Meet Ahmed El Rawi, founder of CALO, one of the fastest-growing food-tech startups in the Middle East.In this episode, Ahmed shares how he:- Ran a smoke test MVP that sold food before it even existed- Built a 10,000-person waitlist across Bahrain, Saudi, and the UAE- Found undeniable product-market fit and scaled without paid ads- Assembled a top-tier team and turned customer obsession into a cultural edgeWhether you're a startup founder, product builder, or investor in MENA, this is one of the most insightful growth stories you’ll hear.Subscribe for more founder stories from the Middle East, and don’t forget to like & share if this inspired you.https://www.mahmoudkhodor.comhttps://calo.appFollow Ahmed:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawi📍 CHAPTERS00:00 – Intro00:39 – How CALO hit $20M ARR in 6 months with $0 marketing02:00 – Why Ahmed stopped building random products03:35 – Discovering the CALO idea: solving his own food problem05:00 – Smoke test MVP: fake meals, real demand07:00 – The $1,000 website that launched a food empire09:00 – Customer intent: 40 strangers ready to pay10:45 – Pitching investors before building a kitchen12:05 – Getting rejected… and finding a workaround14:10 – First customers, first renewals: signs of product-market fit16:00 – Instagram virality and waitlist growth17:50 – Why he chose an invite-only launch20:10 – Real signs of product-market fit in Bahrain and Saudi22:30 – Understanding market-by-market PMF24:00 – Why Dubai was a slow start25:30 – Scaling across GCC: Bahrain → Saudi → UAE27:00 – How fear of copycats fueled fast expansion28:10 – The real operational nightmare30:00 – Why growth made ops 10x harder31:20 – Building a team of A-players32:10 – Recruitment mindset: business is a team sport34:00 – Culture fit interviews and founder-led hiring36:15 – Final thoughts: where to follow Ahmed🎙️ Subscribe for more interviews with MENA’s top founders and builders.#Startups #MENAFounders #ProductMarketFit #AhmedElRawi #MiddleEastTech #MVP #StartupPodcast #ZeroToOne