Where Will the Next Billion-Dollar Ideas Come From in the AI Era? | Yasser Alsaied | The IoT Podcast

What does it really take to build the next billion-dollar idea?

And why do some innovative ideas scale fast… while others quietly disappear?

In this episode of The IoT Podcast, host Tom White sits down in Dubai with one of the show’s most popular previous guests - and one of the world’s leading voices in IoT - Yasser Alsaied, President at Facilis and former VP of IoT at AWS, for an open, in-person conversation about what really drives innovation today.

They look back at predictions Yasser made in his 2023 episode and where we are now. They explore why ideas don’t win on vision alone, why startups often build the most meaningful breakthroughs and why many founders are now choosing belief over quick exits.

They also talk about the pace of change across the MENA region, what moving fast really demands from leadership teams, and why having the right people matters more than having the biggest budget.

From AI and edge to industrial systems and robotics, this episode is about what it really takes to turn an idea into something that lasts.

Chapters…

• 00:00 Introductions
• 02:48 Looking Back: Which Predictions Came True
• 08:05 Why AI Is Useless Without Real Data
• 14:30 Why Startups Move Faster Than Big Companies
• 20:45 When Innovation Dies After Acquisition
• 27:40 Robotics, Edge, and Real-World Impact
• 36:22 Why Tech Is Moving So Fast in the MENA Region
• 55:56 Speed, Execution, and Knowing When to Move
• 1:01:35 What It Really Takes to Build the Next Billion-Dollar Idea

The episode is live on all major listening platforms now: https://linktr.ee/theiotpodcast

Connect with our guestYasser Alsaied: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasseralsaied/

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Connect with host Tom White: / tom5values

This episode is released alongside the announcement of Yasser’s strategic partnership with 5V Tech. Find out more: https://www.weare5vtech.com/welcoming-global-iot-leader-yasser-alsaied-