Tag: Growth Mindset
Sharing insights on entrepreneurial resilience, technical leadership, and inside-out growth strategies for founders
Founded Startups
Investment ROIs
Mentored Startups
Total Raised
Rising Tides Startups
In this engaging episode of Rising Tide Startups, host Kevin Prude interviews Mohamed Ahmed, author of “The Inside-Out Entrepreneur” and founder of the Boundless Founder community.
Key Points Discussed:
Mohamed’s Entrepreneurial Journey
- Transitioned from technical roles at Microsoft and AWS to founding his own startup in 2017
- Discovered entrepreneurship by chance during his PhD studies at UConn
- Built a cloud optimization startup that evolved through pivots and eventually led to a successful acquisition
Mental Resilience in Entrepreneurship
- Discusses the transformation from being paralyzed by small setbacks to recovering from a failed acquisition in 24 hours
- Emphasizes that mindset is an entrepreneur’s most valuable asset
- Compares entrepreneurial preparation to how mountaineers condition themselves before climbing
The Balance of Fear and Reward
- Explores how entrepreneurs must balance the fear of failure with the potential rewards
- Describes entrepreneurship as jumping off a cliff and building an airplane on the way down
- Shares how being “out of balance” led to poor decision-making in the early stages
Family’s Role in the Entrepreneurial Journey
- Reveals how entrepreneurship affects not just the founder but their entire family
- Shares personal stories about how his wife nearly reached a breaking point
- Stresses the importance of preparing and conditioning your family for the journey
Boundless Founder Community
- Created to help entrepreneurs develop resilience and build sustainable businesses
- Focuses especially on technical founders who may be product-focused but neglect business fundamentals
- Offers courses, resources, and mentorship to accelerate entrepreneurial growth
The Advisor vs. Mentor Role
- Explains the distinction between being an advisor (showing what’s around the corner) and a mentor (challenging mindset)
- Shares powerful analogies like comparing startups to Formula One racing
Mohamed’s story illustrates that entrepreneurial success isn’t just about business strategies or market conditions—it’s about developing the inner strength and perspective to navigate inevitable challenges while maintaining balance in all aspects of life.
Inside-Out Entrepreneur: Mo Ahmed on Building Resilience and Mindset
In this episode of the Maker-Manager-Money podcast, host Kyle Ariel Knowles interviews Mohamed Ahmed, serial entrepreneur, product visionary, and author of “The Inside-Out Entrepreneur: Become the Entrepreneur You Were Meant to Be.” Mohamed shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, focusing on the psychological aspects of building a successful business.
Key Points Discussed
Entrepreneurial Conditioning Framework
- Mohamed developed his framework after experiencing burnout and making repeated mistakes
- The framework focuses on building mental resilience and proper mindset for entrepreneurs
- Emphasizes that success starts from within rather than external business tactics
The Maker-Manager Balance
- Entrepreneurs must balance innovation (maker) and execution (manager)
- The transition from corporate product mindset to entrepreneurial thinking is challenging
- Understanding that pre-product-market fit, you’re searching for a business, not running one
Support System: Three Essential Roles
- Mentor – Challenges your mindset and allows intellectual vulnerability
- Advisor – Shows you what’s around the corner from business experience
- Friends & Family – Must be educated about the journey to provide proper support
Mental Resilience Strategies
- Identifying and nurturing six key mindsets (including abundance and growth mindsets)
- Building robustness to maintain mindsets during challenges
- Developing resilience to bounce back when knocked off balance
- Breaking the thought-emotion loop that creates mental paralysis
Misconceptions About Exits
- Entrepreneurs often believe they’ll receive the full acquisition amount
- The process continues long after the press release
- The psychological challenge of separating personal identity from company identity
Corporate vs. Startup Life
- Corporate: Like swimming in a warm pool with a lifeguard
- Startup: Being thrown into a cold, dark ocean with no shore in sight
- The stark differences in risk, resources, and personal investment
Boundless Founder Community
- Created to help entrepreneurs support each other
- Name represents infinite possibilities and the continuous nature of business
- Offers frameworks and resources for entrepreneurial development
Final Wisdom
Mohamed emphasizes that while technology becomes irrelevant, the impact on people’s lives remains. The true measure of entrepreneurial success isn’t just building a successful company but helping others become successful and view life with the right perspective.
Visit https://stg-boundlessfounder-rpd-3buu.uw2.rapydapps.cloud to learn more about Mohamed’s community and resources.
Versa Business Tips Podcast
In this insightful conversation with host Shaheen Masum, tech entrepreneur Mohamed Ahmed shares his journey from corporate roles at Microsoft and Amazon to founding and successfully exiting his own startup. Mohamed discusses his book “The Inside Out Entrepreneur” and his Boundless Founder community, focusing on the mental conditioning needed for entrepreneurial success.
Key Points Discussed
The Entrepreneur’s Mindset
- Mindset represents at least 50% of entrepreneurial success
- Negative thoughts create negative outcomes through self-fulfilling prophecy
- Entrepreneurs must develop mental resilience to handle setbacks
Business Pivots and Adaptation
- Mohamed’s company pivoted three times before finding success
- The ability to start over and rebuild is crucial for entrepreneurs
- Speed is an entrepreneur’s greatest competitive advantage against larger companies
Inside-Out Entrepreneurship
- Success starts with internal development of the entrepreneur
- Mental conditioning is similar to how mountaineers prepare for climbs
- Growth is a continuous process—businesses can only grow as much as their founders do
Family Integration
- Entrepreneurs’ families need to understand the journey
- The “work-life balance” concept should be replaced with integration
- Sharing both successes and setbacks with family creates a stronger support system
Practical Startup Advice
- Focus on customers before formal business structures
- “If you’re not ashamed of your first product release, you launched too late”
- Stay in the game long enough to create your own luck
Call to Action
Mohamed offers podcast listeners a 20% discount to join the Boundless Founder community (https://stg-boundlessfounder-rpd-3buu.uw2.rapydapps.cloud), which provides resources, courses, and strategies to help entrepreneurs build multi-million dollar businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about my podcast appearances and what to expect when booking me as a guest.
I primarily discuss three core areas: entrepreneurial resilience and mental conditioning for founders, technical leadership for engineers transitioning to entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth strategies that don’t sacrifice founder wellbeing. My approach bridges technical excellence with the psychological aspects of startup success, drawing from my experience founding 7 companies and mentoring over 50 startups. I tailor discussions to each podcast audience while ensuring actionable insights for listeners at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
You can request an interview by using the contact form at the bottom of this page or emailing me directly at booking@boundlessfounder-rpd-3buu.uw2.rapydapps.cloud. Please include your podcast name, audience details, preferred topics, and potential recording dates. I typically schedule interviews 3-4 weeks in advance but can accommodate urgent requests when possible. My team will respond within 48 hours to discuss specifics and provide any materials needed for promotion.
Yes! For each interview, I create a dedicated welcome page with additional resources, frameworks, and tools mentioned during our conversation. This includes downloadable templates, worksheets, or chapter excerpts from “The Inside-Out Entrepreneur” relevant to the topics discussed. Podcast hosts receive a custom URL to share with their audience, allowing listeners to access these exclusive resources. This approach typically increases engagement and provides additional value to both the host and their audience.
My background as both a technical founder (with 7 startups) and former Microsoft/Amazon leader gives me a rare perspective that bridges enterprise-level systems thinking with startup agility. The “Inside-Out Entrepreneur” methodology I’ve developed focuses on building the founder’s mental resilience and psychological operating system first, creating a solid foundation for sustainable business growth. Unlike traditional business advice that focuses primarily on external strategies, my approach addresses the internal challenges that often prevent technically brilliant founders from achieving their full potential as leaders and visionaries.
Most podcast interviews run between 45-60 minutes, though I’m flexible to accommodate different formats, from 30-minute focused discussions to more in-depth 90-minute conversations. I prepare thoroughly for each interview to ensure we can dive deep into relevant topics quickly. For panel discussions or roundtable formats, I’m comfortable with both structured segments and more spontaneous conversations, always focusing on delivering concrete value to listeners.
I conduct all remote interviews from a professional home studio setup with broadcast-quality audio equipment, including a Shure SM7B microphone, Focusrite Scarlett interface, and acoustic treatment for crystal-clear sound. I connect via Zoom, Riverside.fm, Squadcast, or any platform preferred by the host. I also maintain a reliable fiber internet connection with backup options to ensure seamless recording. Before each interview, I’m happy to conduct a brief technical check to optimize sound quality.
