The Freedom Myth: What Really Makes Entrepreneurs Happy?

Ask any entrepreneur why they left a stable job, and you'll hear the same word: freedom.

But what if freedom isn't what makes entrepreneurs happy?

A study of nearly 4,000 entrepreneurs across six countries — Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the UAE — found something surprising. Autonomy wasn't essential in a single pathway to satisfaction. Not one. What mattered most was far more personal: who is standing beside you.

In this pilot episode of Research to Impact, Dr. Samar Aad sits down with Dr. Moustafa Haj Youssef to unpack what actually makes entrepreneurial life satisfying — and why the answer looks different for women and men.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Moustafa Haj Youssef is Associate Professor at the Adnan ...