(A Friendly Warning from the Universe… and from 7awi)

There’s a moment every founder secretly dreads — the moment when things feel too smooth. No fires. No late-night “why is traffic down 27%?” alerts. No Slack messages at 12:01 AM. No partner suddenly changing the scope on a Thursday afternoon “because it makes more sense.”
Just… calm.

Whenever I feel that calm, I know two things:

1. Something is wrong.

2. I might be slipping into the Comfort Zone — the enemy of every entrepreneur, creator, and anyone who ever said “I want to build something that lasts.”

So how do you really know you’re in the comfort zone? Here’s the list I wish someone had sent me years ago.

1. You Start Repeating Yourself.

If you ever catch yourself saying the same sentence more than three times in a month:
“We need to build smarter.”
“Automation is key.”
“This content will bring subscribers.”
…then congratulations — you’re on cruise control.

At 7awi, repetition is useful for brand consistency, but when I start repeating myself, it usually means I haven’t pushed the next boundary yet. It means I’m not challenging the team — or myself — enough.

2. You Get Too Comfortable with ‘Good Enough’.

When a layout, campaign idea, or piece of content makes you think:
“Eh, it’s fine…”
Stop right there. That’s the comfort zone speaking.

Great ideas make you pause.
Great ideas make you excited.
And great ideas sometimes make you uncomfortable.

If I’m approving things too quickly, without questioning, without challenging, without asking “Where is the bigger play?” — that’s when I know I’m getting soft.

3. You Stop Asking the Hard Questions.

The danger isn’t avoiding the question — it’s believing you already know all the answers.

In my world, hard questions look like this:

• “Are we still innovating?”

• “Are we solving the problem or decorating it?”

• “If 7awi disappeared tomorrow, what gap would the region feel?”

When I stop asking these questions, it’s a red flag. Comfort zone detected.

4. You Aren’t a Little Afraid.

Every time I’ve done something meaningful — launched a new product, entered a new market, rolled out AI across the company, or wrote a post I knew would make someone uncomfortable — there was always a tiny fear attached.

That fear is energy. That fear is signal.
When it disappears, you’re not growing — you’re gliding.

If I wake up and everything feels predictable, if nothing is at risk, if the day feels like a playlist on repeat… I know I’m not stretching.

5. You Start Celebrating Too Early.

Comfort zone shows up disguised as victory.

“Oh, we’re already the leading pubtech platform in the region.”
“Oh, audiences love our content.”
“Oh, we’re profitable.”
This is exactly when comfort sneaks in, wearing a party hat.

At 7awi, the moment we celebrate, I immediately think:
What’s next? Where is the next disruption? Who is trying to eat our lunch while we’re cutting the cake?

If you ever see me celebrating too long, tap my shoulder. Something is off.

6. Your Team Stops Surprising You.

When your team knows you so well that they start giving you exactly what you expect — polished, safe, predictable work — then everyone, including you, is in the comfort zone.

The best 7awi moments happen when someone throws a new idea at me that makes me raise an eyebrow and say, “Wait, what?”
If that hasn’t happened in a while… comfort zone.

7. You Feel Like You Can Take a Break.

This is the most dangerous sign.
Yes, rest is important.
Yes, balance is healthy.
But I’m talking about the moment you feel mentally done, as if the mission no longer requires your sharpness, curiosity, or hunger.

When you think you can stop learning, stop experimenting, stop questioning — that’s when you stop building.

And in a region where everything moves at Riyadh-speed? Comfort zone is just a polite way of saying “you’re becoming irrelevant.”

So… What Do You Do?

When I feel myself slipping into the comfort zone, I do three things:

1. Break something — fast.

Not literally. (Usually.)
But I change a process, challenge a team, reboot a strategy, or launch something that shouldn’t be comfortable.

2. Throw myself into a new space.

Like Syria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Or an AI-powered bidding platform.
Or redesigning 7awi.com for the hundredth time.
Anything that forces me to think again.

3. Ask the question no one wants to ask.

“What if the way we’re doing things is already outdated?”

Because the comfort zone disappears the moment curiosity shows up.

Is 7awi in Comfort Zone?

If there’s one thing I learned over the years, it’s this:

Comfort is a feeling. Growth is a decision.

When you feel too comfortable, it simply means something inside you is asking for more — more challenge, more evolution, more vision.

And if there’s one thing I know about myself — and about 7awi — it’s this:
We never stay comfortable for long.
It’s just not in our DNA.

And honestly… where’s the fun in being comfortable anyway?