Startup advice from the exhibition floor

This week we’re focused on…

Advice for those of you who think you might want to launch a startup, but haven’t taken the leap yet. 

Why? 

Because startup advice can feel overwhelming – accelerators, funding rounds, growth hacks, pitch decks.

But at Black Hat MEA 2025 we asked founders what they’d say to someone just starting out, and their answers were refreshingly direct. 

So here are three lessons from the show floor, straight from people who are actively building and exhibiting. 

1. Do the market homework – and find your edge 

Ahmed Sherif (Co-Founder at Fortivera) has been part of Black Hat MEA for years – as a CTF player, an attendee, and now, for the first time, as a startup exhibitor.

Here’s his advice for you: 

“The first thing is to extensively research your idea with the current products in the market, and try to find an edge point. This makes a whole lot of difference in penetrating the market.”

Ideas aren’t scarce in cybersecurity, but differentiation is. Founders who understand where their product fits (and where it doesn’t) are far better positioned to gain traction. 

2. If there’s a real gap, act on it

For Ammar Al Siyabi (Co-Founder and CEO at NeoSec AI), the decision to build comes down to one thing: demand.

“If there is a need in the market, go for it. It’s purely market needs. If there is a gap and you can fill it, start doing it.”

That same market focus is why NeoSec AI returned to Black Hat MEA as an exhibitor in 2025. Ammar describes it as one of the best exhibitions they’ve attended – because it puts founders in front of their actual target audience.

3. Focus beats breadth (especially early on) 

Hassan Mostafa (Co-Founder and CTO at RASPIRE) exhibited at Black Hat MEA for the second year running. And his advice reflects a common early-stage trap.

“Focus on one problem at a time before expanding to other problems. Focusing is very important when it comes to startups.”

In a sector this broad, it’s tempting to solve everything at once. But the founders gaining momentum are often the ones who can clearly explain one problem they solve – to customers, investors, and partners. 

We’re here to back peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing 

The founders we spoke to on the exhibition floor were there to build. They were testing ideas against the market, meeting customers and investors, and refining their focus.

If you’re considering launching a startup (or thinking about taking the step from attendee to exhibitor), these lessons are worth sitting with.

And if you want to immerse yourself in an environment where peer-to-peer mentorship and knowledge-sharing will help you take your idea to the next level, now is a very good time to pre-register for Black Hat MEA 2026.