Crossing the Desert

Crossing the Desert Plot Summary

Introduction

In the scorching heat of the Iranian desert, a sixteen-year-old boy named Payam Zamani faced a life-altering decision: remain in a country where his Baha'i faith meant persecution, or risk everything on a dangerous escape across the border. This moment of crisis would become the crucible that forged an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey. From refugee to tech pioneer, from dot-com millionaire to advocate for a more humane capitalism, Zamani's life illustrates how adversity can become the foundation for meaningful success when guided by unwavering principles and a commitment to service. Zamani's story transcends typical rags-to-riches narratives by revealing how spiritual values can transform business practices. Through his experiences, we discover the power of resilience in overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the importance of aligning entrepreneurial ambition with deeper purpose, and the possibility of creating business models that generate both profit and positive social impact. In an era when many question whether capitalism can address society's most pressing challenges, Zamani offers a compelling vision for how business leaders might integrate material success with spiritual principles to create enterprises that truly serve humanity.

Chapter 1: Childhood Under Persecution: Growing Up Baha'i in Iran

The earliest memories of Payam Zamani's childhood in Iran were marked by a painful duality – moments of ordinary childhood joy overshadowed by persistent religious persecution. Born into a Baha'i family in the 1970s, Payam learned from an early age that his faith made him a target. In first grade, classmates would routinely pull off his winter hat, spit inside it, and place it back on his head – a small but telling example of the systematic harassment Baha'i children faced in Iranian schools. His sister experienced even worse treatment, eventually being deliberately struck by a car outside their school, resulting in hospitalization. The Zamani family deliberately chose to live in inhospitable areas like Hashtgerd, where they could find affordable housing despite the constant danger. Their windows were regularly shattered by rocks thrown by neighbors, a physical manifestation of the hostility surrounding them. Yet within this environment of fear, Payam's parents created a home defined by faith, resilience, and service to others. Their modest house became a gathering place for fellow Baha'is and even welcomed strangers in need, including a French couple whose car had broken down and who faced threats from locals hostile to foreigners. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 dramatically worsened conditions for the Baha'i community. When Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, the new Islamic government began systematically targeting Baha'is, executing many community leaders and implementing policies that stripped Baha'is of basic rights. At school, Payam faced increasing pressure, including interrogations by officials attempting to trap him into denouncing his faith. These weren't idle threats – Baha'i children who refused to recant their beliefs were expelled from schools, effectively denying them education. A particularly traumatic incident occurred when school authorities incited Payam's classmates against him and another Baha'i student. A mob of children attacked them, beating and spitting on them during what Payam would later call "the bleeding mile" – their terrifying walk home from school. This event proved so traumatic that his parents sent him to live with his sister in Tehran, marking the beginning of his separation from his family. As conditions deteriorated further, Payam's older brother and sister eventually fled Iran, leaving sixteen-year-old Payam facing an impossible choice. By 1987, Payam's future in Iran had become untenable. Baha'i youth were barred from higher education, most employment opportunities were closed to Baha'is, and the threat of imprisonment or worse loomed constantly. With his mother's help, arrangements were made with smugglers to guide him across the border into Pakistan. The journey would involve traveling through the scorching Emptiness Desert, scaling steep mountain ranges, and evading border guards who would shoot escapees on sight. Despite these dangers, Payam knew there was no future for him in Iran. His parents initially chose to stay behind, committed to serving their community despite the persecution. This childhood under persecution instilled in Payam qualities that would later define his entrepreneurial approach: extraordinary resilience in the face of adversity, a deep appreciation for freedom and human dignity, and an unwavering commitment to principles even when they came at great personal cost. The experience of being systematically excluded from society because of his faith gave him a unique perspective on inclusion and justice that would later inform his business philosophy. Most importantly, it taught him that material circumstances, however difficult, need not determine one's spiritual outlook or capacity to serve others.

Chapter 2: The Desert Crossing: Escaping Religious Persecution

In July 1987, sixteen-year-old Payam embarked on what would become the most dangerous journey of his life. After a tearful goodbye with his mother at a bus station in Zahedan, a city near Iran's eastern border, he was whisked away by smugglers in a white Paykan car. Hidden in a safe house until nightfall, Payam met his fellow escapees – another Baha'i boy named Omid and four Jewish girls also fleeing religious persecution. As darkness fell, they were loaded into a pickup truck and driven at breakneck speed toward the Pakistani border, the driver cutting the headlights when they veered off-road to avoid detection by border patrols. The journey quickly became a test of physical and psychological endurance. After abandoning the vehicles, the group began scaling a nearly vertical wall constructed by the Iranian government specifically to prevent escapes. For five grueling hours, they climbed and hiked through treacherous mountain terrain in complete darkness. When Payam, exhausted and frightened, asked how much farther they had to go, the smuggler repeatedly answered "fifteen minutes" – a psychological tactic he later explained: "Anyone can hike for fifteen minutes at a time, but if you knew the hike was going to be five hours, the weak would have given up and been left behind to die." After crossing the mountains, the group collapsed on a desert plateau as the sun rose, their water supplies nearly depleted in the scorching heat. Eventually, Toyota pickup trucks with right-hand steering wheels – confirmation they had reached Pakistan – arrived to transport them to the next leg of their journey. They joined a rickety bus filled with contraband and other refugees, traveling at a painfully slow pace through the Pakistani desert. At checkpoints, they disembarked and hiked over mountain ranges to avoid detection, with Payam nearly succumbing to dehydration during one particularly brutal crossing. The physical ordeal was matched by psychological torment. Throughout the journey, Payam was haunted by the knowledge that if caught, he faced imprisonment or worse. Every unfamiliar sound triggered fear of border guards. Beyond immediate dangers, he carried the emotional weight of leaving his parents behind and the uncertainty of whether he would ever see them again. The desert crossing represented not just a physical boundary but the severing of his connection to his homeland, culture, and family – everything familiar and secure in his young life. After nearly three days of travel, they finally reached Quetta, Pakistan, where Payam was taken to a motel that had become a way station for Baha'i refugees. The walls were carved with messages from others who had made the same journey before him, tangible evidence that he wasn't alone in his experience. There, he was able to call his brother and sister, who had escaped months earlier, and let them know he had survived. Though safe from immediate danger, Payam's journey was far from over. He would spend nearly a year in Pakistan, awaiting refugee status from the United Nations before being granted asylum in the United States. During this limbo period in Pakistan, Payam's parents made the difficult decision to follow their children's path, undertaking the same dangerous journey and eventually reuniting with him before he departed for America. This reunion, while joyful, was also bittersweet, as they knew their family would soon be separated again by continents. The desert crossing marked the end of Payam's childhood and the beginning of his identity as a refugee – someone who had lost his homeland but preserved something more precious: his faith and his freedom to live according to his conscience. These values, purchased at such great cost, would become the foundation upon which he would build his future in America.

Chapter 3: Building a New Life in America

On June 20, 1988, after a series of flights across the globe, seventeen-year-old Payam arrived in San Francisco with his brother. Craning his neck to catch his first glimpse of America through the airplane window, he was overcome with emotion: "Oh my God. That's America. We made it! We're here!" After years of watching bootlegged American movies and memorizing U.S. state capitals as a child in Iran, the country he had dreamed about was finally real. His cousin Sean met them at the airport and drove them to Modesto, California, where they would begin their new lives with virtually nothing – just $75 between them and twenty days to find their own apartment. The transition was jarring in countless ways. Payam immediately sought employment, finding work at a silk-screen printing shop and Pizza Palace, often working sixteen-hour days while earning minimum wage. Despite his limited English, he enrolled as a senior at Beyer High School, determined to complete his education. The cultural differences were striking – from couples openly kissing in hallways to the simple freedom from daily harassment he had experienced in Iran. Though he often sat alone during lunch, reading books because he couldn't easily converse with classmates, Payam was grateful for the kindness he encountered and the opportunity to study without fear of persecution. Education became Payam's primary focus and pathway to advancement. After graduating high school with a 4.0 GPA, he enrolled at Modesto Junior College while maintaining multiple jobs. Working graveyard shifts at a cannery and afternoons at Pizza Palace, he sometimes went days without sleep. Despite the exhaustion, he excelled academically and discovered leadership abilities when he ran for president of the International Club – and won. Under his guidance, the struggling club was transformed into a thriving organization that raised enough money to take members on trips to Disneyland and white-water rafting adventures. In 1991, Payam transferred to UC Davis to study environmental toxicology, continuing to work multiple jobs to support himself. During this period, he joined Student Painters, a company that trained college students to run their own house-painting businesses. This experience revealed his entrepreneurial instincts and remarkable determination. Despite having the lowest sales closure rate among his peers – just 10% compared to others' 40% – Payam compensated through sheer volume. He set a goal to earn $20,000 that summer, calculated that he needed to book fifty jobs at his closure rate, and then gave five hundred estimates to reach his target. This experience taught him valuable lessons about business, sales, and perseverance. Throughout these early years in America, Payam maintained his Baha'i faith as the center of his identity and value system. He became active in the local Baha'i community, finding spiritual grounding and connection that helped him navigate the challenges of adaptation. The Baha'i teachings on the oneness of humanity, the harmony of science and religion, and the importance of service to others provided a framework for making sense of his experiences and maintaining purpose amid hardship. Unlike many immigrants who might feel pressure to assimilate completely, Payam integrated into American society while preserving his spiritual heritage. By the time he graduated from UC Davis in 1994, Payam had accomplished what many might consider impossible. In just six years, he had gone from refugee to college graduate, mastered a new language, built a community, and developed professional skills. He had embraced American opportunities while maintaining the resilience and faith that had carried him through persecution in Iran. What he couldn't yet know was that these experiences were preparing him for an entrepreneurial journey that would transform not only his own life but potentially the very nature of business itself. The refugee who had arrived with nothing was poised to become a pioneer in one of America's most dynamic industries.

Chapter 4: AutoWeb: Pioneering Internet Entrepreneurship

In 1994, as Payam was completing his studies at UC Davis, his brother Frank made an observation that would change both their lives: major automotive companies, including Honda, didn't yet have websites. The internet was still in its infancy, but the brothers immediately recognized a massive opportunity in the automotive space. With Frank's technical skills and Payam's business instincts, they decided to create AutoWeb, an online platform that would connect car buyers with dealerships, providing consumers with information previously controlled by salespeople and offering dealers access to interested customers. Launching the venture required extraordinary resourcefulness. With no external funding and limited personal savings, the brothers operated from a tiny office that initially contained little more than a desk and telephone. Payam took responsibility for sales and marketing, cold-calling dealerships to explain a concept most couldn't comprehend: using the internet as a sales channel. The rejection was overwhelming – he visited 150 dealerships without securing a single client. Most managers had never been online and couldn't grasp the potential of internet marketing. When Frank suggested quitting, Payam refused, drawing inspiration from Colonel Sanders who reportedly received 1,000 rejections before finding success with KFC. "I've had only a hundred and fifty noes. So I'm gonna keep going," he insisted. The breakthrough came when Payam secured their first paying client – Cochran & Celli dealership in Oakland, which paid $28,000 for exclusive representation in two counties. This initial success provided both validation and capital, allowing the brothers to expand their operations. A second pivotal relationship developed when Payam met Norm Turner, general manager of Stevens Creek Honda in San Jose. Turner, who had already innovated with one-price selling at his dealership, immediately understood the internet's potential. He proposed a performance-based arrangement: if AutoWeb helped sell three cars in three months, he would pay $3,000 and continue the partnership. Within weeks, they had helped sell five cars, and Turner became their most enthusiastic advocate, introducing them to other dealerships and automotive industry leaders. As AutoWeb gained traction, the brothers faced a critical decision about the company's business model. Initially conceived as a subscription service for dealerships, they realized a greater opportunity existed in generating and selling leads directly to dealers. This pivot proved transformative, creating what would become known as the "lead generation" business model – now standard across numerous industries. Rather than charging dealerships a flat subscription fee, AutoWeb began charging per customer lead, aligning the company's success directly with the value provided to dealers. This innovation dramatically increased revenue and created a more sustainable business model. By 1998, AutoWeb had transformed from a two-person startup into a company with offices nationwide, hundreds of employees, and millions in revenue. The growth attracted venture capital investment, with firms valuing the company at increasingly higher amounts. In March 1999, AutoWeb went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in one of the most successful IPOs of the dot-com era. The stock, initially priced at $14 per share, opened at $27 and closed its first day of trading at $40, giving the company a valuation of $1.2 billion. By the end of the day, Payam's 20% stake was worth over $200 million – an extraordinary outcome for someone who had arrived in America as a penniless refugee just eleven years earlier. The AutoWeb success story represented more than just financial achievement. It demonstrated Payam's remarkable ability to identify opportunities, persist through rejection, adapt to changing circumstances, and execute a vision others couldn't yet see. Perhaps most importantly, it showed how his experiences as a refugee – learning to navigate unfamiliar environments, developing resilience in the face of adversity, and maintaining faith despite uncertainty – had prepared him for entrepreneurial challenges in ways traditional business education never could. The immigrant who had crossed deserts to escape persecution had now helped pioneer the digital transformation of one of America's largest industries.

Chapter 5: Weathering the Dot-Com Crash

The euphoria surrounding AutoWeb's successful IPO proved short-lived. By early 2000, the dot-com bubble that had propelled internet companies to astronomical valuations began showing signs of instability. Payam, who had stepped away from day-to-day operations at AutoWeb following disagreements with the board and new management, found himself watching from the sidelines as market sentiment rapidly shifted. When the bubble finally burst, AutoWeb's stock price plummeted, eventually falling to mere pennies per share. The company that had once been valued at $1.2 billion was ultimately acquired by competitor Autobytel for a fraction of its former worth. The dot-com crash coincided with Payam's own entrepreneurial setback. After leaving AutoWeb, he had launched PurpleTie, an ambitious venture aimed at revolutionizing the dry-cleaning industry through centralized operations, online ordering, and environmentally sustainable practices. He invested millions of his own money and secured additional funding based on his previous success. The business model was innovative and the execution meticulous, but timing proved catastrophic. As the broader economy contracted following the dot-com crash, investment capital vanished virtually overnight, leaving PurpleTie without the runway needed to reach profitability. By 2001, Payam faced the painful decision to shut down PurpleTie. Unlike many failed startups that simply disappeared, he insisted on an orderly closure that honored commitments to customers and employees. He personally guaranteed numerous business obligations, resulting in significant financial losses. The entrepreneur who had been worth hundreds of millions on paper just two years earlier now found himself facing substantial debt and the emotional weight of a very public failure. This period of professional setback coincided with personal challenges, including the end of his first marriage, creating a perfect storm of adversity. Rather than becoming bitter or defeated, Payam approached these failures as opportunities for growth and learning. He began examining the fundamental assumptions that had guided his business decisions, questioning whether financial metrics alone were sufficient measures of success. A pivotal insight emerged from this period of reflection: Payam recognized that his most fulfilling moments as an entrepreneur hadn't come from wealth accumulation but from creating something meaningful that served others. He saw how easily the pursuit of growth and profit could become disconnected from deeper purpose. This realization prompted Payam to reconnect with the spiritual principles that had sustained him through earlier challenges. The Baha'i teachings on detachment from material possessions took on new significance as he watched paper wealth evaporate. The faith's emphasis on service to humanity provided a framework for reimagining entrepreneurship as something more than profit generation. Most importantly, the Baha'i perspective on tests and difficulties – viewing them as opportunities for spiritual growth rather than random misfortunes – helped him find meaning in his struggles. By 2003, Payam had begun rebuilding his entrepreneurial life with a fundamentally different approach. He launched Reply.com, a performance-based marketing platform that applied many of the lessons he'd learned from AutoWeb, but with a more sustainable growth model and greater emphasis on creating value for all stakeholders. The business proved successful, eventually becoming profitable and providing the foundation for his future ventures. More importantly, this period of rebuilding allowed Payam to integrate his spiritual values and business practices in ways that would define his future entrepreneurial identity.

Chapter 6: Spiritual Capitalism: Business as a Force for Good

The dot-com crash and subsequent rebuilding period catalyzed a profound evolution in Payam's approach to business. While attending a Baha'i conference in 2014, he experienced what he would later describe as a moment of clarity about the artificial separation between his spiritual values and professional practices. He began questioning why capitalism seemed to require compartmentalizing spiritual principles rather than integrating them into business operations. This questioning led to a bold vision: creating enterprises that would embody spiritual values like unity, justice, and compassion while remaining commercially successful. When Reply.com faced financial difficulties under new leadership, Payam returned briefly to stabilize the company, then personally bought it back from investors. This unconventional move freed him from external pressures to maximize short-term returns at the expense of other values. He renamed the company Buyerlink and established it as the foundation for a new venture: One Planet Group, a private equity firm designed to operate according to spiritual principles while generating sustainable profits. The name itself reflected the Baha'i teaching on the oneness of humanity – that despite our apparent differences, we inhabit one planet and share responsibility for its wellbeing. One Planet Group embodied what Payam called "spiritual capitalism" – an approach measuring success not just by financial returns but by positive impact on employees, communities, and the world. The company established explicit guiding principles including unity, truthfulness, justice, and service – concepts rarely centered in business strategy. These weren't merely aspirational values for external marketing; they became operational imperatives influencing everything from hiring practices to investment decisions. Perhaps most radically, One Planet explicitly rejected the notion that business success required someone else's failure, embracing instead a model where multiple stakeholders could simultaneously benefit. This philosophy manifested in concrete policies that distinguished One Planet from conventional companies. The firm committed to giving away approximately 20% of profits to charitable causes – not as an afterthought but as a core business priority. It established "Days of Service" where employees received paid time off specifically to volunteer in their communities. The company prioritized investments in businesses led by women and people of color, groups traditionally underrepresented in venture funding. One Planet maintained gender parity across its workforce, including leadership positions – a rarity in the technology sector. What made Payam's approach particularly remarkable was its commercial viability. One Planet Group grew substantially, expanding into multiple business lines including media production, marketing technology, and venture investments. Buyerlink increased its value sevenfold under this model. This success challenged conventional wisdom that spiritual values and business profitability were inherently at odds. Instead, Payam demonstrated that principles like honesty, unity, and service could become competitive advantages, fostering employee loyalty, customer trust, and sustainable growth. Through speaking engagements, mentorship, and the example of One Planet Group, Payam began advocating for this more holistic vision of entrepreneurship. He rejected the notion that business exists primarily to maximize shareholder returns, arguing instead that companies should create value for all stakeholders – employees, customers, communities, and the environment. This perspective positioned business as a potential force for addressing society's most pressing challenges rather than exacerbating them. As One Planet Group demonstrated the viability of purpose-driven business, it influenced other entrepreneurs and investors to reconsider their own practices, helping expand the very definition of entrepreneurial success.

Chapter 7: One Planet Group: Leading with Purpose and Faith

One Planet Group represents the culmination of Payam's entrepreneurial evolution – a company explicitly designed to integrate spiritual principles with business operations. Unlike many executives who separate their personal values from business decisions, Payam built an organizational structure that institutionalized his commitment to service, justice, and unity. The company's mission statement reflects this integration: "To serve humanity through innovation and collective action while fostering a culture that unlocks the full potential of our team members and those around us." This purpose-driven approach manifests in One Planet's organizational culture. Payam eliminated traditional hierarchical barriers, instituting weekly all-hands meetings where anonymous employee questions are addressed openly, regardless of how challenging they might be. He established profit-sharing for all employees, not just executives, reflecting his belief in economic justice. Perhaps most distinctively, he created a corporate environment where discussing the spiritual dimensions of work isn't taboo but encouraged, allowing employees to bring their whole selves to their professional lives without requiring adherence to any particular faith tradition. One Planet's investment strategy similarly reflects this integrated worldview. When evaluating potential investments or partnerships, financial projections matter but aren't sufficient. The company asks deeper questions: Does this business contribute positively to society? Are its practices aligned with principles of justice and unity? Will it help reduce inequalities rather than exacerbate them? This holistic evaluation sometimes means passing on financially attractive opportunities that don't meet these broader criteria, but it also uncovers value in places conventional investors overlook – particularly in businesses founded by women and people from underrepresented communities. The company's philanthropic activities further demonstrate Payam's commitment to using business as a vehicle for positive change. Beyond the significant percentage of profits directed to charitable causes, One Planet has established specific initiatives addressing education, economic development, and human rights. The company actively supports organizations working to protect persecuted religious minorities worldwide, reflecting Payam's personal experience as a refugee. These aren't peripheral corporate social responsibility efforts but central to the company's identity and purpose. Perhaps most significantly, One Planet serves as a laboratory for testing and refining the principles of spiritual capitalism. The company continuously experiments with policies and practices that align material success with spiritual values – from innovative compensation structures to environmentally sustainable operations. When these experiments prove successful, Payam shares the learnings widely, hoping to influence broader business practices. When they fall short, the company adapts and tries new approaches, maintaining the commitment to integration even when implementation proves challenging. Through One Planet Group, Payam has created a living example of how business might operate if guided by spiritual principles rather than solely by profit maximization. The company demonstrates that enterprises can simultaneously generate financial returns, provide meaningful work, contribute to social progress, and operate with integrity. This model offers a compelling alternative to both unfettered capitalism and anti-market ideologies, suggesting a middle path where business becomes a powerful force for human advancement. For Payam, this represents the fulfillment of a journey that began in the deserts of Iran – using the freedom and opportunities he found in America to create enterprises that embody the very values for which he was once persecuted.

Summary

Payam Zamani's extraordinary journey from persecuted refugee to purpose-driven entrepreneur offers a powerful testament to the transformative potential of integrating spiritual principles with business practices. His life demonstrates that our greatest challenges often prepare us for our most meaningful contributions – that the resilience forged through adversity can become the foundation for creating enterprises that serve humanity while generating sustainable prosperity. The teenage boy who risked everything to escape religious persecution has become a pioneer of "spiritual capitalism," challenging conventional assumptions about what business can and should accomplish in the world. The most enduring lesson from Payam's story may be that true success transcends financial metrics to encompass positive impact on human lives and communities. For business leaders, his example invites us to question whether profit maximization alone provides sufficient purpose for our entrepreneurial endeavors, and whether integrating spiritual values might actually enhance rather than hinder commercial success. For individuals facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, his journey reminds us that persistence beyond rejection, clarity of purpose amid uncertainty, and faith during darkness can transform apparent limitations into unique strengths. In a world increasingly questioning whether capitalism can address our most pressing challenges, Payam Zamani offers a compelling vision for how business might become a powerful force for building a more just, unified, and prosperous global community.

About Author

Loading...

Payam Zamani

Payam Zamani is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of One Planet Group, a closely held private equity firm that owns a suite of online technology and media businesses.Born in Iran, Zamani was forced to flee at the age of 16 due to his religious beliefs as a Baha’i. He was offered asylum in the United States in 1988, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Upon graduation from the University of California, Davis, he and his brother founded AutoWeb, one of the first online car marketplaces, which they took public in 1999.Since then, he has built and currently owns multiple technology and media businesses, has invested in more than 50 companies, and is striving to redefine capitalism in an attempt to elevate business to serve humanity. He has been named the “Best CEO for Diversity,” is the recipient of Tahirih Justice Center’s Hope Award, and received an Award of Distinction from UC Davis in 2018. Zamani and his wife, Gouya, have two daughters, Sophia and Ella.

Read more