Launching his own software development company was a childhood dream come true to Yahya El Sherif. His educational background, personal interest and family’s support were the pillars behind pursuing his passion and success. He talks to us about his journey from a tech-savvy university student to the CEO of a prominent software development company in the Middle Eastern region.
How it all started..
Yahya was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; raised in Cairo, Egypt. When Yahya was only 12, he started learning programming. He started by teaching himself and enrolling himself in tech-related courses in nearby institutes, where his interest grew exponentially. Then he moved on to study Computer Science at The German University in Cairo. At this moment his education and passion collided. Then, when he was just a university student; he established his own software development company.
“I do consider myself a very tech-savvy person, I try to stay up-to-date with the latest introductions to the tech industry. I also try to integrate technology in my day to day tasks whether its personal or business related.” Says Yahya
From a dream to reality
Seven Dynamic was founded in 2007 as a white-label software development company that caters to different partners from around the world. Originally starting in Cairo, Egypt and slowly growing, opening offices in Hamilton, Canada and Sweden, with plans to expand to more countries In the near future.
“Every day, as a business owner I have to continuously evolve and learn a new set of skills to help my business grow.” Says Yahya
Seven Dynamic has a wide range of clientele. That includes other software development companies, advertising agencies, startups and SME’s. “Since our launch we have catered to over 2000 customers worldwide; directly and indirectly,” said Yahya.
When we asked Yahya about how he perceives starting his own business. This is what he said: “Starting my own business changed my life by teaching me multiple sets of skills that would have been hard to acquire in a 9 to 5 employee based position”. In addition to understanding his employees/co-workers on a deeper level, he also had to be the jack of all trades in the early stages of his business.
Seven Dynamic are currently in the process of developing their own SAS product. This product will both help their customers and save them money and time. So, instead of investing large bulks of money upfront for a possible solution that helps them slightly.
Standing out as a software development company
When you’re starting a business, part of the research is into your competitors. You need to figure out how to stand out and offer an added value to your customers. That’s exactly what Seven Dynamic did. They researched their customers’ line of business and try to understand as much as possible what their customers look for. In order to deliver a service or product that helps their customer.
“We have assisted our clients in increasing their productivity, developing new markets, saving on costs, and freeing management from ongoing technical support off our clients to focus on their core business.” adds Yahya
Before starting a project, they really stress understanding their customers’ needs first. This enables them to reduce the cost and time needed to complete the project to efficiently deliver a reliable service/solution/product.
Their main focus is actually making a big positive difference in their customers’ day to day business needs. On the other hand, other software development company in the market will tend to take the deliverables as is. They will not provide any input that might reduce cost on their customers and/or optimize their experiences. This is what differentiates Seven Dynamic from any other software development company.
A pro all the way
Yahya has been a dedicated GoDaddy user since 2005. He initially started off with GoDaddy’s Domains and Grid Hosting and then started using other products over the years. His company currently uses a variety of GoDaddy’s products. Such as Domains, Hosting, Web Security and Online Marketing products; as well as their recent product Managed WordPress. Which in Yahya’s words: made a huge difference and has really helped managing our clients’ WordPress websites.
“I consider GoDaddy one of the rare companies out there that actually cares about providing the best line of services and products and following through on their promise that they’ve proven time and time again. Their products, services and customer support team is seriously second to none,” says Yahya
When we asked Yahya about his company’s website, he said: “My website helps my existing and future clients get in touch with us; as well as [being] the perfect portfolio for its users to see our previous work with our existing clients, testimonials, line of services and useful/interesting tools and blog posts to help their existing business.” Yahya is currently in the process of revamping his company’s website. He is making major changes that will help related and unrelated users with their businesses.
Step out of your comfort zone
Yahya had one piece of advice for startups and small businesses starting out: “People are generally scared off what they don’t understand; which is understandable. Once you step out of your comfort zone and build a website for your business; either on your own or through a freelancer/company. You’ll finally see the positive outcomes on your business. It’s as easy as can be, just take the first step and start working on it.”
Starting your own business is a challenge that's not for everyone. Establishing a software development company requires dedication, passion and persistence. You’ll need to step out of your comfort zone and chase your dreams.
