The Silicon Valley Podcast Ep 220 Making Millions in Pet Music with Amman Ahmed
Show notes for Amman Ahmed.
Amman Ahmed is a seasoned entrepreneur with a diverse background in e-business, venture-backed startups, and brand building. With a keen eye for identifying market niches and driving business growth, Amman brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussion.
Background
The Story of "Petflix", a crazy idea born in Manchester and acquired in Hollywood for 8 figures. Founded by Amman Ahmed, who built 'The 'Netflix for Pets' - relaxing Music and TV created in house based on 8 years of research. RelaxMyDog and RelaxMyCat are the two brands now consumed by 50 million pets around the world.
With an insanely wild idea, Amman would get laughed at by investors so his only option was to use his own money of £1000 to get this idea off the ground in a lean way.
By creating his own researching, his own team of international producers and marketers. He scaled the business to a multiple million pound international business without investors. Until catching the eye of a major Rap/Hip-hop record label in Hollywood who went on to buy the business.
RelaxMyDog and RelaxMyCat was a side hustle for years while he was the founder of another VC backed music discovery app that failed.
He has experience both sides of the coin, VC backed founder and a bootstrapped founder.
Questions and Topics covered
Can you give us a brief overview of your career journey leading up to this point?
What does it mean to be an "E-Business Specialist," and how did your experience in that role shape your entrepreneurial path?
Let's talk about venture-backed versus non-venture-backed businesses. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
When is the right time for a founder to consider pivoting a business versus closing it down entirely?
What conversations did you have with investors when you knew it was time to step away from a business as a founder?
How did you discover your niche with Roundwaves, and what aspects of that business did you find most rewarding?
Building a business on a platform like YouTube can be challenging. What were your experiences and concerns during that journey?
As a founder, what were the major value drivers of your business that you emphasized to investors?
Can you shed some light on the role of a brand ambassador and how one can secure such a position?
MusicForPets versus Roundwaves—what lessons did you carry over from one venture to the other?
Reflecting on MusicForPets, what aspects of the business do you think could have been improved?
How was the transition period for you when your company was acquired?
What advice would you give to a founder transitioning from business ownership to employment in a larger company?
Looking back at your journey, how would you describe yourself personally during each business endeavor?
Lastly, what exciting projects or ventures do you have planned for the future?
Connect with Amman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammanahmed/