The Sound of Success
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
When Amman Ahmed first noticed the calming effect of ambient music on the office dogs, he didn't just see a cute moment - he saw a business opportunity. As the founder of Music For Pets, Ahmed has carved out a unique niche in the wellness and entertainment space, crafting original music and videos designed specifically for animals. In this interview, he shares how he bootstrapped his way to global success, navigated the unknowns of a brand-new genre, and why he still finds joy in every note - even after hitting eight figures. Entrepreneur UK finds out more.
What inspired you to start your business?
While we were making relaxing music for humans we noticed the impact it was having on the dogs in the office. This was a totally new frontier for music - unproven, with a lack of research and data, we were stepping into the complete unknown. We wanted to explore methods to create a new genre of music that would have a positive impact on the mental health of dogs.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
It was incredibly challenging at first, as we were defining a genre of music that didn't previously exist for a different target audience. This was exasperated by the fact that the whole business was entirely self-funded, originally based out of Manchester. The biggest challenge was proving the proposition would work and demonstrating the value to pet owners from the very beginning. We overcame this by being somewhat obsessed with our end users, empowering them to feel like they were part of our journey too.
How did you secure your initial funding (if any)?
We didn't go for any funding - I bootstrapped the business up to an 8-figure exit and retained 100% ownership.
How do you handle failure or setbacks?
Firstly, failure is a great blessing. The best way to handle failure is to remove the emotional side, instead opting to analyse the situation objectively. I've found it useful to talk about the setback with a close friend or business mentor to gain another perspective from someone external to the situation, then working through it in the most level-headed way possible.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to scale up their UK based business to an annual revenue to £5M?
Just focus on increasing by 5% at a time. Sometimes rushing to scale can backfire.
What are you working on now? Why does this still excite you?
We've just released our first collaboration album, featuring four GRAMMY winners, including ANATEUS. This is the first time we have stepped outside of our core production and worked with artists to push the boundaries of sound for dogs and humans to enjoy together.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
3 things to consider when crafting a sustainability story you can stand behind
It's gotten harder to talk about sustainability—and not just because the work is complex. In today's climate, even saying the word 'climate' can feel like a risk. Progress is politicized. ESG is under fire. And well-meaning brands are suddenly wondering whether sharing their goals will earn praise or invite backlash. The temptation? Say less. Keep it safe. Wait it out. But you don't need to retreat. You just need to be smart about how you show up. The truth is, if your brand is making progress on sustainability, you should be talking about it. The key is finding the right version of that story: one that reflects what you've done, resonates with your audience, and matches your voice as a brand. A thoughtful approach to storytelling—grounded in substance, sentiment, and style—can help you share your story with real confidence, not an overabundance of caution. Here's how to think it through. 1. SUBSTANCE: MATCH YOUR MESSAGE TO THE SCALE OF YOUR EFFORTS In polarized times, your story needs to start on solid ground. That doesn't mean soft-pedaling your message. Rather, be honest about your strengths and build your story around what's real. There are two things that matter most when thinking about the substance of your story: How Far Along Your Efforts Are: Are you just getting started, or are programs already in motion? How Meaningful Their Impact Is: Are they making a real difference or are they limited in their scale or scope? This is about finding the version of your story that will stand up to scrutiny, not hide from it. If you've delivered real, measurable outcomes—own them. If your impact is limited, but your direction is clear and your commitments are real, speak from that place. What matters is that the story feels rooted, not reactive. For example, a global manufacturer that's halved its Scope 1 emissions can speak confidently—and publicly—about industry leadership, while a regional brand just beginning to electrify its fleet might focus on momentum and commitment to show a clear sense of direction without overstating their progress. Bottom Line: The substance of your story should match the substance of your progress. 2. SENTIMENT: CONSIDER WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE BELIEVES AND WHAT'S DRIVING YOU TO SPEAK UP Even a well-earned message can miss the mark if it doesn't account for who's listening and why your brand is speaking up in the first place. A couple of things to consider when it comes to sentiment: What Your Audiences Believe: Are they sustainability advocates, skeptics, or somewhere in between? What's Driving Your Brand To Speak: Is it values, risk, regulation, competitive pressure, or a mix of all three? Your external audiences set the emotional temperature. Your internal motivations shape your posture. When both are aligned and energized, you can go broader and bolder. When either is hesitant, your tone and targeting should be more intentional. For example, a purpose-led brand with a mission-driven customer base might take an expansive tone, leaning into vision and values to drive connection. But a legacy B2B company in a politically sensitive region might opt for a pragmatic approach that emphasizes operational efficiency and resilience. Bottom Line: The sentiment surrounding your story should shape how visible, bold, and emotionally direct you decide to be. 3. STYLE: LET YOUR STORY SOUND LIKE YOU—AND STRIKE THE RIGHT EMOTIONAL TONE Too many sustainability messages get stripped of personality on their way to the public. They become cautious, corporate, and indistinguishable from everyone else's. But a powerful story isn't just about what you say. It's about how you show up. Here are two things to pay attention to when it comes to style: Your Brand's Natural Tone Of Voice: Are you warm, bold, serious, friendly, rebellious? The Emotional Energy Your Story Needs To Carry: Should it inspire optimism, convey urgency, reflect humility? Your goal is to bring consistency and intention to that tone. If your brand is usually bold and outspoken, your sustainability story shouldn't suddenly get quiet and clinical. If your brand is typically understated, don't force a rah-rah campaign that doesn't feel like you. Patagonia can lead with big, bold declarations because that's been their stance for decades. However, an equally committed—but more conservative—financial services firm might build trust through grounded transparency and a steady, serious tone that emphasizes accountability over advocacy. Bottom Line: The style of your message should feel like it came from your brand. IN THE END, IT'S ABOUT CLARITY We're living in a moment where saying the wrong thing feels risky. But saying nothing? That can be worse. If your brand is doing meaningful work in sustainability, it deserves to be seen—and understood. That doesn't mean shouting from the rooftops. It means finding a message you can stand behind, because it's grounded in who you are and what you're actually doing.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Comcast Debuts World Soccer Ticket Streaming Package
Major League Soccer and the UEFA Super Cup games are afoot, and Comcast is aiming to score with its new World Soccer Ticket streaming package. The service, which is specifically for Xfinity customers, goes all-in on soccer and offers access to over 1,500 matches from the biggest leagues worldwide. It comes with a price tag of $85 a month, and customers can sign up now, the company announced on Wednesday. So, what comes with World Soccer Ticket? You can expect close to 60 channels (which include broadcast, cable news, English- and Spanish-language sports channels like ABC, CBS, NBC and Telemundo), a Peacock Premium subscription, and tons of games from top-tier leagues like the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, US Major League Soccer, Spain's La Liga, Mexico's Liga MX and the FIFA World Cup. "Figuring out where to watch your favorite team or match is often a painful game of chance," Jon Gieselman, Comcast's chief growth officer for connectivity and platforms, said in a statement. "Now, with World Soccer Ticket, there's no better way to watch the beautiful game than with Xfinity." An X1 device is included in the subscription, giving you a personalized soccer hub that keeps the matches you care about most in one place. If you want to watch multiple games at once, Xfinity Multiview is the feature for you. And if you like tracking scores, real-time stats, and betting odds, the included Sports Zone app can enhance your viewing experience. Comcast/Xfinity Earlier this year, Apple launched its 2025 MLS Season Pass for soccer fans for $15 a month. The company partnered with Comcast to give Xfinity customers access to the programming package as an integrated experience.
Entrepreneur
2 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
AI PCs: Why Adoption Is Still a Challenge In India
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The advent of AI PCs has marked a significant milestone in the evolution of personal computing, promising to reshape how we work, create, and connect. While AI PCs are beginning to make their mark in India, particularly within the enterprise and premium consumer sectors, we're still in the early innings of widespread adoption. What was initially seen as a futuristic concept has now started resonating with users, for features such as AI-assisted writing, image generation, performance tuning, and intelligent battery optimization. Counterpoint estimates that by the end of 2025, one-third of new PCs sold in India will have on device AI capabilities such as Generative AI or Agentic AI. However, this still remains a premium and high tier focus and yet to trickle down to the mass market. Currently, AI PCs are positioned in the premium category owing to the advanced chipsets, built-in Neural Processing Units (NPUs), and software innovations, particularly considering it as a new category. Over time, as volumes scale and the ecosystem matures, price points will gradually decrease, much like previous transitions in technology leading to better adoption. The Growth So Far Dell Technologies have been working on AI integration in PCs for over two decades, with purpose-built accelerators that enhance performance, productivity, and user experience. In April 2025, Dell Technologies launched its latest business AI PC lineup featuring the Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max series. "Today, in India, we believe AI will be a cornerstone in defining the next generation of computing. As users demand more intelligent, adaptive, and efficient solutions, AI PCs are becoming central to meeting these needs. Features such as real-time personalization, contextual responsiveness, and predictive performance are no longer optional; they are becoming the norm. And with the upcoming Windows 10 end of cycle in October, we anticipate a major refresh cycle across the market. This presents a pivotal opportunity for users to transition to AI-powered PCs, unlocking new levels of productivity and user-centric computing," said Indrajit Belgundi, senior director and general manager, client solutions group, Dell Technologies India. As adoption accelerates, Dell foresees AI becoming indispensable in computing, especially in a dynamic and diverse market like India, driving transformation across sectors and empowering users with smarter, more intuitive tools. Acer India expects exponential growth in the next two–three years. The shift from cloud-based AI to on-device AI is accelerating demand for hardware that can support these capabilities natively. Government initiatives, digital learning, remote work, and a rising creator economy are also contributing to this momentum. "At Acer, our AI PC range—led by devices like the Acer Swift 14 AI and Predator Helios AI—has seen strong momentum. This growth is a result of ongoing efforts to demonstrate how on-device AI can make everyday tasks smarter, faster, and more personalized. The market's positive response reinforces our view that AI PCs are not a passing trend, but a transformative evolution in personal computing, and we remain committed to driving awareness and meaningful engagement in this space," said Sudhir Goel, Chief Business Officer, Acer India. Acer is among the early movers in the AI PC space in India, and while the AI PC category is still evolving in terms of formal market share metrics, "We've carved a strong position across both consumer and gaming segments. Our focus so far has been on building awareness, educating customers about the practical benefits of on-device AI, and ensuring availability across key online and offline channels. Our share in AI PC within our portfolio will be in the early double digit," Goel added. Over the last year, specific user groups, especially creators and professionals have been expecting to do more with their devices. "Despite current penetration still being modest, expectations are for AI PC volumes in India to grow 8–10 times from today's levels by the end of this year as replacement cycles kick in and Windows 10 devices reach end-of-support," said Arnold Su, Vice President, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India. ASUS has seen strong growth across the board and believes that it will drive the next product replacement cycle for PCs. In the consumer segment, it has achieved an 18.5 percent market share backed by a 21.9 percent Y-O-Y growth. AI PCs penetration is expected to double by next year, and globally, they are projected to make up nearly 50 percent of the market by 2027. Driving this momentum are hybrid lifestyles, government-led digitization, and India's thriving SMB sector. "Our OMEN range of PCs are also equipped with AI features to enable a better gaming experience. With in-built AI features like HP AI Companion - a chatbot for smarter productivity, and Poly Camera Pro with noise cancellation, auto framing, and clear audio, we're helping users reimagine how they work, create, and collaborate in the new era," said Vineet Gehani – senior director, personal systems, HP India. What To Expect From OEMs To expand its reach further, Acer is intensifying efforts across three pillars—awareness, accessibility, and advocacy. Through targeted digital campaigns, influencer engagement, and strategic pricing, Acer aims to drive broader adoption and make AI PCs a mainstream choice across user categories in the coming quarters. "We plan to scale up retail and experiential campaigns that demystify AI use cases for consumers, particularly in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. We are also working closely with platform partners, ecosystem players like Microsoft and Intel, and our own R&D teams to continuously evolve our product offerings with AI-first innovations," Goel explained. ASUS has already started making AI-ready devices available in the affordable category. Its Snapdragon-powered Vivobook 16 is among the AI-capable devices in the segment and was launched at an accessible price. "This is just the beginning, we're committed to expanding this portfolio further and ensuring that meaningful AI adoption is not limited to premium users alone. At ASUS, we've always believed in making next-gen technology more accessible for the wider market. We're not just focusing on premium users; our goal is to expand across price points and usage needs. On the product front, we are actively building richer and more intuitive user experiences with features like adaptive dimming and adaptive lock, which use AI to optimize screen usage and extend battery life by up to 40 percent," Su added. HP, with an AI PC portfolio, designed for enterprises, SMBs, creators, gamers, and everyday consumers, its latest OmniBook and EliteBook AI PCs—powered by high-performance NPUs delivering up to 55 TOPS— claims to bring intelligence and performance together. "We are also making AI PCs accessible across price points, ensuring that every audience—from students and SMBs to professionals and creators—can be ready for the future of work. With prices starting at INR 70,000, we are delivering innovation within reach for all segments of the Indian market," Gehani added. The Near Future According to IDC, by 2028, nearly 98 percent of all PCs are expected to be AI PCs equipped with NPUs that can run AI tasks directly on the device. This shift means faster performance, enhanced security, and improved energy efficiency, transforming productivity and collaboration. This shift will mirror what we saw with transitions to smartphones. Once the utility becomes evident and accessible, adoption accelerates quickly and this is already happening with AI PCs in India. India has seen a strong initial wave of interest translating into real adoption, especially among creators, working professionals, and students who are constantly multitasking or managing high-volume content workflows. However, this won't be without its challenges, "These models commanding a 10-15 percent price premium over traditional models is a significant barrier. Its visibility in offline retail channels—especially outside of major metro areas—is still limited, mostly dominated by older inventory with basic AI capabilities. To truly accelerate this market, we need to see more concerted efforts in trade, consumer education and the development of localized AI applications that clearly demonstrate the value of these devices to give instant ROI for the users purchasing an advanced AI PC," said Anshika Jain, senior research analyst, Counterpoint Research.
