When trying to build you startup, it’s easy to get distracted by popular trends or a project with quick returns. But if they’re outside your vision and scope of business, it may actually hurt your brand and reputation to work outside of your niche.

It can be tempting to move away from your initial passion to make more money, satisfy an investor, or attract a new partner. But this loss of focus on what matters to you can lead to dissatisfaction with your project and a derailing of your original vision. Like the Mini Entrepreneur, innovators in the Arab world sometimes create projects that go against every creative bone in their body to satisfy a corporate client or make a quick buck. Of course there are times to take on side projects and satisfy certain funding requirements, but don’t lose your startup in the quest for easy money.

Is staying in a niche important for a startup? Have you taken on projects that don’t fulfill your vision just to stay afloat?  Let us know what you think in the comments sections below.