I have to admit something. When I first met Maria, I underestimated her.
She is young, quietly spoken and small in stature, and I probably looked at what she was building and thought it was an interesting student project.
I was wrong.
Why I Underestimated This Qatar Startup Founder
The more time I’ve spent with her, the more I’ve realised just how much determination, intelligence and resilience is packed into this young lady. She may come in a small package, but boy does she pack a punch.
We sat down again recently and Maria showed me how far she has taken PitchPro, the AI-powered communication platform she is building. This time I didn’t just listen to the pitch, I actually used it.
And I was impressed.
What PitchPro Actually Does
It allows people to practise real situations, interviews, presentations, sales conversations and customer service, while analysing how they communicate, from their content and body language to engagement and even cultural differences.
But what interested me most wasn’t the technology. It was the reason she built it.
Why She Built It
Maria told me that when she started university, English was her fourth language. She was shy and introverted and sometimes struggled to communicate what she knew she was capable of.
Instead of accepting that, she started looking for a solution.
Eventually, she began building one herself.
And while she was developing the technology, something else happened: Maria became a better communicator too.
That tells me a lot about her.
Being a Young Founder in Qatar Means Being Underestimated
She also told me about one of the biggest challenges she still faces. Because she is young, people sometimes don’t take her seriously. They assume this is a university exercise rather than somebody genuinely trying to build a company.
I understand that because I made exactly the same mistake.
Not anymore.
What I See Now
What I see now is a founder who listens, learns, adapts and keeps coming back. Every time I meet her, something has moved forward. She isn’t waiting for someone to give her permission.
We spent part of our conversation talking about how her technology could potentially connect with something I’m passionate about, helping young people show employers the person behind the CV.
Their personality. Their confidence. Their story. Their superpower.
That’s a conversation Maria and I are going to continue.
The Real Lesson
But this post isn’t really about AI or technology.
It’s about not judging somebody by what you see standing in front of you.
I’ve met a lot of founders over the years, and every now and again you meet somebody who gives you that feeling.
This person is going to make it. Maria gives me that feeling.
There is a long road ahead and I’m sure there will be setbacks along the way.
But I would be very careful about betting against this young lady.
She’s on a mission and I don’t think there’s very much that’s going to stand in her way.
Thanks to Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) for the work you do with these startups!!
Shourouk Media tells the stories of founders and businesses across Qatar and the Gulf through podcasts, PR and content. Find out more about us, read more on the Shourouk Media blog, or get in touch if you have a story worth telling.