Closing the Chapter on Ten5: Lessons in Adaptation and Focus
Richard Sams
Co-Founder and Co-CEO at MOHARA. Pre Seed to Series A Investor. Co-Host at Founder Therapy podcast.
In business, as in life, adaptation is key.
Exactly a year ago, we founded Ten5 as a dedicated brand focused on providing staff augmentation services to experienced CPOs and CTOs. The goal was to bridge the gap between growing companies and top-tier technical talent, offering a flexible and efficient way to scale engineering and product teams. Over the past year, we worked with companies in a variety of verticals, helping them expand their technical capabilities quickly and effectively—kind of like adding a turbo button to their development teams. You can still visit ~[www.ten5.io](https://www.ten5.io/)~ for more on what we built (while it still exists!).
Ten5 emerged in response to clear market demand—potential customers were approaching us, seeking a staff augmentation model that didn’t quite align with MOHARA’s positioning at the time. Given the challenging market conditions, we saw an opportunity to bolster revenue by creating a distinct offering.
Over time, demand for pure staff augmentation declined and to be honest, it never really sat that well with us. Start-ups and scale-ups didn’t just need engineers, they needed product expertise, strategic insight, and a true thought partner in their journey. That’s what MOHARA has always been about, and that’s where we see the greatest impact.
As AI accelerates (so exciting), we’re seeing a massive spike in customers and founders who want more than just support. They’re looking for a team that can help shape their product, not just execute on tasks. This is MOHARA’s sweet spot, and rather than diluting our focus, we’ve decided to lean in.
So today, we’re officially closing the Ten5 brand.
It’s never easy to sunset a brand—kind of like saying goodbye to a houseplant you forgot to water. But leadership means making decisions, seeing what isn’t working and acting decisively. Ten5 was a response to a moment in time, and now we move forward with clarity: MOHARA is at its best when we operate as a true venture studio and product partner, not just a service provider.
This shift isn’t about closing doors—it’s about doubling down on what we do best. We’re excited about the next chapter and the incredible opportunities ahead for MOHARA and the startups we support.