Today, we were honored to hear the story of Farah. As a young woman with a vision to make a real impact in Morocco, she founded the Center for Cross-Cultural Learning, and hearing where that journey has taken her pushed me to think differently heading into our entrepreneurship exercise. Her story was not only inspiring; it was a reminder that to see an actual problem is the beginning of everything. Right before I was about to start the exercise, I focused on Farah’s talk and how she talked about finding a real problem to solve, instead of just thinking of some random business idea. My team did a good job of bringing different perspectives to the table.
Our Moroccan student teammate pointed out that food options in Morocco can be very repetitive and lack diversity, something the rest of us had also noticed as tourists but wouldn’t have felt confident enough to put forward on our own. The second problem was one that affected everyone, locals and tourists alike: how to find your way through the souks of Rabat, Marrakesh, and Casablanca without being ripped off or overcharged. And that’s how Souk Shoppers was born. The idea was to put three tools into one. A review and rating system for souk vendors, a price guide with sensible amounts to pay for leather goods, jewelry, and food, and a color-coded map showing reliable and authentic shops across Morocco’s major cities. Everyone in the group contributed something that strengthened the idea, and our Moroccan teammate especially provided us with insight into what the experience actually looks like from a local perspective and not just a tourist one. One of the most interesting parts of the exercise was the difference in our approach to the process. We were American students; we went fast, throwing ideas on the board and writing things down before we even had a full plan. Our Moroccan teammate takes a considerable amount of time to think things over before putting anything on paper. We didn’t know the difference at the time, but she said it later, and it stuck with me. Two entirely different ways of working produced the same result, a workable and well-thought-out idea. And that tells you a lot about what can happen with cross-cultural collaboration when everyone is open and engaged. The toughest part was figuring out how Souk Shoppers would actually make money, but after some back and forth we came up with a model that worked. The best part of the whole exercise was seeing a raw idea really take shape because everyone shaped it.
Farah’s story left me with something bigger to carry too. I don’t think I’ll ever actually launch Souk Shoppers, but if I ever find an idea I really love, I want to have the courage to pursue it like she did. Challenges help you grow; the sooner you start, the sooner you can fail, learn, and figure it out.