From Iran to Finland — two ways of building a life

What I spend my energy on

The biggest difference is where the energy goes. In Iran, a huge part of being an entrepreneur is working around obstacles — war, sanctions, a currency that loses value fast, informal networks, opaque rules. You become resourceful very quickly, but a lot of that resourcefulness goes into just keeping things running.

In Finland, the system actually works. You register your company in a day, you have a real bank account, payments clear, taxes are predictable. That same energy can go straight into the actual work — building something, serving clients. This shift alone changes how you think about your time, and even about ambition.

Trust is built slowly

The main thing that stands out for me is that trust here is built slowly, through what you do, not what you claim. In many places I've lived, you have to advocate hard for yourself, push, talk yourself up. Here, that works against you. Quiet competence carries more weight than confidence.

The mechanics are easier — setting up legally, banking, working across borders, getting paid. No fixers, no one you need to know. The harder side is human. Networks form slowly. Selling yourself loudly doesn't land, and sometimes it actively hurts you. If you come from a culture where you have to constantly assert your value, you have to unlearn that — and that's not a small thing.

Why it suits me

For me personally, it suits how I want to work. I care a lot about doing things well — about craft, about being patient, about letting the work speak. In some cultures that approach is almost invisible; you have to be loud to be seen. Here it works. Clients come back because of what I delivered, not because I performed well in a meeting. There's a kind of dignity in that.

If I had to compress all of it into one thing: in Iran, you survive through relationships and improvisation. In Finland, you build through structure and patience. You're treated as a citizen — by the tax office, by the banks, by other businesses — not as someone who has to prove they deserve to be in the room. Finland also forces you to clarify what you actually offer, because no one will overlook a vague pitch out of politeness. It makes you sharper, even if the pace is slower.