Omio founder Naren Shaam advises entrepreneurs to solve hard problems and think globally

Focus on solving difficult problems

Naren Shaam, Founder and CEO of Berlin-based Omio Group, advised entrepreneurs at TechSparks 2026 to tackle complex problems rather than pursuing entrepreneurship for its own sake. He emphasized that solving a meaningful problem is the foundation of a sustainable business, citing his experience founding Omio after identifying fragmentation in global transportation systems.

Shaam spent two and a half years working on the supply side of transportation before launching Omio’s first product. He noted that building a billion-dollar business is exceptionally difficult, with few companies achieving rapid scale. His advice to founders: "Find a great problem. Don’t become an entrepreneur simply because you want to be one."

Think globally from the start

Shaam urged entrepreneurs to adopt a global mindset early, particularly if their problem statement is inherently international. Omio, which operates in 56 countries, entered 30 markets within its first three to four years. He discouraged the notion of waiting until success in India before expanding overseas, highlighting sectors like education, healthcare, and deeptech as areas with cross-market potential.

He pointed out that AI has lowered barriers to international expansion, such as reducing the need for manual translations. However, he cautioned that these advancements also make it easier for competitors to replicate products, requiring founders to carefully choose where to invest their resources.

AI’s role and its limits in digital commerce

While AI has simplified product development and expansion, Shaam highlighted its dual-edged nature. AI agents could transform digital commerce—including travel booking—but widespread adoption hinges on cost reduction and sustainable business models. "Consumers need these agents to be very cheap before they penetrate the market," he said.

Shaam also stressed that trust remains critical in physical-world services. Even as transactions shift to AI agents, businesses must ensure reliability in delivery and execution. "Real life happens outside the internet. If an agent buys something or orders food, people need to trust that it will arrive every single time," he said.

Sustainability and long-term commitment

Shaam underscored the importance of sustainability in business models, particularly as AI-driven solutions become more prevalent. He warned that while AI lowers entry barriers, it also accelerates competition, making long-term commitment essential for success.

His advice aligns with Omio’s trajectory: the company’s growth was built on addressing a global problem with a patient, focused approach. For Shaam, the key to entrepreneurship lies in persistence and solving problems that others overlook.

AI tools for startups in related reporting

This discussion on AI’s role in product development and expansion follows recent reporting on Google Cloud’s upcoming webinar, where it will unveil the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. The platform aims to help lean organizations build, scale, and govern AI agents, reflecting the growing emphasis on AI-driven solutions in digital commerce and customer experience.

Shaam’s caution about AI easing entry for competitors also mirrors broader trends in India’s e-commerce landscape, where affordability and access—rather than discovery—are becoming the new battlegrounds for startups.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

Shaam’s perspective offers a reality check for founders enamored with rapid scaling or the allure of entrepreneurship itself. His emphasis on solving a hard problem—one that requires years of commitment—contrasts with the narrative of overnight success. For operators in markets like India, where global ambition is often deferred until domestic success is achieved, his call to think internationally from day one is a provocation. It suggests that sectors like healthcare or deeptech, where problems transcend borders, may reward founders who bypass incremental local expansion in favor of broader solutions.

The role of AI in Shaam’s advice is nuanced. While he acknowledges its power to lower technical barriers, he frames it as a tool that does not eliminate the need for strategic focus or sustainability. This is a useful counterpoint to the hype around AI agents, particularly for founders in digital commerce. His warning about AI’s democratizing effect—making it easier for competitors to copy products—underscores that the real challenge for startups may no longer be building a product, but defending its value over time.

Lastly, his insistence on trust and reliability in physical-world services is a reminder that technology’s role is often to facilitate, not replace, real-world execution. For founders in travel, logistics, or any sector where fulfillment happens offline, this reinforces that operational excellence remains a differentiating factor, even in an AI-driven world.

Related on Lazyfounder

• Google Cloud to unveil Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and customer experience tools in webinar
• India’s E-Commerce Shift: The Next Battle Is for Access, Not Discovery