Welcome to the Emirates Man series ‘How I Got My Job As…’, where we speak to incredible entrepreneurs and business leaders based in the UAE and globally, uncovering their career paths, daily routines, challenges, and advice for those looking to follow in their footsteps.

Here, we speak to Mitia Murarev, co-founder of self.space, Dubai’s first AI-powered private self-portrait studio.

The concept is simple and smart. It is built for people who are a little awkward and exposed in front of the camera. At self.space, you can book a one-hour session and step into a completely private studio – just you, no photographer, no audience. Simply take the clicker and shoot unlimited photos in front of the full-length mirror. You can shoot as much as you want within your time slot. The system is AI-driven and delivers instant, editorial-looking images that are digitally safe and fully yours.

What sets self.space apart is you have full control, whether it’s adjusting the lighting or choosing the music – you can move at your own pace. Sessions work solo or with up to four people.

While the studio runs on advanced tech, the experience never feels cold. The team takes the experience further to attend to the smallest details, from the flow of the session to the atmosphere of the room. The result is a space that feels calm, considered, and welcoming.

Scroll through the below to read the full interview.

What was your favourite subject at school?

English and Literature.

What was your first job?

I worked as a magician. Birthdays and weddings. That was fun.

What eventually brought you to Dubai?

My co-founder Peter and I wanted to build something global, and Dubai is one of the rare places where that doesn’t sound ridiculous.

What inspired you to enter the tech space and launch self.space?

We ran a creative agency for 13 years — Cannes Lions, hundreds of international awards, clients like Nike, Google, Apple Music. Fun life. Then we realised we wanted to build something that doesn’t vanish after a media plan ends. People want great photos, but they often hate the process. So we built self.space.

What are the key elements of your role?

Hiring people better than me — and not getting in their way. I also do partnerships, fundraising, storytelling, and making sure the guest experience stays sharp. My job is making sure the right people are in the right room, for the right reasons.

Talk us through your daily routine.

I wake up around 9:00 am and try to do two things well: make the company grow, and make sure guests leave happier than they came in. Then I look at the clock, and it’s suddenly 2:00 am.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

“What’s done is done.” Regret is a very expensive hobby.

And what is the worst?

I can’t recall. I’m pretty good at forgetting bad advice. Feels like a useful skill.

Tell us more about the facilities and services offered at self.space.

It’s a private self-portrait studio: you’re alone in the room, no photographer. You control the session. We built our own AI retouch to make the results look clean and premium — without turning you into someone else. Privacy is the point: people relax, and the photos instantly get better. You get your private gallery right away. We also do gifting, pop-ups, and brand activations.

What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?

The biggest one is still ahead — scaling to 100 locations globally without losing the magic. Anyone can expand. The real challenge is expanding without becoming average.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?

Pick a partner whose strengths are different from yours — and don’t compete, but instead combine. Peter oversees engineering, AI, and product, while I’m in charge of hospitality, team, partnerships, and fundraising. self.space exists because those worlds collided — and we didn’t try to make them match. We made them work together.

What are your goals for the future?

To help millions of people see how beautiful, creative, and interesting they actually are — and to be present in every major city. My dream is that going to a self-portrait studio becomes a modern ritual. Like a birthday cake: not a luxury, not a “photo session” — just something you do to celebrate yourself, regularly.

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Images: Supplied and Instagram @self.space.uae @bleek.bureau