The Content Business #11 – Dose of Society – Scaling a 6M Follower Street Interview Brand with Ahmed Faid
In this episode of The Content Business, Ash & Kane sit down with Ahmed Faid, founder of Dose of Society and Dose of Emirates, to unpack how he built a 6 million+ follower media company through street interview content without becoming the face of the brand.
Ahmed shares how starting in 2017 with no blueprint, pitching Snapchat with 4,000 followers, and embracing risk allowed him to turn a simple street interview concept into a global content business operating across the UK, US, and Middle East.
The conversation dives into why he deliberately chose faceless content, how introducing the branded microphone changed everything, how COVID forced a pivot to Zoom interviews, and the business mechanics behind scaling a street interview format into a recognisable, monetisable global media brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Starting early in an emerging format can create long-term category leadership
• Faceless brands scale faster because they are not dependent on one personality
• Investment buys time, not just growth
• Introducing a recognisable visual asset can transform short-form performance
• Street interview content can evolve into a global media format
• Building infrastructure first makes international expansion easier
• Brand trust increases when the message stays consistent regardless of guest status
• Consistency and volume matter more than perfection
BEST MOMENTS
“We pretty much start out in 2017, so there’s not many people doing the kind of street interviews.”
“I do place everything down to timing.”
“Took me four hours to speak to one person.”
“It sometimes just takes that one yes to change everything.”
“Two years later, we got our first bit of money from Snapchat.”
“I wanted to build something that lives beyond me.”
“What does the mic stand for? Hope.”
“You don’t have to go too crazy and think of something unique.”
“The celebrity stuff is always kind of surreal.”
LINKS
Ahmed: https://www.instagram.com/doseofsociety
Website: https://www.podpartnerships.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecontentbusinesspod
Email: hello@podpartnerships.com
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Hosted by Ashley Morris and Kane Baron, founders of UAE-based content sponsorship agency: Pod Partnerships.
They’ve worked with thousands of creators and hundreds of brands, helping both household names and fast-growing startups turn podcast, YouTube, and influencer advertising into a core part of their media strategy.
Alongside this, Ashley and Kane have trained over 10,000 podcasters since 2020, going on to directly mentor hundreds of creators to plan, launch, grow, and monetise independent podcasts.