Reputation Is to a Business Owner What Experience Is to a Job Seeker

Reputation is to a business owner what experience is to a job seeker.

In the tech business, taking a chance on someone new, no matter how good they are, is a risk very few people take. A lot can go wrong when you bring in an IT person or product that hasn’t been battle-tested, because your entire business depends on it.

Some things have no shortcut

Over time I’ve come to realise that some things just can’t be rushed. Just as it takes time to gain experience, building a business reputation is one of those things. It happens as people see your work and others start talking about it.

In fact, every client I’ve signed so far came through someone who recommended me, not because they stumbled on the product.

“The guy with the laptop”

If you ask anyone in Nampula whether they know Ammar, they probably won’t. But ask whether they know the guy who’s always in coffee shops with a laptop, and nine out of ten will. It’s a reputation I didn’t build on purpose, but it makes the point: people notice what you do long before they know your name.

Why the human touch still wins

Over time, your work reflects you. Put in the work and people begin to notice. And with AI and bots being used more and more, people value the human touch even more. Nothing beats knowing there’s somebody you can call when things go wrong.

How reputation gets built

• Do the work, and let it speak for you.
• Let your clients recommend you to others.
• Be someone people can call when things go wrong.
• Build trust, and keep it.

So be patient and keep working hard. Your work represents you. Most importantly, pray, and over time it slowly begins to get better.