Saman Rahmanian: my one thing is…

Saman is the CEO and founder of Tischen

Q: There’s a saying, to pick one thing and do it well. What’s your one thing?

Saman: Knowing what’s important. And more importantly, knowing what’s not. I find this ability to recognize what deserves attention and what doesn’t, to be essential in many parts of life – but most significantly so when doing business. When you are creating something from scratch – a creative idea, a product or a company – there are many things you need to attend to. There are those strategic, big-picture issues. And then there are the small details. Being able to strike the balance of knowing when to focus on the big picture and when to dig into the small details, is probably an important prerequisite to success.

Q: What do you like about what you do?

Saman: For the last few years I have worked in big advertising agencies creating ideas for companies to sell a lot of burgers and cars. Now, I am using a similar skillset to create Tischen – a site that aims to rid the world of unemployment. Although the objective is very different, in both situations I have been lucky enough to “create”. And being able to create something that hadn’t existed before, and that would never exist if it weren’t for my contribution, is probably the most enjoyable part of what I do.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

Saman: Maybe I’ll just throw out some thoughts that help me throughout the day: Stay dedicated. Coming up with an idea is the smallest of all hurdles. Execution is where you stand out. Ask for forgiveness, not for permission. Love what you do. Use what you create. Be grateful. Pray.