SaГЇd Amin, CEO World Singles – Meeting
OPW INTERVIEW — July 14, 2007 — SaГЇd Amin operates World Singles which operates a few leading niche dating internet web web sites such as for instance Eligible Greeks and Arab Lounge. We often inform prospective relationship industry entrepreneurs to aim for a niche, or intend on raising $10 million+ if they would like to build a generic dating internet site. SaГЇd tells me that building a distinct segment site that is dating not too easy today. Numerous search phrases have now been bid through the roof from the the search engines. – Mark Brooks
What is your history SaГЇd?I was created in Iran. We lived here for 36 months before going to Paris. 5 years later on, as soon as my mom finished her work that is phD at Sorbonne, we relocated to the united states.
Expertly, we worked at Fannie Mae in Washington DC for quite some time after graduating from Clark University in Massachusetts. My obligations at Fannie Mae went the gamut from admin work, to project supervisor. While at Fannie Mae, I experienced the chance of having plenty of visibility in the administrator level and discovered a great deal through the experience. This really is a first-rate business with extremely skilled and politically well linked people.
After that I proceeded to the office for a telecommunications that is small specializing in Voice Over IP, with operations in over 45 countries. I had been responsible for company development and execution for East Africa in addition farmersonly dating site to center East. Might work had me personally traveling extensively between Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen.
The type of this work ended up being quite dangerous and unlawful within the nations where we operated. It entailed obtaining a trustworthy partner, effectively getting our gear to the country after which establishing equipment such as a 2.4 meter meal at our lovers’ location without getting caught because of the authorities. Guy, the stories that are crazy could share relating to this work. We adored it was this kind of challenge and adventure.
Why do you begin World Singles? In my mid 20s we had an itch allowing you to connect with like minded Iranian Americans and had been sick and tired of employed by other people. The online world and all sorts of of its opportunities for bringing individuals together had been blowing me personally away and thus, after starting a few niche online web web web sites for enjoyable, IranianPersonals.com was created. There is extremely small competition in the Iranian market and I also believed that i really could fare better as compared to Iranian relationship solution that numerous were utilizing during the time. Having traveled extensively my expereince of living and also as a person who embraces variety, we thought to myself, why don’t you provide a similar solution to other cultural teams.
World Singles was made in 2001. Michel, whom during the time ended up being my web design service for IranianPersonals.com along with other internet internet sites, became my partner if I may say so and more importantly, he’s a great guy– he taught himself Cold Fusion and built our dating application from scratch; a rather brilliant dude.
The thing that is first seemed related to World Singles ended up being target cultural niches which had little to no competition off their niche online dating services. World Singles had been running on fumes; i believe that my investment that is initial was simple 10 or 12 thousand bucks with even less in reserves. Bootstrapping it, we really had no option but to pursue those oceans that are”blue and went at it for quite some time without pay. Heck, for some time we tweaked our company and offered a personal label solution because we’re able to maybe perhaps perhaps not manage to market on some of the niche websites which could generate traffic to the internet sites. Once money began to arrive, we been able to reverse our handles internet sites utilizing our personal label solution in benefit of pressing our personal brands. Even today, we now have maybe maybe perhaps not taken any outside investment.
Exactly exactly just What web internet internet sites have actually encouraged you?The netzine Iranian.com had been a source that is huge of. We first stumbled upon it back 1999/2000 and I also genuinely believe that it had been the first occasion that I discovered a distinct segment website that offered compelling content that brought Iranians global together through articles and reviews. I recall thinking, damn, where did each one of these Iranian Us Americans originate from? Extremely cool.