Why 90% of Startups Stall Right After Launch (And How to Fix It)

Builders Tribe has announced the next edition of its Tech Forward Talks series, titled “Why 90% of Startups Stall Right After Launch (And How to Fix It) “ scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2026, at 7:00 PM AST (Qatar Time) on YouTube.

The upcoming session will feature The upcoming session will feature Muhammed Hassan Al-Sheraie, who helps founders raise capital through Dealfuze, where he connects exceptional startups with investors. 

Known for his bold and honest takes on venture capital, he has generated over 2 million LinkedIn impressions, attracting more than 1,500 founders in just three months. He will share practical insights on one of the most common yet misunderstood challenges in startup building: sustaining growth after launch.

Also Read: Building Startups Beyond the Usual VC Cities: How Founders Scale Globally from Emerging Markets 

While launching a product is often celebrated as a major milestone, many founders soon encounter a different reality. User growth becomes inconsistent, engagement drops, and progress begins to slow. For startups navigating the early stages of growth, understanding what causes these setbacks and how to overcome them can be the difference between momentum and stagnation.

The announcement follows the May edition of Tech Forward Talks by Builders Tribe, which featured product growth expert Abdallah Badra. The session explored how startups can build products that users keep coming back to, focusing on user retention, engagement, and sustainable growth.

Building on those conversations, the June edition shifts attention to what happens when growth itself begins to stall. Rather than focusing solely on attracting and retaining users, the discussion will examine the internal and external bottlenecks that often prevent startups from translating early traction into long-term progress.

During the session, Al-Sheraie will explore why 90% startups frequently lose momentum after launch, how founders can distinguish attention from genuine traction, and the practical steps required to identify and resolve growth constraints before they become existential challenges.

Attendees will gain insights into:

• Why startups often stall after launch
• The most common early-stage growth bottlenecks
• The difference between attention and traction
• Mistakes founders make when growth slows
• How to identify what is actually holding a startup back
• Practical approaches to regaining traction and moving forward

Al-Sheraie brings extensive experience from both sides of the startup ecosystem. He has advised 100+ early-stage founders, helping them raise over $50 million, and serves as an independent VC scout focused on ed-tech and health-tech across emerging markets. With a background in clinical pharmacy, Al-Sheraie launched his first ed-tech startup while still in university.

Why This Matters

For startup founders across emerging ecosystems, growth challenges rarely begin with product launches. More often, they emerge in the months that follow, when early excitement fades, and founders must navigate the realities of customer acquisition, retention, positioning, and market fit.

As startup ecosystems across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond continue to mature, understanding how to overcome growth plateaus is becoming increasingly important. Through Tech Forward Talks, Builders Tribe continues to create conversations that equip founders with practical knowledge, strategic clarity, and real-world insights from experienced operators and investors.

Event Details

Topic: The Early Growth Problem: Why Startups Stall After Launch

Speaker: Louis Ravenscroft, Founder, ProofScaling and Startopia

Date: Friday, June 26, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM AST (Qatar Time)

Platform: Live on YouTube

Hosted by: Builders Tribe

About Builders Tribe

Builders Tribe is a global community of founders, operators, investors, and innovators dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build scalable businesses. Through founder-focused events, mentorship, and ecosystem initiatives, Builders Tribe provides practical insights and meaningful connections that support startup growth.