Mahmoud Hassan fixed phones for 5 years at a workshop in Zamalek, Cairo — one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. His boss charged E£3,000–E£8,000 per repair for premium devices. Mahmoud earned E£4,000 per month. The shop earned more than that in a single good day.
"I did all the work," he says simply. "He collected the money. The only difference between us was that he had a shop and I didn't."
The Decision
In 2024, Mahmoud borrowed E£30,000 from his father and opened a shop in Heliopolis — near Cairo International Airport, dense with professionals, airline staff, and upper-middle-class families.
His first action before opening: setting up RepairCoreX.
"In Zamalek I saw what a professional shop looked like — the furniture, the invoices, the customer experience. I was going to build that in Heliopolis, but with a real system underneath it."
The Professional Standard
From day one, Mahmoud's shop looked and operated differently from every other repair shop in Heliopolis:
Every device photographed before and after. Every repair issued a digital ticket via WhatsApp. Every invoice professional and itemised. Every customer received an update without calling.
"Egyptians are used to being ignored or made to wait," he says. "When a customer gets a WhatsApp notification saying their device is ready, they are genuinely surprised. Then they tell everyone."
The Numbers
By year end, Mahmoud was earning more per month than his old boss had earned per year from his workshop. He bought his first car in month 8. He paid back his father's loan in month 4.
What He Tells Other Egyptians
"Egypt has millions of broken phones and a tiny number of professional shops. The market is ready. The demand is ready. The only thing missing is people willing to run a real business with a real system."
"RepairCoreX gave me that system. The free plan was more than enough to start. Once I saw the numbers, upgrading was obvious."
His shop is now one of Heliopolis's most reviewed repair businesses on Google Maps.