Med Amine Ziraoui: A weekend in Djerba that lasted 4 years…

Can you tell me about your professional experience?

With pleasure! Today, I am an IT developer. I have been fascinated by it since I was a kid, so no one is surprised that I work in this field (laughs). That is why I focused my studies in Tunisia on computer science and capital management, which included the study of finance, accounting, computer development, and how to develop current technology using financial knowledge.

Unbelievable ! You have found your vocation and you became passionate about a job with a future! What did you do next?

Yes, you can say that! After finishing my studies in Sfax, I worked for two and a half years in IT development companies, then I started freelancing with a close friend. But as young freelancers in the business, we lacked experience and didn’t know how to manage clients and money flow. When you have just started and face these kinds of problems, it’s very difficult to get back on your feet. Therefore, after several mistakes, we decided to stop and I managed to convince my friend to apply to large Quebec companies. Through the program “Québec first”, I got 2 interviews in Tunis which allowed me to get a contract with the SSII branch of the company “Fujitsu”. However, you have to wait six months to get the necessary papers before you can go there.

Very well ! You were able to create your own experiences, and making mistakes didn’t scare you but you kept going forward. 

Of course! Making mistakes is vital to achieving success. If I could give one piece of advice today, it would be to make sure that every day we work or do tasks will allow us to reach our goals in the future and not hesitate to change jobs or positions if it’s not the case, life is too short to spend five years doing something we don’t like.

You have to follow your instincts. Look for what drives you and follow the sequence of events that will lead you to your goals.

Fantastic, what a great vision! What was the next step in your adventure?

When I was still in Sfax, I heard about a co-working space in Djerba. I immediately looked it up on Google and went there. Once I arrived, I liked the atmosphere that reigned there, both for work and for the encounters I made.

Actually, It was with Cozi that I had the opportunity to meet the French people who were looking for a long-term developer.

It was very intriguing, but I still had a contract with Canada that was in the process of being validated for three months.

they finally told me: “Listen, we’ll test it together, and if it works well between us, you stay here.” (laughs)

Finally, I got attached to them, and Bearstudio made me appreciate the atmosphere, their philosophy, their way of working, and their modern technologies. It even happened that the process got extended by six months, so I continued to work here.

So something tells me that since you stayed here, it was worth it?

Absolutely! At first, my brother Anis welcomed me for a few days, then I stayed for a few weeks, then I didn’t take my return ticket (laughs). In Djerba, I loved the peace, the impressive hospitality of the Djerbians and the unparalleled security. Here, you can go shopping and leave your car open; there is no problem! (laughs) The sea is beautiful and you can access many activities and excursions. So I asked myself, why Canada? After thinking about it, I saw it as a sacrifice to reach more distant goals, and to improve myself technically. But now that I’m working with a good company like BeartSudio, I don’t need to do it anymore.

You know what you don’t want anymore and what you want, which is essential!

Exactly, I’m always in a state of constant change! While still connected with BearStudio, my friend and I founded a company called Camelstudio, which specializes in MVP development. It’s the creation of innovative products for startups and project holders. It evolved into a team of 4 people, and then I sold my shares. The company is still operating, but I decided to start another one, a local one that starts mainly in Tunisia and expands later in France.

With Amel Barbou, I have just launched Asterkid, a SaaS management startup for kindergartens, because my mother, who runs a similar business, has management issues, so why not develop this project?

Only great projects! Where do you stand today?

Thank you! At the moment, I am focused on the development of my company. I deal with several things and many vast technologies. I follow the trends to be up to date, and that’s what I like to do, always learning. As in judo, the last belt is just like the first one, the white one, which means that it’s a never-ending cycle; you always return to where you started. I’m far from this belt ( laughs ), but I find the philosophy interesting!

Thank you very much for this beautiful testimony full of hope and success.