The Dream
In August 2021, I took a leap that many developers dream about: I founded my own company. Core System was born from a vision to contribute to Egypt's digital transformation through AI and Machine Learning applications. It was more than a business. It was a lifetime project, a dream I had nurtured for years.
Three years later, in August 2024, I closed it.
This is not a story of failure. It is a story of learning, growing, and knowing when to close one chapter to start another.
The Beginning: Naive Optimism
When I started Core System, I had the technical skills, the industry knowledge, and the ambition. What I underestimated was everything else:
- Sales and marketing: Building a great product is maybe 20% of the battle
- Cash flow management: Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is reality
- Time management: Running a startup while working full-time is brutal
- Market timing: A good idea at the wrong time is still a wrong idea
I thought my expertise in healthcare technology and AI would translate directly into business success. I was wrong.
The Challenges
1. The Double Life
Running Core System while being a Lead Engineer (later Principal Engineer) at TachyHealth meant I was essentially working two full-time jobs. My typical day:
- 6 AM - 8 AM: Core System work
- 9 AM - 6 PM: TachyHealth
- 8 PM - 12 AM: Core System work
- Weekends: All Core System
This was not sustainable. My health suffered, my relationships suffered, and eventually, both roles suffered.
2. The Egyptian Market Reality
The Egyptian tech market has unique challenges:
- Long sales cycles: Enterprise deals take 6-12 months minimum
- Price sensitivity: Competition on price rather than value
- Trust building: Local companies prefer established players
- Payment delays: Net 90 was optimistic; Net 180 was common
We landed some projects, but the revenue was not enough to sustain growth.
3. The AI Hype vs Reality Gap
In 2021, everyone wanted AI. But what they wanted and what they were willing to pay for were different things:
- Clients wanted AI magic at Excel prices
- Data quality was never what clients claimed
- Implementation timelines were always underestimated
- Ongoing maintenance needs were not understood
4. Team Building Challenges
Finding people who would join an early-stage startup, accept lower pay, and handle the uncertainty was difficult. The talent that could help us grow expected compensation we could not offer.
The Turning Point
By mid-2024, I had to face some hard truths:
- Growth required full-time focus that I could not give while at TachyHealth
- My career at TachyHealth was accelerating with a path to Technology Director
- Core System was not generating enough revenue to replace my salary
- The opportunity cost of continuing was too high
I could either quit my job and go all-in on Core System with high risk and uncertain reward, or close Core System and focus on a career path that was already showing results.
I chose the latter.
The Closure
Closing Core System was one of the hardest decisions I have made. It meant:
- Admitting that this dream, in this form, would not work
- Letting go of three years of work
- Disappointing people who believed in the vision
- Processing the emotional weight of ending something I built
But it also meant:
- Reclaiming my health and personal life
- Focusing on a career where I was making real impact
- Taking all the lessons learned into future endeavors
- Being honest with myself about what I wanted
What I Learned
1. Timing Matters More Than Ideas
Core System was not a bad idea. But the timing, for me, was wrong. I was not in a position to give it what it needed to succeed.
2. Full-Time or No Time
Side projects can become businesses, but businesses cannot stay side projects forever. At some point, you have to go all-in or step back.
3. Revenue Before Scale
We spent too much time on product and not enough on sales. A mediocre product with great sales beats a great product with no sales.
4. Know Your Market
The Egyptian market required a different approach than I anticipated. Local market knowledge is invaluable.
5. Health is Non-Negotiable
The burnout from running two jobs affected everything. No success is worth destroying your health.
6. Failure is Data
Closing Core System gave me insights I could never have gotten from reading business books. Experience is the best teacher, even when the lesson is painful.
What is Next
Core System is closed, but the entrepreneurial spirit is not dead. I now channel that energy into:
- Innovation at TachyHealth: Driving AI/ML initiatives and building products at scale
- Mentorship: Helping others avoid the mistakes I made
- Open source: Contributing to the community without the business pressure
- Learning: Continuing to grow as a technologist and leader
Maybe one day, another startup. But next time, with different circumstances and hard-won wisdom.
Final Thoughts
To anyone considering starting a company while employed:
- Be honest about the time commitment required
- Have a clear timeline for go or no-go decisions
- Build a financial runway before you need it
- Validate the market before building the product
- Take care of your health throughout
And if you have to close something you built, know this: The experience is never wasted. Every lesson, every failure, every sleepless night becomes part of who you are.
Core System is gone, but it made me who I am today.
RIP Core System. Thank you for the education.