Success in Silicon Valley is generally measured by the size of a funding round or the speed of an exit. Yet Payam Zamani challenges this paradigm. Zamani’s life experiences and Baha'i Faith, which teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people, profoundly influence his approach to business, entrepreneurship, investment, and capitalism and explain his evolution from refugee to unicorn co-founder to purpose-driven investor.
He stands as a unique figure in the landscape of modern capitalism. A Journey of Faith and Resilience Zamani’s story begins in Iran during the tumultuous years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As members of the Baha'i Faith, Zamani’s family faced persecution in their homeland.
Zamani’s escape alone at age 16 involved danger, hunger, thirst, and great uncertainty and marked the beginning of a journey that would shape Zamani’s worldview and business philosophy. In his book "Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys," Zamani reflects on the lessons he learned from his early experiences. "The only constant is change itself," he writes, highlighting how his journey taught him to approach life’s uncertainties with hope rather than fear.
This mindset would later become a cornerstone of his entrepreneurial ventures, where resilience and adaptability are essential. Innovating with Purpose Zamani may be best known as the co-founder (with his brother Frank) of AutoWeb, one of the first interne.
