Podcast Summary: Beyond Blind Blaming

Host: Kevin D. St.Clergy (YAP Media)
Guest: Feras Alhlou
Episode: How to Avoid the Mistakes That Kill Most Startups
Date: December 30, 2025

Overview

This episode of Beyond Blind Blaming features Feras Alhlou, serial entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of Epsilon Technologies. The conversation dives deep into the internal mindset blocks and habits that can sabotage startups, emphasizing the importance of focus, self-reflection, and strategic relationship-building. Feras shares his entrepreneurial journey—from being unexpectedly laid off to building an eight-figure company—and offers candid, actionable advice for founders eager to avoid common pitfalls.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Forced Into Entrepreneurship: The Start of the Journey

• [02:54] Feras recounts getting laid off:
  He describes the shock and uncertainty of being let go from a high-level tech role, which propelled him into entrepreneurship.

  “I joke around and I say I was forced into entrepreneurship... It was one of the most difficult moments in my professional life.” —Feras [02:54]

• Persistence after setback:
  After weeks without a single interview, he partnered with a friend to start a web design business in 2003.

2. The Power of Focus and Saying No

• [05:14] Evolution to a data-driven business:
  As web development evolved, Feras’s company pivoted toward online marketing and ultimately analytics, capitalizing on the introduction of Google Analytics.

  “As we got better with data and with planning... we saw how we were helping businesses improve... so we doubled down and more or less left everything behind.” —Feras [07:00]

• [08:29] On niching and learning to say no:
  Letting go of revenue streams was hard, but focus delivered exponential growth.

  “If we want to be really, really great at something, we have to dedicate time and effort to it, which means we have to let go of other things.” —Feras [08:29] “Saying no to revenue and to sales was really hard... But life works in amazing ways, the universe or God, whatever you believe in — these same clients... ended up sending us amazing leads in analytics.” —Feras [09:28]

3. Resilience: Looking in the Mirror, Not Out the Window

• [11:35] Blind blaming & self-assessment:
  Founders often blame external factors, but Feras emphasizes the importance of introspection.

  “When things go well, look out the window and credit others. When things go bad, look at the mirror.” —Feras, quoting Jim Collins [11:49] “Failure is there... you want to get back and learn from that failure... That's, I think, the definition of resilience: to get back up quickly.” —Feras [12:47]

4. When to Start a Business & The Myth of Perfect Timing

• [14:22] Ignore economic excuses:
  The best time to start is after meticulous preparation and honest market research.

  “The best time to start a business is not about a recession... it’s when you’ve done your preparedness, you’ve done your homework, you’ve vetted your idea.” —Feras [14:22]

5. The Dangers of Self-Serving Bias

• [16:05] Cognitive bias in leadership:
  It’s easy to credit oneself for wins while blaming externalities for losses.

  “When things are going well, it’s all us... and when things don’t go well, that’s when we start to blind blame.” —Kevin [16:05]

6. Learning from Failure: Knowing When to Pivot

• [17:46] Real-world example of a wrong turn:
  Feras discusses overestimating their ability to build complex portals and the painful, honest decision to exit that market.

  “We had to be honest with ourselves and honest with our clients, that we just could not do that.” —Feras [18:41]

• Recognizing the signs for necessary change:
  Stubborn persistence versus heeding evidence and feedback.

7. The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Patience Over Instant Gratification

• [20:18] Cautions against unrealistic expectations:
  The rush to riches narrative (“I’m 30 and not a millionaire”) is largely a social media myth.

  “This is not the norm... mastery is a lifelong journey.” —Feras [23:10]

8. Building Meaningful Relationships

• [28:18] People are everything:
  How to attract, nurture, and compensate the right team members.

  “People don’t leave companies, they leave bosses... you have to really take care of these people.” —Feras [28:23]

• [31:12] The four core relationships:
  Kevin highlights relationships with self, family, team, and customers as foundational.

• Profit sharing & transparency:
  Feras’ philosophy on sharing the rewards with the team and openly communicating company performance.

  “One of our values in the company was transparency. So if there’s an issue, we brought it to the table... we shared our numbers.” —Feras [33:41] “We said transparency is part of... our values, I told everybody in the company that we’re going to do that... we will take 30% of the proceeds and share with the team.” —Feras [35:36]

9. Skills, Habits, and The Long Game

• [38:44] Top 3 investments for founders:

  • Hard skills in your chosen field
  • Soft skills (communication, active listening)
  • Building a strong, supportive network

  “The more you invest in skills early on... the more of a network you have... the more likely that you are to make it.” —Feras [39:21]

• [40:46] Continuous learning and balance:
  Audiobooks, martial arts, lifelong growth, and maintaining key relationships.

  “My goal... for the last maybe 15 years is to... listen to a book a week... Learning is education and application.” —Feras [40:46] “I spend a lot of time at the dojo... as we age relationships become very, very important... allocating time to important people in your life... that’s something I’ve really invested in.” —Feras [42:40]

10. Final Thoughts & Contact Info

• [43:49] Feras shares his channels:
  • YouTube: Startup with Feras
  • Website: startupwithferas.com
  • Weekly newsletter on entrepreneurship
  • LinkedIn presence

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Feras on focus:

  “Success, breed success. So as we got better with data... we doubled down and more or less left everything behind.” [07:00]

• On blind spots:

  “If you want to focus on one thing, you have to let go of other things... Have partners ready to help you if you’re sort of saying no to business, and then the universe will work its way.” [09:28]

• On resilience:

  “That’s, I think, the definition of resilience: to get back up quickly.” [12:47]

• On leadership:

  “People don’t leave companies, they leave bosses... You are the luckiest founder if you run across someone who is what I would call an A-people.” [28:18]

• On transparency and reward-sharing:

  “We will take 30% of the proceeds and share with the team based on a simple formula.” [35:36]

• On the founder’s journey:

  “Entrepreneurship is five times harder than what people think... You have to have the time and the willingness.” [26:08]

• On the myth of fast success:

  “There are no shortcuts in life, in relationships, and also in business.” [23:10]

Important Timestamps

• [02:54] — Feras recounts the layoff that led to entrepreneurship
• [05:14] — The journey into analytics and data-driven business
• [08:29] — Learning to say 'no' and niche down
• [11:35] — Internal blind spots and Jim Collins quote
• [14:22] — When is the right time to start a business?
• [17:46] — Example of faulty assumptions and hard pivots
• [20:18] — Unrealistic expectations in entrepreneurship
• [28:18] — Building and keeping great teams
• [33:41] — On transparency, sharing numbers, and profit-sharing
• [38:44] — The top three things to invest in
• [40:46] — Feras’s personal investment in self-education and relationships
• [43:49] — How to connect with Feras

Tone and Personality

The conversation is friendly, honest, and practical. Both Kevin and Feras are candid about mistakes, growth, and realistic ambition. The advice is direct but compassionate, with an emphasis on responsibility, long-term thinking, and treating people well.

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurial mindset, filled with stories and principles that help founders look past excuses, focus on what matters, and surround themselves with the right people. Feras Alhlou’s journey, failures, and wins provide a roadmap for anyone battling blind spots in business and seeking the resilience to build something great—step by step.