Young entrepreneurs are met with various challenges that sometimes push them beyond their potential to bear. However, it is at times like these that they must remember that Alec Baldwin once said; ‘Success begets success.’ If you are an entrepreneur venturing through a new idea and want to make it big, it is important to keep those who’ve been on a similar journey before you as a reminder. Just the awareness that no one before you made it big while being unscathed can be a comforting thought for all those entrepreneurs going through a rough patch right now. Here are 6 such Paskistani entrepreneurs who never surrendered in the face of challenges and remained steadfast and determined in their desire to make it big:

• Zia Imran

Zia Imran is an inventor, a motivational speaker and an entrepreneur. He is an active member of the SPRING accelerator team in Pakistan and builds home automation and energy saving devices. He is also the CEO of Vahzay (Pvt) Limited. Under this establishment he produces software, IT products, and other services. Zia is also one of the founding members of Plan 9 Pakistan. With more than 15 years of experience up his sleeve working at Silicon Valley Zia’s success story and his position in the market is the best reminder whenever you feel like surrendering in the face of a difficulty that feels far too big to be overcome.

• Monis Rahman

Monis Rahman is the founder & CEO of Naseeb Networks. This is a business-centered social network that helps with online job recruitment. Rahmad also initiated that now infamous website Rozee.pk in 2006 making it easier for millions of people to find jobs while sitting right at home. Rehman also co-founded eDaycare.com along with various other companies, ranging from Internet startups to chip design consultancies. Despite having started his career at Intel and later working as the Director of KASHF Foundation, Rahman made a decent name for himself as a successful entrepreneur and was even featured in New York Times, CNN, InfoWorld, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Spider.

• Ali Rehan

Ali Rehan is the Co-founder of Eyedeus Labs and Ingrain. After graduating from LUMS Rehan also founded Groopic Inc., and led a team to build, release, and market the Groopic App, a mobile application which enables people to take group pictures and include the photographer as well. His startup received raving reviews from international media. Rehan also co-founded Ingrain, an advertising platform allowing users to place involuntary and independently beset online videos in real time. This breakthrough has allowed solving hardware related problems in Pakistan. Eyedeus was shortlisted for the Google Blackbox Connect entrepreneurship accelerator in 2013 as well.

• Maria Umar

Maria Umar is the founder of Women’s Digital League providing work opportunities and digital training to Pakistani women. Through Project Artemis/Goldman she was mentored by some of the best business professors and motivational speakers who belonged to the Silicon Valley. Umar was later nominated as a Thought Leader by Ashoka Changemakers. Throughout her tenure at the online digital outsourcing sphere she was able to take her company to new heights by winning the Early Stage Award in the Changemakers “Women Powering Work” competition. Umar has been featured as an innovative leader by both the local and international media including names like Forbes and Dawn.

• Zafar Khan

Zafar Khan is the CEO and Founder of Sofizar, an Internet marketing company that sells products to customers internationally through Facebook marketing. Sofizar is based in Lahore and has been very successful and lucrative. Khan also founded Engro Digital which is a chemical and processing plant interacting sensory data with machine learning based analytics. Zafar has led his company into a profitable endeavor and is an inspiring role model for all those looking to do the same.

• Farhan Masood

Farhan Masood is an inventive entrepreneur, who has won several international awards for novel influences. He has won various awards such as The Asia Pacific ICT Awards and the MIT Enterprise Forum BAP award. He is the CEO of SoloInsight and SoloTech Labs located internationally and locally respectively. His company provides inventive solutions orchestrated on the basis of customer’s needs. He is also the founder of Go Green Pakistan through which he promotes patriotism and under the banner connects likeminded people cross country.

So the next time you feel like you’ve met a roadblock on your entrepreneurial journey, venture through the success stories of these influential Pakistani entrepreneurs.