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Djasur Djumaev, Founder and CEO, and Nikolay Seleznev, Co-founder and Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer of Uzum, Uzbekistan’s first tech unicorn, joined us for this episode. Uzum became a unicorn in just two years, and now serves as the country’s leading e-commerce and fintech ecosystem. In this episode, they share how they built a household name in a largely offline market, their strategy for leapfrogging infrastructure gaps, and why Uzbekistan is one of the most exciting frontier markets today.

In this episode we cover:

• (00:01:11) Why Uzbekistan had almost no e-commerce before Uzum, and how they built everything from scratch, including last-mile logistics
• (00:07:50) How they scaled to 12,000 employees in under two years and blended expat and local talent to build a winning culture
• (00:10:33) The macro case for Uzbekistan: 6.5% GDP growth, 99% literacy, 87% smartphone penetration forecast by 2027
• (00:15:27) How 50% of adults were unbanked just four years ago — and how Uzum onboarded millions to financial services
• (00:22:57) Jasur’s fundraising journey: starting with his own capital, then attracting top U.S. and MENA investors despite skepticism about Uzbekistan
• (00:28:20) Where they plan to IPO, and what’s next for Uzum as they prepare for a dual listing and regional expansion

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Jan Riehle is the CEO of B4A, a leading Brazilian beauty marketplace with over 700,000 active users. An INSEAD ’09D, Jan began his career in M&A and private equity in Switzerland before joining Springstar, a German-Swiss venture builder, to manage their Brazil operations.

In this episode we cover:

• How he acquired and merged two struggling beauty companies (Glambox and Men’s Market) into what is now B4A (00:00:24; 00:05:28)
• His approach to restructuring and achieving breakeven in just four months by integrating company cultures and cutting fixed costs (00:11:39; 00:12:21)
• How B4A grew 10x in size and revenue, leveraging subscriptions, micro-influencers, and B2B services (00:19:41; 00:28:02)
• His thoughts on AI’s impact on labor, business efficiency, and why every employee at B4A is expected to use AI tools (00:28:02)
• His long-term vision for B4A, including potential international expansion, IPO, or SPAC exit (00:36:18)

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In this episode, I speak with Amr Habis, a transformational leader with expertise in engineering, project management, and business strategy, who has played a key role in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. With experience spanning organizations like Aramco, OEM Group, and the Saudi National Guard, Amr provides deep insights into Saudi’s economic shift, infrastructure boom, and cultural transformation.

We discuss:

• Amr’s career journey – from engineering and construction to oil & gas and eventually entrepreneurship, and how he finds fulfillment in constant learning and transformation.
• Saudi’s Vision 2030 at two levels – the "hardware" changes (megaprojects like NEOM and Riyadh Metro) and "software" changes (cultural and societal shifts).
• The cultural evolution – how Saudis are embracing uncertainty, breaking from traditional career paths, and seeking more personal fulfillment.
• The “New Unknowns” – how the younger generation is redefining ambition, financial stability, and career choices in response to the rapid changes in Saudi Arabia.
• Challenges for business owners – how SMEs and long-established companies are adapting to regulatory overhauls and a fast-changing market.
• Why Saudi shouldn’t be judged by global benchmarks – how cultural uniqueness shapes policy, business, and urban development differently than in the West.
• The rise of the Saudi entrepreneurial ecosystem – why businesses in Saudi are creating their own "Blue Ocean" strategies to differentiate and innovate.
• Leadership and mindset transformation – the most critical factor in successfully navigating change, both for individuals and companies.
• His passion for Arabic calligraphy – preserving and modernizing Saudi culture through an upcoming podcast dedicated to this historic art form.

A fascinating conversation for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented transformation under Vision 2030.

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