Sarem Eddie Kerman

Sarem Eddie Kerman is an investor, entrepreneur and businessman. Educated at Eton and Brown University in Law, Eddie has since launched and grown businesses primarily focused on the UK and Middle East markets.

Eddie is a self-described ‘news junkie’ who now focuses on advising owner-entrepreneurs within emerging markets, particularly in the investment, digital media, and financial services sectors.

As an entrepreneur, Eddie Kerman is always one step ahead of media and consumer trends. Eddie’s ethos as a mentor is to understand yourself, identify your strengths, develop a clear vision and plan to achieve goals, learn, adapt and persist!

Where did the idea for your career come from?

I am a news junkie who loves to consume as much news as possible but never seems to have enough time to do so. The changes in the media world and specifically the digital media space, means that models which focus on relevant curated content are much more feasible, which is where the concept for Spectacle originated.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I wake up at 7.30am and usually spend an hour reading before starting work. In addition to meetings and emails, I like to go for short walks a couple of times a day. This has become even more important during lockdown and increased working from home, as it provides a time to reflect on what needs to be done. I also have a list of items which needs to be dealt with that day, to help provide structure. Evenings are usually spent with friends and family.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I like to have a clear vision of what I want to achieve, and then spell out and implement the practical steps needed to bring it about. However, the more defined the dream is, the easier the process of implementation becomes.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Ease of access to information. Whether it is documentation, information or advice, technological changes have made the decision-making process much easier.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Having a to-do list enables me to focus; It also assists me in deciding what to do myself and what to delegate.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Pursue anything you are curious about, and focus on what you are good at.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Passion isn’t everything – while you need to be excited about what you do, practicality is just as important.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Identify the right people for the task at end and empower them to do their best. Nothing is more effective than having quality people around you working towards a common goal.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I tend to have as clear and defined goals as possible. While in entrepreneurial businesses, such goals inevitably evolve, having a clear vision of what you are aiming for is key.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Failure is inevitable as an entrepreneur. The key is to learn from and adjust your strategy based on those failures in order to turn them into success.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I’m influenced here by the vision for Spectacle, but there are a lot of niches in the digital media space that are very interesting right now, particularly opinionated coverage focused on specific demographics.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

A massage – good for both physical and mental health!

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Twitter – as a resource to access information and find collaborative communities, it is incredibly useful.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Grit by Angela Duckworth is a book I found enormously impactful – it’s an explanation of how resilience and single-mindedness are the main drivers of achievement.

What is your favorite quote?

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
-Mark Twain

Key Learnings:

• Understand yourself and your strengths
• Have clarity of vision for your goals
• Learn, adapt and persist!