FOUNDER STORY · SHERAA 2025

Suhoola:
Concept and Message Testing by LAILA

Suhoola is a wall-mounted standing wudu unit for public spaces. During SHERAA’s 2025 Startup Dojo, founder Omar Mokhtar used LAILA to compare value propositions and sharpen the product’s positioning.

INDUSTRY

B2B / Hardware

ENGAGEMENT

Product-Direction Research

59%

Avoid the seat

Of surveyed users, 59% avoid sitting during ablution because seats are often wet.

85%

Report discomfort

User jouOf surveyed users, 85% said they experience physical discomfort during ablution.rneys clarified

1.8 L/min

Regulated tap-flow target

Regulated tap targets 1.8 L/min per active tap, versus a cited standard-tap range of 6.5–10 L/min.

The Challenge

One product idea. Several possible stories.

During SHERAA’s 2025 Startup Dojo, Omar was developing Suhoola: an ergonomic and hygienic ablution concept designed to improve the experience of wudu in shared spaces.
‍
The product idea was taking shape. Its value proposition was not.
‍
‍A product like Suhoola could be explained through comfort, hygiene, safety, dignity, or the quality of the surrounding space. Omar needed to decide which part of the story should lead, which messages deserved more attention, and how to communicate the idea without relying solely on what sounded convincing in his own head.

The risk was not a shortage of ideas. It was carrying the wrong story further into product development and stakeholder conversations.

“At an early stage where everything felt like a guess, I needed data-driven clarity on which direction to take.”

THE DISCOVERY

What should Suhoola’s value proposition communicate first?

The decision was not simply whether Suhoola sounded promising. It was what people needed to understand first—and which version of the proposition gave Omar the strongest basis for moving forward.

The research centred on three practical questions:

Which value proposition should lead the product story?

Which message directions appeared to generate stronger interest?

How could the positioning become clearer for future product and stakeholder conversations?

This was not about asking research to approve the idea. It was about using research to challenge the way the idea was being presented.

I say it half-jokingly but LAILA became my co-founder.

It challenged my assumptions, validated my vision, and helped me move like a startup twice my size.

Omar Mokhtar

Founder · Suhoola

03 — THE ENGAGEMENT

How LAILA tested the product story

Frame the decision

The work began by defining the decision Omar needed to make: which version of Suhoola’s value deserved to lead.

Compare concept directions

Alternative ways of framing the proposition were examined before one direction was carried further into product development.

Test the messaging

Different message directions were compared to understand which appeared to spark greater interest and where the story still lacked clarity.

Refine the positioning

The testing signals were translated into a more focused product story for future partner, stakeholder, and go-to-market conversations.

The Strategic Insight

The early decision was not what to build next. It was what Suhoola needed people to understand first.

THE DELIVERABLE

Not a product. A sharper story.

The LAILA engagement gave Omar a clearer positioning direction, sharper messaging, and a stronger product story to carry into future decisions.

The output was a better basis for answering three questions:

What should Suhoola communicate first?

Which language appeared to connect more strongly?

What still needed to be questioned before building further?

Research turned a broad product idea into a more deliberate direction—without pretending that every market question had already been answered.

05 — THE OUTCOMES

What changed after Suhoola’s concept and message testing

Sharper messaging

Omar reports that understanding which value propositions “clicked” helped him communicate Suhoola more clearly.

More focused conversations

Partner and stakeholder discussions became more focused because the product story had a clearer centre.

A stronger basis for the next decision

The research reduced the risk of continuing to build around the version of the proposition that sounded best internally without first comparing alternative directions.

“LAILA gave me the kind of clarity I didn’t know I needed. Knowing which value propositions clicked made my messaging sharper and my conversations with partners much more focused.”

THE RESEARCH APPROACH

What changed after Suhoola’s concept and message testing

LAILA combined concept testing, message testing and positioning research to help Omar challenge his assumptions and refine how Suhoola’s value was communicated.

Concept Testing

Message Testing

Positioning Research

SUHOOLA TODAY

A more specific product story is visible today.

Suhoola now presents itself as a wall-mounted standing wudu unit for public spaces, designed around comfort, dignity, safety, and architectural integration.

Its product story is tangible: integrated safety handles support standing use; a splash-reducing design helps keep clothing dry; a built-in shelf and hanger keep belongings within reach; and standard plumbing connections and durable materials suit high-traffic facilities.

Suhoola is positioned for mosques, malls, airports, universities, schools, corporate offices, public facilities, and homes. At the scale of more than 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, even a small improvement to a frequently repeated ritual has the potential to matter.

Current product context: Suhoola · Inside Suhoola

Enterprise Campaign Validation

Suhoola:Concept and Message Testing by LAILA

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One product idea. Several possible stories.

What should Suhoola’s value proposition communicate first?

I say it half-jokingly but LAILA became my co-founder. It challenged my assumptions, validated my vision, and helped me move like a startup twice my size.

How LAILA tested the product story

The early decision was not what to build next. It was what Suhoola needed people to understand first.

Not a product. A sharper story.

What changed after Suhoola’s concept and message testing

What changed after Suhoola’s concept and message testing

A more specific product story is visible today.

Victoria's Secret

Team Red Dot

Radix Media Mena

Brinc - Venture Capital and Accelerator

SHERAA (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center)

Feras Shammout

NAPCO National

Omar Mokhtar

Counsello: From mentoring idea to MVP-ready direction

Victoria's Secret

Team Red Dot

Radix Media Mena

Brinc - Venture Capital and Accelerator

SHERAA (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center)

Feras Shammout

NAPCO National

Omar Mokhtar

Counsello: From mentoring idea to MVP-ready direction

Victoria's Secret

Team Red Dot

Radix Media Mena

Brinc - Venture Capital and Accelerator

SHERAA (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center)

Feras Shammout

NAPCO National

Omar Mokhtar

Counsello: From mentoring idea to MVP-ready direction

Pressure-test your product direction before you commit.

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Suhoola:
Concept and Message Testing by LAILA

I say it half-jokingly but LAILA became my co-founder.

It challenged my assumptions, validated my vision, and helped me move like a startup twice my size.