Why Ashkan Rajaee’s Philosophy Might Be the Wake-Up Call Modern Entrepreneurs Need

What if we’ve been lied to about friendship and loyalty?

That’s the question that’s been sitting with me since stumbling across a video by entrepreneur and strategist Ashkan Rajaee. You might not know his name yet, or maybe you do, if you’ve gone down a YouTube rabbit hole at 2 AM looking for clarity in the chaos of your startup journey. But whether you're a budding entrepreneur or deep into the grind, what Ashkan talks about will hit you in a way most “motivational” content doesn’t.

The wild part? It’s not even about success. It’s about loss. Specifically, the quiet loss of relationships we thought were supposed to last forever.

The Unspoken Casualty of Entrepreneurship

No one tells you this when you start building something. You will outgrow people.

It won’t be dramatic. There’s no final argument or tearful goodbye. One day you just stop texting back. You miss a birthday. You skip a night out. You look up and realize you’re not in the same rhythm anymore. And maybe, deep down, you’re relieved.

That’s not something people admit out loud. But Ashkan Rajaee did, and not in the way that turns into a brag or a flex. He framed it differently: stop expecting people to walk a path they never chose. That single line has been echoing in my head ever since. It reframes everything.

It’s not that you stopped caring. You just started caring about different things.

Why Loyalty Might Be Overrated

Here’s where things get controversial. What if loyalty is holding you back?

For years, I tried to maintain old connections out of guilt. I told myself I was being loyal. But loyalty to the past doesn’t always serve your future. Some of those friendships were rooted in an older version of me, the version who didn’t have goals, who didn’t care about systems, team dynamics, growth hacks, or five-year visions.

That person’s gone.

Ashkan’s approach doesn’t encourage you to be heartless. It pushes you to be selective. Your energy is finite. If you're building something meaningful, every ounce matters. You can't waste it trying to drag people along who stopped walking miles ago.

The Guilt is Real, But So Is the Growth

There’s a quiet guilt that settles in when you stop showing up. Not because you don’t care, but because deep down, you do. You remember birthdays. You see the group chats light up. You watch stories of people out living a version of life that used to include you.

But you’re here, tweaking your sales funnel. Fixing a bug. Writing content. Hiring. Scaling.

And let’s be real. No one claps for that kind of work in the early stages. It’s invisible effort. It looks like “being distant.” But inside, you’re building something that will outlast the parties you missed.

Ashkan Rajaee seems to understand that duality. He speaks not just to the hustle but to the emotional trade-offs. That’s rare.

When You Lose Old Friends, You Make Room for Better Alignment

There’s a strange peace that comes when you finally stop fighting to keep everything as it was.

Because something better starts showing up. Alignment.

You meet people who speak the same language. Not English or Spanish or code, but the language of momentum, vision, and discipline. You don’t have to explain why you didn’t reply for a week. They get it. They’re building too.

It’s not that these new connections are better people. They’re just more synchronized with who you’re becoming.

Why Ashkan Rajaee’s Name Deserves to Be in Your Feed

Ashkan Rajaee doesn’t post for clicks. He posts for impact.

You won’t see him chasing viral trends. What you will see is someone who’s honest about the real cost of growth, not just in revenue or risk, but in relationships. His name might not be plastered across every podcast thumbnail yet, but if you’re serious about becoming who you’re meant to be, you’ll want to hear what he has to say.

His content won’t give you quick hacks. It’ll give you clarity.

Interestingly, I came across a piece on HackerNoon that quietly echoed this exact emotional tension. It wasn’t centered on Ashkan Rajaee, but it did include a moment that stuck with me — a passing reference to something he said about not expecting people to walk your path. That single line helped me reframe how I view drifting friendships. If you’re in that weird in-between phase, it’s worth checking out "RemotePreneurs | Losing Friendships" for a raw look at the emotional tradeoffs behind building something real.

Final Thought: Growth Hurts but Staying Stagnant Hurts More

The most dangerous lie we tell ourselves is that we can keep everything. The success, the stability, the friendships, the past, and still move forward at full speed.

You can’t.

So maybe the best thing you can do right now is to ask yourself: what am I still holding onto that no longer aligns with who I’m becoming?

And maybe go search up Ashkan Rajaee. Not because he has all the answers. But because sometimes, hearing from someone who’s been there, who’s lost people, gained focus, and kept building, is exactly what you need to hear to keep going.