"I see something that should exist and doesn't," she told me over lunch. "Then I can't stop thinking about it until I build it."
Her latest project is a platform that connects independent artists with small venues. It started as a spreadsheet she made for friends. Now it operates in twelve cities.
"The best businesses start as favours. You solve a problem for someone you care about, and then you realize other people have the same problem."
On failure
"It taught me the most important lesson in business: your customers will always tell you what they need. You just have to be willing to hear something different from what you expected."
She paused. "Most founders fail because they fall in love with their solution instead of falling in love with the problem."
What stays with me
The thing I remember most about Maya isn't anything she said about business. It's the way she listens. When you're talking to her, you get the feeling that she's genuinely trying to understand — not just waiting for her turn to speak.
That might be her real superpower.
