Build To Last (And Not Just To Be Seen)

In a world obsessed with numbers, has anyone else noticed how remarkably easy it’s become to measure the wrong things? Followers. Valuations. Impressions. Reach. These are the kinds of metrics we see plastered across pitch decks and social posts—and understandably so, since these are the numbers that look good in a headline, go viral in a screenshot, or grab investor attention. 

But let’s be real here: not all growth moves you forward, and not all traction takes you anywhere. Some numbers look impressive on the surface—spikes in traffic, a surge of users, a viral moment on social media—but they don’t always reflect real, lasting progress. They might signal activity, sure, but not impact. And in the business of building, especially in a region like ours, where ecosystems are still coming into their own, mistaking attention for progress is one of the most dangerous traps a founder can fall into.

 It starts innocently enough. A round of applause at a summit. A feature in a glossy outlet. A flurry of followers after a viral LinkedIn post. All of it feels like momentum. All of it feels like it matters. But if you’re not careful, those signals start to define your sense of success. You begin building for optics rather than outcomes. You start chasing the narrative, instead of the mission. 

The problem is that vanity metrics don’t build companies. They don’t solve customer problems, and they won’t carry you through the hard quarters. What matters—what always matters—are the quieter indicators: think retention, earned respect, or the grit to weather a downturn and still show up stronger the next day. And often, what powers that kind of progress isn’t a flashy strategy or a bold headline—it’s a team quietly doing the work. The ones who show up day after day, who care about the craft, who hold the line when the mood dips. That kind of consistency doesn’t make noise—but it does build foundations.  

As someone who has been reporting on the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for more than a decade now, I’ve spoken to enough founders to know that the real work almost never trends. It happens behind closed doors, long before the product goes live, or the investor comes on board. It’s the unsexy, uncelebrated grind of trying to build something that lasts. 

Of course, that’s not to say recognition doesn’t matter. It does— but only when it reflects real progress, not just the performance of it. So, to every founder navigating the noise: be mindful of what you measure. Be intentional about what you optimize for. Don’t let surface-level stats distract you from deeper signals. Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to be seen—it’s to be built to last.

This article first appeared in the June 2025 issue of Inc. Arabia magazine. To read the full issue online, click here.