Scale or Fail

Renowned investigative journalist Mazhar Farooqui joins Tim Elliott to discuss his transition from the newsroom to the tech sector. As the founder of Check First Intel, Farooqui shares insights from two decades of uncovering truth, now focused on providing real-time verification tools to combat the 500,000 daily cyber attacks targeting the UAE.

Noble Sourdough has launched naturally fermented loaves alongside Dubai’s first honesty-based bread counter. Customers simply grab, tap, and go, meeting the city’s rising demand for cleaner food and smarter retail. Founder Matthew Firth joins Tim Elliott to explain the concept.

In this Scale or Fail episode, Jack Holland, Director of Business Development at Driven Flex, joins Tim Elliott to examine the future of urban mobility. As Dubai’s road networks face unprecedented pressure, the discussion explores whether flexible bus-pooling can successfully re-engineer the morning commute, offering a legal, tech-driven alternative to private car ownership.

What happens when you stop saying "no" to sugary drinks and start creating a better alternative yourself? In this episode of Scale or Fail, UAE restaurateur Lourds Adalia-Evertse shares how a simple family moment led her to launch Drippy, a healthier soda brand, right from her own restaurant with her sons as "Chief Soda Officers". 

In a market dominated by massive retail chains, Pravin Rai is attempting the impossible. Through QuicKart UAE, he is bypassing traditional supply chains to connect local UAE farms directly to your doorstep. But in a sector where one bad delivery can mean failure, can his lean model truly scale?

Dubai’s entrepreneurial scene is built on bold ideas—but behind every big brand is a small business fighting to be seen. At a time when uncertainty is testing resilience, supporting local has never mattered more. Today on Mira Business FM’s Scale or Fail, Sally Madison, founder of Mint Market, joins Tim Elliott to discuss championing homegrown brands and turning community into real economic impact. Discover how physical marketplaces are helping SMEs stabilise, share their unique stories, and find sustainable growth in a shifting retail landscape.

Chief Chili Officer Faisal Al Mutairi joins Tim Elliott to discuss the bold launch of House of Habanero amidst global instability. They discuss how this artisanal brand prioritised local production and clean ingredients to scale from a passion project to a retail destination.

Tim Elliott interviews Nisim Perets, CEO of Itay & Beyond, regarding revolutionary "brain on a chip" technology. By reprogramming cells found in patient urine into stem cells, scientists can grow functional human brain tissue in the lab. This innovation aims to replace unreliable animal models and accelerate life-changing treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

In the first episode of Scale or Fail on Mira Business FM, Sawsan Shalabi, founder of Rafeeq Connect, joins Tim Elliott to discuss a vital mission. While AI adoption in the UAE is soaring, digital "imaginary friends" are no substitute for genuine human touch. Sawsan shares why her Dubai-based startup is tackling elderly loneliness by connecting older adults with real people for meaningful conversation and companionship.