Amman Ahmed: Building a Business for Man's Best Friend | Episode 40

Nothing Ventured

On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish interviews Amman Ahmed, the founder of Music for Pets, a business providing relaxing music and TV for pets. Amman shares his journey of discovering what type of CEO he wanted to be, from struggling with focus in university to building a successful business reaching 50 million cats and dogs with minimal marketing expenses. The episode covers Amman's unique path to success, the importance of knowing your numbers in business, and why founders should be prepared to make themselves disposable. Tune in to gain insights into the venture capital world and entrepreneurial lessons from Amman's experience with Music for Pets. Timestamps: 02:05 - Overview of Amman's Career and Ventures 02:41 - Transition from Rawmix to Music for Pets 03:04 - The CEO Journey: VC-Funded vs. Bootstrapped 03:57 - Realizing the CEO Role Wasn't a Fit 05:06 - The Challenges of Managing a Team 06:12 - The Reality Check and Team Confrontation 07:06 - Personal Reflection and Decision Making 08:03 - Choosing Between Two Paths of Success 09:17 - Prioritizing Mental and Physical Health 10:00 - The Value of a Lifestyle Business 10:47 - The Downside of Pitching to VCs 12:09 - Simplifying Business Decisions 13:06 - The Birth of Music for Pets 14:33 - Designing Music for Pets and Humans 16:26 - Testing and Iterating the Product 17:09 - Gathering Customer Feedback 17:42 - Achieving Organic Growth 18:00 - Monetization Strategies 20:47 - Revenue Growth and COVID-19 Impact 22:24 - The Unexpected Exit Journey 24:04 - Challenges with Potential Buyers 25:06 - The Random Email That Led to the Sale 26:10 - Understanding the Fit with Create Music Group 27:02 - Building a Business in Manchester 29:00 - Realizing the Business Was a Record Label 30:12 - The Sale Process and Valuation 32:08 - Getting Professional Help for the Sale 33:03 - The Benefits of a Bootstrap Exit 34:16 - Staying with Create Music Group 34:57 - Advice for Founders Considering an Exit 36:13 - Making Yourself Disposable as a Founder 37:16 - Planning for Taxes and Clean Business Practices 39:01 - Balancing Lifestyle and Business Goals 39:59 - Reflecting on the Journey and Points of Failure 41:01 - The Role of Luck in Success 42:10 - The Satisfaction of Building Value 42:59 - Recent Achievements and Recognition 44:01 - Final Thoughts and Contrarian Convictions