SHARJAH,
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2024 offered insights into the seemingly impossible facets of entrepreneurship with a talk by Chris Barton, the founder of the globally renowned music recognition app, Shazam.
Barton, an inventor with 12 patents and a pioneer in mobile ecosystems, shared his extraordinary journey of creating a product that transformed how the world discovers music, at a talk titled, ‘Building the Impossible: Legendary Products and Projects, Entrepreneurs and Start-ups’.
The story of Shazam – a musical success ahead of its time
Barton credited his now 22-year-old platform, launched in 2002, Shazam as a testament to the power of innovation, resilience, and the courage to pursue seemingly impossible dreams. “Everyone thought Shazam was impossible. I had a crazy idea – what if you could identify a song just by using your phone? I took this idea to experts at MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley, but they all said it couldn’t be done. Yet, here we are.”
Shazam was so far ahead of its time during its conception in 2000 that it was three years before iTunes, seven years before the iPhone, and eight years before the App Store.
The key to his success lay in defying doubt and conventional thinking. “My original idea was to identify songs only on the radio, but that was not enough. We needed to create something that worked everywhere – in a club, a grocery store, a film theatre. This pivot was crucial. If we hadn’t, Shazam wouldn’t exist today,” he stated, reflecting on the app’s evolution.
But Shazam and Barton’s story of resilience also lay as much in overcoming personal challenges, including the techpreneur’s struggle with dyslexia. “I was placed in the ‘not so smart’ group as a child. But I defied expectations, got into UC Berkeley, and even though I initially struggled, I persevered. This defiance and resilience were critical in my journey with Shazam,” he recounted.
He turned that defiance into innovation, describing Shazam as an act of magic, born out of sheer will.
Sharing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, the music app creator said, “Think differently, question assumptions, and turn them into basic truths. That’s how you come up with breakthrough ideas. And remember, it’s not just about having an idea; it’s about having a non-consensus insight and sticking to your obsession despite resistance.”
Serial entrepreneurs reveal their inspirational journeys
A fireside chat on “The Story of Serial Entrepreneurship” brought together a couple of the finest minds in the Arab business world, featuring Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, the Saudi co-founder and CEO of Tamara, the leading Buy Now-Pay Later platform who shared his experiences with Talal Bayaa, the Palestinian-American mind behind Bayzat, a technology start-up specialising in insurance and HR solutions. The session made for some engaging insights into the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurship, involving hard work and smart strategies.
To be a successful entrepreneur, Alsukhan revealed, one must make a conscious choice to handle the pain that lies behind it. “Entrepreneurship is a pain that you choose to have. It’s about waking up every day, pushing yourself, but realising that the impact goes way beyond yourself.”
Alsukhan recounted his experiences of facing challenges, including his battle with cancer, which taught him about enduring pain and finding happiness regardless of circumstances. “That experience was crucial in understanding myself and my resilience. It fuelled my drive to continue building companies,” he shared.
Bayaa echoed Alsukhan’s sentiments on overcoming challenges, saying, “Leaving a safety net and facing social shame in the event of failure is daunting. But it’s the discipline to persist and the fortune of good timing that often lead to success.
