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About me

Cooking Up Another Software Startup

Hello World,

I previously founded Just Ads where we bootstrapped an easy-to-use performance marketing automation SaaS product designed for generative AI, and Pencil News where we built natural language processing algorithms for digitally underserved languages such as Urdu.

The last few years taught me a lot about managing and growing early stage startups, knowledge that would be great to use to serve other founders.

In my spare time, I am writing a book about how developments in psychology and neuroscience are heralding a cross-cultural and cross-functional convergence in philosophy that may be key to harmony within and among nations.

Let's talk and get to know each other! 

Cheers,

Signed
Download Resume
Systems Thinking

Systems Thinker

Love analyzing how different processes, individuals and organizations interact.

Problem Solving

Operator

Love mapping out steps from a larger problem to the smaller operational pieces that lead to a solution.

Creative Innovation

Integrator

Love synthesizing ideas and insights across disciplines to create and innovate.

Startups

CEO and Co-Founder, Just Ads

July 2017 ─ Mar 2022
Just Ads

• Built an easy-to-use performance marketing SaaS product with bootstrapped revenue

• Led an agile team of four engineers, coaching them on best practices and managing two-week sprints

• Generated more than $500,000 in revenue

• Worked with leading brands such as Alexander Wang, Lyko, and Flightmate

• Strangled to death by Covid and the H4 visa

Co-Founder, Pencil News

July 2016 ─ April 2019
Pencil News

• Launched a content aggregation and personalization application for digitally under-served languages in Pakistan. The app reached 50,000 monthly active users, 300,000+ installs and a 4.7 star rating, but is currently pending content licensing agreements with the largest news organization in Pakistan.

• Pencil News was the first such app in Pakistan designed to provide an optimal reading and writing experience in languages such as Urdu and Sindhi. We used machine learning to recommend content, and transliteration algorithms to allow people to write in local languages without a special keyboard.

• Got removed from the Google Play Store at the behest of the largest news group in Pakistan

Education

Master's in Management

2010- 2012
Stockholm School of Economics

GPA: 3.42
Dissertation: Gender Inequality and Tokenism in the Organization

CEMS Master's in Management

2011- 2012
Rotterdam School of Management
ESADE Business School

Bachelor's in Business Technology

2007- 2010
Helsinki School of Economics

GPA: 3.96

Advanced Growth Strategy

Fall 2022
Reforge

Mastering Product Management

Fall 2022
Reforge

Neural Networks and Machine Learning

April 2019
Coursera

User Experience Design for Human-Computer Interaction

July 2018
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL)
Companies
Currently writing a book titled

Warning: Good News

A cross-cultural convergence in philosophy

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Systems Thinking

Love analyzing how different processes, individuals and organizations interact.

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Operational Problem Solving

Love mapping out steps from a larger problem to the smaller operational pieces that lead to a solution.

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Creative Innovation

Love synthesizing ideas and insights across disciplines to create and innovate.

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Perseverance

Encountered challenges and learned to keep going.

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Self-Actualization

Studied ancient philosophy to try and grasp what it means to Know Thy Self.

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Cooperation

Believe in the power of cooperation between people with unique strengths.

Skills
97%

Product Management

95%

Photoshop

90%

Illustrator

100%

Javascript

95%

Adobe Suite

80%

Indesign

Reference

"People are at the heart of everything we do, from our teams to our clients and their customers finally"

~Jhon Doe, CEO Twitter
Reference

"Life is about making an impact not an income, remember this thing to your future generations in your family"

~Dan Smith, CFO Snapchat
FAQ
Q.

What is your College degree?

A.

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Q.

What are your life Goals?

A.

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Q.

What are your Hobbies?

A.

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Contact

Want to talk? 

Please write to me at shan@rizvi.nu and introduce yourself. So many fun projects I have worked on started with a simple conversation.

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