment and considering that it's actually May Chidiac's ministry that is responsible for the development and implementation of the idea, you really have to give me credit for supporting it.

 

[Le منشار]

Maknana will lead to minimum interaction with public employees, a very efficient way to reduce corruption.

1 - leaving many people without jobs
2 - our government will be more prone to digital attacks
3 - the new IT employees most probably will be members of political parties so please, don't act as if I'm a moron.
I can understand retards like hariri and bassil being wowed by maknana but if you are in the IT field you know better.
4 - the system will most probably be a foreign company product and connected to a database somewhere (most probably France) outside Lebanon's borders
5 - whether you liked it or not, your personal info will be available to the Israelis, literally at the click of a button. even your medical record

 

[Le منشار]

Yes more state job is what we need to fix the country not personal initiatives and innovation looool
We are a century behind where we need to be on the digital side of things and you’re asking for more state control over labour and economic initiative.
أمرك غريب يا أخّ منشار صاير متل جعجع ما بتصيب شي ههههه

shaklo el Bassbouss wel se3den tale3loun dakkeh min hek project.
awa2at b7essak zakeh la darajet el habal aw khabees and throwing smoke screens .. tab3an ana bfadel awal e7sess
do you happen to know what is the difference between a hacker and a geek ?! who is the good guy and who is the bad guy?

 

[Le منشار]

i would fully support the leap towards eGovernment and considering that it's actually May Chidiac's ministry that is responsible for the development and implementation of the idea, you really have to give me credit for supporting it.

la7ed el sha2feh el faw2aniyeh ken meshe 7allak. why should I give you credit for supporting a guinea pig like may chidiac ?

 

[Le منشار]

I would like to add one thing to what Iron Maiden & opium said.
Maybe the people working in the public sector can be better invested in the private sector. Less public employment is actually better. Even better when you have a new breed of public servants and employees who did not inherit the job from their parents, but rather a new generation with a completely new outlook on the job; opium's software and IT example is a good illustration.

No, "Public laws" should be changed not the employees. The new breed of public servants won't be any different than the old ones, simply, the paper and the pencil will be replaced by a tablet, phone or computer.
This doesn't change the fact that new generation of "Politically-biased" employees on steroids will fill the public jobs. resulting in no change in the behavior of the public sector compared to the old one.

An ink stamp will be replaced by a digital stamp, a digital document can be easily edited and manipulated or even photoshoped by a skillful photoshop user. Actually it takes more effort to conduct cheating or bribery (which can be confiscated) with paperwork compared to a digital document.

Lastly, all the governments in the world adopting "e government" systems, they still use paper document(s) copies for archiving. In a Lebanese system (7arbou2, sro2, kazeeb, tla3 nzal bass khalik ndeef) what guarantees that it won't be adopted as a genuine document rather than just an archive.

what you really need, is "ra2abeh", "close monitoring" correlated with "punishment".
also, to cut down expenses of the public sector starting from Deputies and Ministers down till the smallest employee in the public sector.

Selling the country to private companies will destroy your country and steal its sovereignty and its decision making. this is an established fact.

 

[Iron Maiden]

shaklo el Bassbouss wel se3den tale3loun dakkeh min hek project.
awa2at b7essak zakeh la darajet el habal aw khabees and throwing smoke screens .. tab3an ana bfadel awal e7sess
do you happen to know what is the difference between a hacker and a geek ?! who is the good guy and who is the bad guy?

إحساسك مرهف

 

[opium]

1 - leaving many people without jobs
2 - our government will be more prone to digital attacks
3 - the new IT employees most probably will be members of political parties so please, don't act as if I'm a moron.
I can understand retards like hariri and bassil being wowed by maknana but if you are in the IT field you know better.
4 - the system will most probably be a foreign company product and connected to a database somewhere (most probably France) outside Lebanon's borders
5 - whether you liked it or not, your personal info will be available to the Israelis, literally at the click of a button. even your medical record

1- Same was said when businesses started to use computers. Jobs can migrate to other needed fields.
2- Even the leading corporations in the world are prone to digital attacks, in my mind Sony and FB. BDL have their own IT/Security staff, they are being attacked on the minute. Never a major breach happened.
3- This is the new practice and trend, either you follow it or you are left behind. And if our recruitment procedure is wrong doesn't mean that we have to stop. And by the way I am a CS graduate and I can understand too!
4- We have leading Lebanese Software/IT companies. Gov can outsource it to them. As for the data management and storage we can build on that to improve our own capabilities.
5- They cannot get your personal data now? You should worry more about Microsoft,FB, google, apple, smart mobiles. and AI where most R&D is being spent now.

 

[Indie]

the new IT employees most probably will be members of political parties

So are the current employees.

They're just from a different political party, and maybe that's what bothers you...you want to keep the status quo.

the system will most probably be a foreign company product and connected to a database somewhere (most probably France) outside Lebanon's borders

As opposed to what? The current system keeping Lebanon vulnerable to interference from Iran and Saudi Arabia?

 

[Le منشار]

So are the current employees.

eh, this is what I'm saying

They're just from a different political party, and maybe that's what bothers you...you want to keep the status quo.

so are the current employees

As opposed to what? The current system keeping Lebanon vulnerable to interference from Iran and Saudi Arabia?

shu khass tozz bi mar7aba. enno I wrote in Arabic, I wrote in English, shu betkoub Chinese too?

 

[Le منشار]

1- Same was said when businesses started to use computers. Jobs can migrate to other needed fields.

give examples, with me, you are not allowed to blabber words like Boustani, selling the Lebanese, "fish in the sea".

2- Even the leading corporations in the world are prone to digital attacks, in my mind Sony and FB. BDL have their own IT/Security staff, they are being attacked on the minute. Never a major breach happened.

you are talking about a country, not a company !! you are talking about public services and information of your citizens.
you talk like an amateur, or I rather say a hungry greedy capitalist with no ethic values. go and check the records of "digital attacks against states".

3- This is the new practice and trend, either you follow it or you are left behind. And if our recruitment procedure is wrong doesn't mean that we have to stop. And by the way I am a CS graduate and I can understand too!

you are a CS graduate therefore your main aim is to make money, not to take responsibility on how to solve the problem of unemployment of the country.
I said it before, I say it again, Business people don't make great leaders. Especially in Lebanon, most ministers and mps are business men and take advantage of their political positions to make more private money and forbid fair competition.

4- We have leading Lebanese Software/IT companies. Gov can outsource it to them. As for the data management and storage we can build on that to improve our own capabilities.

There are no "leading Lebanese Software/IT companies". your data management and storage are outside of your country's borders.

5- They cannot get your personal data now? You should worry more about Microsoft,FB, google, apple, smart mobiles. and AI where most R&D is being spent now.

Not when you have a real state and a real government that respects the privacy of its people. I don't expect you to understand that