Welcome to the very first iteration of ‘Start-up Spotlight’, a column where I aim to shed light on the entrepreneurial endeavours of Irish students and recent graduates. In a time where graduate programmes are the norm, it’s refreshing to see individuals taking risks and creating their own path in a bid to turn a vision into reality. If this section can inspire even one would-be entrepreneur, I’ll consider it a success.
The first start-up I’m discussing goes by the name of ‘tribetactics’. Run by brothers Aamen and Kareem Mostafa, the company aims to turn one hour of someone’s time into one month’s worth of micro-content tailored to social media. For anyone who doesn’t understand the significance of this; it saves a lot of time for companies, whilst helping to build a loyal brand following.
The Egyptian-born duo have different roles in the company, reflecting their different college backgrounds. Aamen graduated from UCD’s Bachelor of Commerce Degree this year, whilst Kareem did a Bachelor of Science Degree in DIT with a focus on marketing. Having experienced the corporate life (in Google, LinkedIn and Hubspot no less), the two ventured out on their own and founded tribetactics. At less than 2 years old, the company has already secured large clients such as Hubspot and Grant Thornton.
So how do they turn such a short amount of time into one month’s worth of content? Well, that’s a trade secret! The basic formula involves creating episodic content (think Netflix shows for individual businesses) that focuses on a specific message. They convert a recorded interview into podcasts, short subtitled videos, poster-quote images, articles and, finally, longer video ‘episodes’. They ensure that this covers the month, with three to four pieces of content posted daily. The guys offer analytics of the content’s performance, which makes the results quantifiable for clients.
The result is a stronger brand for the client, an engaged audience and lower costs (as tribetactics undercuts the price of having several employees doing the work internally). No wonder, then, that their client list is growing rapidly. If there ever was a fitting start-up to kick-start this column, tribetactics is it; the vision, determination and work ethic of Kareem and Aamen is a testament that students and recent graduates can indeed found and run a successful company.
Alex Lohier – Deputy Editor
