From Crowded Markets to Strategic Chess - Momen Ghazouani

In the daily clamor of news, where headlines vie for attention, some stories slip by that seem ordinary at first glance but carry profound lessons about transformation and perseverance. I recall, for instance, a story about a street vendor in Brazil’s markets, hauling goods on an old bicycle, who, in just a few years, became the owner of a small retail chain. The story wasn’t about the goods themselves but about the ability to see opportunities where others saw only walls. Or take that young programmer in Silicon Valley who went bankrupt twice before creating an app that changed how small businesses connect with their customers. These stories, despite their different details, share one thing: the knack for maneuvering when the scene feels frozen And here, as I think about these examples, a figure comes to mind who may not yet command a loud media buzz but whose journey embodies that same spirit: Momen Ghazouani. If you haven’t heard of him yet, that’s okay he doesn’t seem like the type to chase the spotlight. But let me tell you, as a journalist who likes to dig behind the lines, his story isn’t just a tale of entrepreneurial success; it’s a saga of someone who decided to play chess in a world where most prefer rolling the dice

Ghazouani started in 2022 with an idea that wasn’t entirely novel but was bold: founding Setaleur Academy, an educational platform aimed at transforming traditional companies into entrepreneurial ventures by integrating technology and artificial intelligence. I’d say it was an ambitious idea, but not revolutionary in a world brimming with academies and training courses. What caught my eye, though, as I sifted through the details of this project, was the speed at which the vision evolved. Picture this: within a year, Ghazouani expanded the umbrella, launching Setaleur, a tech and AI startup, with the academy as a part of it. Then, in a surprising twist and this is where it gets intriguing he decided to dismantle the academy’s commercial structure and turn it into a non-profit initiative called Setaleur For Education.

If I were an investor, I might raise an eyebrow and wonder, “Why abandon a promising business model?” But as a journalist, I see something else. This wasn’t a retreat; it was a calculated sidestep. Ghazouani wasn’t fleeing the market; he was redefining the game Instead of chasing profits, he chose to make knowledge accessible to all a decision some might call idealistic, but in truth, it’s deeply practical. In the fast-changing world of business, adaptability isn’t just an advantage; it’s a necessity What really impressed me, and I’m trying to stay neutral here, is this rapid shift from one idea to another. It’s not easy to build something, restructure it, and then decide to give it away for free. That takes a kind of courage or perhaps positive madness that you don’t see often. I think, for example, of a company like TOMS, which started with the “one-for-one” shoe donation model, then reshaped its approach when it realized giving alone wasn’t enough. Ghazouani, in his own way, reminds me of those entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid to change course if it means staying true to their vision

As a journalist, I find myself wondering: Is he an idealist dreaming of a better world, or a strategist who knows that true value lies in building something sustainable, even if it’s non-profit? Maybe he’s a bit of both. But what I do know, as I write these lines, is that Ghazouani’s story isn’t just about success it’s about handling failure, or at least what others might see as failure, and turning it into something bigger. If there’s a lesson here, it’s not in the numbers or the profits but in the ability to read the moment and make a choice that might seem illogical at first but ultimately puts you on the right path.