“Perhaps more difficult than finding purpose is remaining relevant.”__Adam Azim
Adam Azim’s entrepreneurial journey is a testament to the power of intuition, resilience, and adaptability. From his deep-rooted involvement in international affairs to his pivot into entrepreneurship during the pandemic, Adam recognized the need to evolve with the changing times. His perspective on relevance extends beyond business—it is a principle that applies to nations and societies alike. He believes that cultural diversity, a global outlook, and strategic decision-making are crucial to staying ahead in an increasingly competitive world.
In this insightful conversation with Business Upside, Adam shares his thoughts on navigating business challenges, balancing work and personal life, and the importance of staying informed. He emphasizes the role of books in maintaining resilience and the need for entrepreneurs to trust their instincts while keeping an eye on emerging trends. His approach to leadership and decision-making is rooted in understanding the broader global landscape, making him a unique voice in the entrepreneurial world.
Edited Excerpts from the Interview
Business Upside [BU]: What was the turning point that made you take the leap into entrepreneurship?
Adam Azim [AA]: Before fully taking the leap into entrepreneurship sometime during the coronavirus pandemic, I was knee deep into the international affairs world. I have lived and studied and worked in and around Washington, DC for a very long time. I came to the DC-Metro Area from New York when I was just a kid. And as a result, it was almost natural to have some sort of inclination towards getting involved in the international affairs business. As a student, my favorite subjects were history and government. Plus, this area is the epicenter for that sort of stuff aside from the United Nations in New York. Almost everyone in this area has some sort of connection to the international affairs business. So I was knee deep in it for a very long time. But at a certain point, I got a sense of the chaos and upheaval which was arising as a result of this international affairs business. I had a feeling that it was leading to more bad than good. And of course, with the way things are going now, my intuition was pretty sound. Seeing all these federal employees and workers getting mowed down by Elon Musk meant that taking the leap into entrepreneurship at exactly the right time was the right choice and decision.
[BU]: If you weren’t in this business, what other venture would you have pursued?
[AA]: Either finance or psychology. But of course, with the way things are currently, my current state of affairs involves much less stress. Although finance or psychology would be highly rewarding, it would involve a lot more stress. I believe entrepreneurship is the right fit for the time being. But of course, I am open to new ideas as well.
[BU]: How do you ensure your business remains agile in a rapidly changing market?
[AA]: You have to branch out and scatter your focus as much as possible, and then see what it all leads to in the very end. The branching out and scattering of focus now assumes a global scope.
[BU]: What’s your approach to decision-making when faced with multiple viable options?
[AA]: Stick to your guns. Stick to the course of action you have already assumed. It is the “best response” to what everyone else is doing. Everything we do is impacted and intertwined by what everyone else is doing. Thus, the course of action we assume is assumed for a specific reason. Our course of action is actually driven by what others are doing, even though we might not be aware of this.
[BU]: How do you ensure your brand remains relevant as trends change?
[AA]: Perhaps more difficult that finding purpose is remaining relevant. We are having difficulty remaining relevant as a country in international society, given a lot of the changes which have taken place in the overall global order. I would perhaps argue that the more cosmopolitan and international the outlook is towards the world, the more relevant we become. We have to absorb and accommodate cultural diversity as a state and society as opposed to shunning it, given that a culturally diverse and pluralistic universe is our very basic social reality. If we don’t do it, China will.
[BU]: What’s one industry trend you’re keeping a close eye on?
[AA]: The rise of China. I tried making my final boss in the international affairs business, the Afghan ambassador to the United States, aware of this trend, but it fell on deaf ears for the most part. Our decline as a state and society is not necessarily absolute, but it is relative to the astonishing and breath-taking rise of China which has taken place slowly and steadily over the course of a number of decades. Although America remains at the top, China is a very close second and may even surpass us in terms of share of the global economy by the end of this decade, and that is if it has not surpassed us already. Economic power also translates into other modes of hard power and soft power. Thus, the rise of China is a very important trend in international affairs, if not the most important trend.
[BU]: What’s the most unexpected challenge you faced while building your business?
[AA]: As I mentioned before, surprisingly, the biggest challenge one can face is the work-life balance. It is not necessarily the work itself. If you enjoy what you’re doing, then the work is not much of a challenge. Rather, maintaining a balance between work life and personal life is the biggest challenge. How do you remain happy in your personal life while thriving in your work life? I am sure a lot of people are asking themselves this question. It is not just me.
[BU]: How do you stay resilient during tough times?
[AA]: Books were my salvation. Believe it or not, the personal library I built over the course of a decade or so is both my biggest pride and my main source of salvation. Whenever I withdraw from the world and into my personal library, I get the boost I need to handle all the flux and uncertainty that the world offers. The world throws more flux and uncertainty at us than anything else. So when I withdraw from it all and into my personal library, that is how I get the boost I need to remain resilient.
[BU]: How do you balance customer demands with your own business vision?
[AA]: I don’t have a very huge market to cater towards. This whole enterprise is almost exclusive and luxurious at this point. It has been characterized by exclusivity and luxury for the most part. It simply turned out that way. I offer very exclusive data and information to a very exclusive group of people. A niche market of sorts. And I have no idea how that happened. And believe it or not, I get manipulated into meeting customer demands.
[BU]: How do you ensure quality and consistency as you grow?
[AA]: Expertise. Would you trust someone who has no idea what they are talking about?
More Information
Company URL: www.adam-azim.com
LinkedIn URL: http://linkedin.com/in/adam-a-azim-94bb111b2
