Zero to N

Rachid Labrik

Zero to N dives into the real journeys behind building and scaling companies across the Middle East and Africa. Hosted by Rachid Labrik, it explores the trade-offs, failures, and transformations that shape the region’s most driven founders and operators. No hype. No filters. Just the real code of transformation from zero to N.

  1. 27 Jul

    From Failing Medicine to 30 Years in Global Business | Mohamed Loughzail

    Mohamed Loughzail planned to become a doctor. Failing the entrance exam sent him unexpectedly into computer science and ultimately into a career spanning Morocco, Canada, P&G, Saudi Arabia and China. He joins Rachid Labrik to discuss comfort zones, leadership, education, people, retirement and why the legacy you leave behind matters more than the title you held.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Mohamed Loughzail01:59 The Failure That Changed His Career09:31 How Canada Opened Up His World15:26 Why Your Environment Shapes Your Ambition17:53 Fight the Comfort Zone18:56 Starting at P&G as Morocco’s First IT Manager21:19 Build the Foundation Before You Climb23:10 People Make the Difference25:25 When the Comfort Zone Wins27:06 Saudi Arabia, China and Choosing Family28:56 “Retirement Is Pure Fiction”30:24 Building a Business School Around Inclusion34:32 Education vs the Future of Work44:31 From Corporate Executive to Board Adviser50:57 Morocco: Hardware vs Software53:41 Mohamed’s Code of Transformation55:26 Why Success Becomes Collective58:35 The Power of Being a People Person

  2. 29 Jun

    The Mistake That Changed His Definition of Success | Hamid Ben Elafdil

    One conversation with a struggling student changed how Hamid Ben Elafdil measured success forever. From entrepreneurship and public leadership to investing, Jadara and launching another start-up at 60, he joins Rachid Labrik to explore social mobility, failure, reinvention and why real success is ultimately measured by the lives you impact. This episode is in French, with some Darija.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Hamid Ben Elafdil01:20 The Conversation That Changed Everything04:08 Redefining Success Around Impact06:32 Social Mobility Shouldn’t Depend on Luck08:01 From Entrepreneur to Public Service17:32 Firefighter or Architect?20:36 Taking Impact to a National Scale29:03 “There Is No Small Entrepreneur”31:49 Why He Looks at a Founder’s Failures34:50 “You Don’t Have Control”38:13 The Accident That Changed His Direction40:20 Staying Grounded When Success Grows43:57 Why He Chose to Return to Morocco49:24 Jadara and the Responsibility to Give Back53:38 Closing the Social and Cultural Capital Gap56:25 Going Back to School—and Starting Again at 6001:00:41 When Your Business Becomes Your Identity01:02:16 Zero to One vs One to N01:03:32 When Your Ambition Is Bigger Than You

  3. 15 Jun

    From AED 100M in Debt to Building & Selling Under 500 | Mahmoud Bartawi

    At 22, Mahmoud Bartawi lost his father and was asked to help rescue a family business carrying AED 100 million in debt. He joins Rachid Labrik to unpack the decisions that followed—from restructuring the business and returning to banking to building Under 500 across six countries, selling to Kitopi and discovering why hard times often create the best entrepreneurs. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Mahmoud Bartawi01:43 Losing His Father at 2203:21 The Knock on the Door That Changed Everything03:50 Why the Family Chose Him05:03 Discovering AED 100M in Business Debt06:12 Cutting 500 Employees to 6008:53 Why He Felt Responsible for the Debt12:35 The 10-Year Plan—and Stepping Away14:40 “It Was Anything But a Gift”17:04 What Losing His Father Changed in Him18:53 “You Have to Earn It”29:16 Building Under 500 From Scratch32:39 Learning the Restaurant Business the Hard Way36:03 When the Side Business Replaced the Salary38:47 The Relationship That Led to Kitopi44:49 “You Need to Suffer”46:37 Why He Started Business with Bartawi48:16 Why You Can’t Copy-Paste Success54:50 “We’re Not Ruled by Fear”

  4. 1 Jun

    From Village Dreams to Global Impact

    What does it take for a CEO to rise from a small village to global success?In this episode, we sit down with Rachid, CEO of Slimstock , to unpack a powerful journey that moves from humble beginnings to building and leading at a global level. This is not just a story of success, it’s a deep dive into the mindset, decisions, and sacrifices required to transform vision into reality.Rachid shares the defining moments that shaped his path: overcoming early limitations, navigating setbacks, and building the discipline and leadership required to operate on a global stage. We explore how he thinks as a CEO today, what he had to unlearn, and the principles that continue to drive his growth.Whether you're an entrepreneur, aspiring founder, or someone building their career, this conversation offers real insights into what it actually takes to scale beyond your environment and constraints.

  5. 18 May

    From AI Scientist to Morocco’s Digital Minister | Ghita Mezzour

    Ghita Mezzour went from scientist and entrepreneur to helping shape Morocco’s digital future at government level. She joins Rachid Labrik to reveal what happened the night she received the call to become a minister, how she approached transformation at national scale and why the ability to learn, adapt and create impact has guided every chapter of her career.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Ghita Mezzour01:24 The Call to Become a Minister02:48 The Night She Couldn’t Sleep03:55 “Don’t Refuse Because You Think You’re Not Ready”06:30 From Research to Real-World Impact09:29 Why the First 100 Days Matter11:53 Building Digital Morocco 203014:30 Why Transformation Has to Be Built With People17:01 Learning to Work at National Scale19:07 From 20 Million to 2 Billion Dirhams22:29 What Government Changed in Her25:22 The Work Habit She Had to Unlearn28:21 The Project She Is Most Proud Of40:08 Carnegie Mellon and Learning to Dream Bigger44:00 Why Being Different Can Be Useful44:54 “How Can I Make It Better?”52:44 Returning to Entrepreneurship and AI54:01 “AI Is a Survival Thing”01:05:49 Learn, Relearn and Unlearn01:08:05 Make Sure People Know About Your Work01:09:10 What Success Means to Her

  6. 4 May

    How KITEA Grew After IKEA Entered Morocco | Othman Benkirane

    When IKEA announced its arrival in Morocco, many assumed KITEA’s days were numbered. Othman Benkirane shares how competitive pressure became a catalyst for transformation—rebuilding the family business around people, supply chain, customer experience and agility before taking its ambitions beyond Morocco and across Africa.   CHAPTERS CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Othman Benkirane02:23 Joining KITEA as IKEA Announces Morocco03:07 Leaving Sydney and Coming Home05:44 “Everyone Thought KITEA Was Dead”06:30 “We’re Going to Prove Everyone Wrong”07:01 The Day IKEA Opened07:49 Growing 17–18% Under Pressure10:03 The Habit of Constant Improvement15:22 Why Supply Chain Became Critical18:10 Building for the Next Stage23:29 Taking KITEA Beyond Morocco32:13 Building the Team Around the Business38:56 The Family-Business Rule His Father Taught Him43:34 “Don’t Listen to Anyone. Listen to Yourself.”49:24 The African Ambition53:33 The “Rough Diamond” Lesson54:31 Investing in Technology and AI01:05:03 “You Can Disrupt Giants”01:06:23 What Success Means to Him N

  7. 20 Apr

    A Brain Tumour at 23 Changed Everything | Karim Amor

    At 23, Karim Amor was told he had a pituitary tumour and needed surgery within a month. The entrepreneur and investor shares how that diagnosis changed his relationship with work, brought him back to Morocco and shaped a career spanning technology, entrepreneurship, healthcare and AI - from building and selling companies to creating Epinium. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Karim Amor01:25 The Moment Everything Shifted02:19 “I Was Too Busy”03:01 The Decision to See His Parents04:09 The Unexpected Hospital Visit05:02 “We Think You Have a Tumour”05:34 One Month to Act06:14 The Operations That Changed His Life07:19 Facing the Diagnosis Without Fear09:44 Making His Illness a Friend10:42 The Decision Karim Says Saved His Life11:30 Why He Returned to Morocco13:23 Discovering Morocco Again15:06 Starting Again as a Bank Intern16:10 Quitting to Build His First Company17:17 Growing Into Technology18:31 Building One Opportunity at a Time20:26 Karim’s Formula for Success20:37 Why He Doesn’t Believe in “Follow Your Passion”23:25 Passion Is Only 5%23:35 The Other 95% Is Work24:47 How Much Does Luck Matter?25:49 The Plane Conversation That Led to a Sale27:27 Why You Can Never Succeed Alone27:55 “Share to Grow”29:46 What a Buyer Noticed About His Leadership30:23 Why Impact Became Personal31:35 Ambition, Time and Partnership33:06 The Childhood Behind the Entrepreneur36:17 What He Teaches His Children37:07 What He Would Tell His 18-Year-Old Self39:57 “I Failed Miserably Four Times”40:41 Why His Health Led to Epinium41:30 Tackling Metabolic Health44:01 The Vision for Personalised Health Technology46:24 Investing in the Next Generation49:29 Will AI Replace Humans?49:59 Entering the “Renaissance Era”50:47 Working With 41 AI Agents51:49 The Side of AI That Scares Him57:28 Build Something With Humanisation57:54 Who Will Win in the AI Future?58:52 Why the Human Must Stay in the Loop01:00:49 How AI Changes Entrepreneurship01:01:59 AI Agents Are Already Replacing Roles01:05:05 Going Back to Our Human Essence01:07:09 Could a Plumber Become More Valuable Than a Lawyer?01:08:06 Karim’s Warning About AI01:09:10 The Real Code of Transformation01:10:07 “Get Back to Your Humanity”01:11:45 What Success Means to Karim Today01:14:15 What Morocco Means to Him01:17:49 The Experience That Grounded Rachid

  8. 6 Apr

    From Dubai Success to the Himalayas: Reinvention & Purpose | Moustafa Hamwi

    Moustafa Hamwi had the multi-million-dollar business, Dubai lifestyle and success people envied yet something inside still felt empty. A one-way ticket to India and a life-changing journey through the Himalayas forced him to rethink success, identity and purpose, and ask the question that changed everything: what makes a life actually matter?   CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Moustafa Hamwi 02:06 When Success Still Feels Empty 07:00 The Yacht Moment That Woke Him Up 08:41 “Success Becomes Your Curse” 16:23 When Your Identity Is Just Packaging 23:12 Buying a One-Way Ticket to India 27:44 The Health Scare He Didn’t Expect 29:58 “Do You Know What You’re Thirsty For?” 30:28 What Would You Regret If You Died? 31:55 Unlearning His Old Definition of Success 33:35 Coming Back to Reality 33:57 “I Wear a Suit. I’m Not the Suit.” 34:26 The Stranger Who Said “You Changed My Life” 36:44 Reinventing Himself Every Five Years 38:42 Give Up Who You Are to Become Who You’re Meant to Be 39:14 The Practice That Carried Him Through 49:40 From Personal Transformation to Leadership 01:01:04 Luck Is Opportunity Meeting Preparedness

See All (15)

Trailer

About

Zero to N dives into the real journeys behind building and scaling companies across the Middle East and Africa. Hosted by Rachid Labrik, it explores the trade-offs, failures, and transformations that shape the region’s most driven founders and operators. No hype. No filters. Just the real code of transformation from zero to N.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachid Labrik
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rachid Labrik
  • Show Website
    Zero to N