My name is Maryam Fayaz-Torshizi, and I am the founder of DeepSearch Labs. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I want to share my journey. My story is not just about building a company but about navigating challenges as a woman in tech and entrepreneurship.
Taking the leap from idea to entrepreneurship
My entrepreneurship journey started at an asset management firm, where I was given a project quantifying themes. As I worked through the challenge, I realized the limitations of traditional methods and envisioned a better solution. But I also saw that I would never be able to build my vision within the constraints of that company. That realization changed everything—I decided to step out on my own.
Determined to bring my idea to life, I joined an accelerator program to find a co-founder, because I’d been told that having one was essential to raising funds. The program was set to start in February 2020 but was delayed until March. Just two weeks in, COVID-19 forced everything online. Finding a co-founder in a virtual setting didn’t feel right, and I began to question conventional wisdom.
It was then that I met an advisor, Gary Dolman, co-founder and former Chief Financial Officer of Monzo. When I voiced my concerns, he simply said, “If you know what you are going to do, just go do it!” I responded, “But how? I need funding!” He answered, “Lots of companies were started without funding!” When I asked how to hire people, he said, “You have to sell!” And when I questioned how to build, he challenged me to be resourceful.
That conversation changed my mindset. I realized that success isn’t about waiting for the perfect conditions—it’s about moving forward with what you have. This became my mantra. Gary became an invaluable mentor, teaching me the first crucial lesson: Surround yourself with capable, experienced, and supportive individuals. As a solo founder, this is even more critical. You don’t need people who praise you blindly; you need those who challenge you and keep you grounded.
Building without a co-founder
Having a co-founder has advantages, but it’s not a necessity. What matters is having the right people—mentors, employees, and investors—who believe in your vision and contribute to your growth.
In December 2021, I raised funding, and since then, we’ve been building DeepSearch Labs. That was our only funding round to date. By December 2022, we became revenue-generating, and in early 2024 we launched our beta version.
DeepSearch Labs revolutionizes research by integrating visualization with chat, summarization, report generation, video, and audio for businesses. We embraced the multiagent approach before it was even a trend. And we ingest all kinds of data, from webpages, excel, and PDFs, to audio and videos. Our technology reaches places where others can’t, analyzing information across and within databases to go beyond industry opinions.
We built lean, optimizing costs while scaling. Our key to success has been prioritizing scalability from day one—whether in infrastructure, data pipelines, machine learning workflows, or sales processes.
Hiring young talent
Initially, I hired based on experience, but I soon realized that I preferred driven, raw young talent for building the app. I recently read about Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek, and found that my approach mirrored his—hiring young, passionate individuals and mentoring them. This only works if you have the right experience and knowledge to guide them, which my background in engineering and machine learning has enabled me to do.
Women in leadership, don’t be afraid to lead differently. Conventional wisdom isn’t always the best path. Trust your instincts, experiment, and create your own leadership style.
Navigating pressure as a solo founder
Being a solo founder has its perks, such as making independent decisions. But it also means shouldering the entire weight of the company. Stress, pressure, and setbacks are part of the journey.
As a business grows, challenges evolve. Fires will always ignite—one moment, you’re onboarding a new client, the next, you’re troubleshooting unexpected problems. The key is minimizing the frequency and intensity of these challenges over time through smart hiring and strong processes.
Navigating gender barriers
As a female entrepreneur, I’ve seen how different cultures and industries treat women. In some environments, we are equals. In others, we must work harder to prove our worth. My experiences in academia, finance, and engineering taught me this early on. Women often need to be both hardworking and strategic to gain the same respect as their male counterparts.
In my experience, raising funds as a woman means facing additional skepticism. You might be questioned more than a male founder. Some investors might be rude or dismissive. Expect it, navigate it, and keep moving forward. Extract the key insights from every interaction, filter out the noise, and use that information to refine your approach.
Final thoughts
Be persistent and surround yourself with the right individuals. If hiring locally isn’t feasible, hire globally.
Adjust your approach, make small pivots instead of drastic shifts, and keep building. If you need help, ask for it.
When you fail, mourn for a day—but then create a plan and move forward. Celebrate victories for just 24 hours, then focus on the next goal. Never hold onto failure or success for too long—both can trap you in place. Use every experience—good or bad—as a stepping stone.
For Women’s History Month and beyond, I want to remind every woman out there that you are capable of building, leading, and succeeding. You don’t need permission to pursue your vision. The world may not always make it easy, but that’s part of the journey. Keep moving forward.
