You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Core Strength: Consistency In Values (And Value-add) Are Hard To Maintain "What keeps us going at the end of the day -and what it all really comes down to- is impact."

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Do you ever go back to look at things you've created or built in the past? Maybe it's the first deck you sent to an investor, or perhaps it's the first prototype of your startup's product- you might have been proud of them then, but seeing them today might cause you to cringe.

This month marks eight years since I joined Entrepreneur Middle East, and so, the other day, when I pulled out the first issue that I worked on, and compared it with the magazine in front of you today, it served as a reminder of how much we think we know what we are doing at any given point in time- when the reality is that we're all simply guessing at how we go about life and work.

Indeed, while it may seem trite to say that it has been a rollercoaster of a journey, that, I'm afraid, remains the most apt way to describe my time at this publication. Much like all you entrepreneurs out there, we've been constantly adapting to (and evolving with) the varied circumstances and market cycles we find ourselves in. But while the changes we have gone through over the years are clearly palpable, I am comforted by the fact that our core values -which govern my and my team's stewardship of this brand- have remained the same.

Has it been easy for us to remain committed to our ethos all through this while? Hell no! I can start a litany of the trials and tribulations we have endured at any given minute- and I can also state for the record that some of these challenges continue on to this very day. But then, what keeps us going at the end of the day -and what it all really comes down to- is impact.

From the fledgling entrepreneur who wept tears of joy after we featured her and her company in the magazine, to the co-founder of a unicorn startup who told us that the story we did on his business' landmark acquisition still has pride of place on his mantle, the goodwill that we get for the work that we do continues to fuel me and my team, day after day.

As such, to all of my readers, I wish to sincerely thank you for giving me the honor of your time over the last eight years- I hope to continue to be deserving of it in the future as well.

Related: Put In The Hard Yards: Bragging Rights Should Be Earned

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. In this role, Aby is responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front, while also working to build the brand and grow its presence across the MENA region through the development and execution of events and other programming, as well as through representation in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Thought Leaders

How To Improve Your Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence in 7 Easy Steps

Using these simple but effective approaches will help a person in their business, life and relationships.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Told Meta Engineers to 'Figure Out' Snapchat's Privacy Protections: 'We Have No Analytics on Them'

Recently unsealed court documents detail "Project Ghostbusters," Meta's project to work around Snapchat's end-to-end encryption to intercept data.

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.

Finance

The Recap: Leaders In Fintech Awards 2023

The Leaders in Fintech Awards 2023 was staged by Entrepreneur Middle East with the support of in5, Idealz One, Numei Real Estate and Fluidmeet.

Growing a Business

From Dumpster Diving to Building a $3 Billion Business: 7 Things Sharran Srivatsaa Learned on His Journey to Success

He arrived in America with limited resources and then grew a business 10X. Here are his tips for accomplishing any massive goal.