Saad

AI & Tech | Engineering | Public Policy | Building Sports Vector |

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Qatar's Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74. He ruled for 18 years, reshaping the country's domestic and global footprint.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom takes a look back at his life.

[Saad @saad32170]

I love this!

[Khalifa Al Haroon - Mr. Q @iloveqatar]

His Highness always put the people first. It’s a sad day for all of us.

الله يرحمه و يغفر له.

[Shafaat Ali @iamshafaatali]

A blue passport is an insult to the very idea of citizenship. Abolish it.

If you believe you and your children are entitled to a passport that places you above the people you claim to serve, then perhaps you’ve already decided where your loyalty lies. Safe travels.

[Saad @saad32170]

@SalmanKNiazi1 Disgusting

[Paul Graham @paulg]

If you want to start a startup, don't learn "entrepreneurship." Learn how to build things. The hard part of startups is not "entrepreneurship" but product: to know what to build, and to be able to build it.

[Saad @saad32170]

We have homes to go back to, but when you ask a blue collar worker in MENA, they have a room. Sad reality.

[Salma🎀 @Salma4everPTI]

The Khans have raised the bar so high, no patwari could ever come close.

[Ihtisham Ul Haq @iihtishamm]

Cape Verde lost the game but won millions of hearts! They were an absolute wall, from the goalkeeper to the entire defence. A small nation with an incredibly talented team. One of the best matches of the WC so far! Absolutely loved it. Vozinha was the star ⭐
#Capeverde #ARGCPV

[Saad @saad32170]

@ClementDelangue @Stanford Thanksss!

[Saad @saad32170]

On the idea of making an impact on society, there are three main avenues: NGOs, government, and the private sector.

NGOs are often perceived as having the greatest impact because they directly improve the lives of those in need. However, many books and studies argue that aid alone does not create sustained improvements in quality of life. To paraphrase the old saying, teach a person to fish and they can feed themselves for a lifetime, feed a person once and they eat for a day.

This is not to say that NGOs or community support should not exist. There will always be people who need immediate assistance, and humanitarian work is essential. Rather, rather that NGO's do not have the largest impact, and often, makes things worse (specifically hinting towards international aid over trade and the intention behind it).

Government is the second avenue many aspirational people look toward. The thinking is straightforward, enter politics and make an impact through nation building, raising awareness, improving governance, and carrying out meaningful reforms. Frankly, I still believe this from time to time and hope to pursue it in some capacity myself in the future. However, the question is not whether good governance creates enormous value, it absolutely does, but rather how much impact a single individual can realistically have within existing political systems. Note that in countries where you are "good" would naturally mean you are facing the status-quo who would not think twice of ending your career through any means possible.

On the other hand, in many developed democracies, the probability of this occurring is lower. Take Mamdani, whose impact has been remarkable in NYC and across broader political discussions. Whether or not one agrees with all of his policies, he has encouraged many people to believe in people-first governance again. We need more individuals willing to pursue public service with that mindset. However, such people are rare, and their success also depends on institutions that uphold free and fair democratic processes and the rule of law, which majority of the nations do not possess.

That leaves the third avenue, the private sector. Building startups and scaling companies generate economic growth, create employment, and produce countless other economic and social benefits. Hiring one individual can translate into an entire family having greater financial security, children receiving a better education, improved access to healthcare, and, if wages are sufficiently high, disposable income that circulates back into the economy. Successful businesses also become major contributors to philanthropy, research, education, and community development.

However, the private sector is mainly seen as a mechanism of profitiablity (which I fail to understand why many see as evil), and many individuals that have the right intentions do not see the huge impact they can have through starting or assisting in scaling companies. Intentions matter.

So yes, if you have the capacity to build and scale businesses, please do. I do not encourage entrepreneurship, as it is extraordinarily difficult. But if you have the inherent capability to do it, go for it. (My views on intrapreneurship are significantly different and deserve a separate discussion.) With the right intentions, you will realize the tremendous impact you can have.

[Saad @saad32170]

@louis030195 Insanely inspiring man!

[Saad @saad32170]

@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL One CM speaking the language the entire nation speaks. Others, as usual, acting as pseudo intellectuals.

[Wasim Al Waziri @wasimwaziri804]

🚨🚨🚨اہم ترین

وزیراعلی سہیل آفریدی نے آج چیف جسٹس کے سامنے بھرپور انداز میں عمران خان کا مقدمہ لڑا، انہوں نے کہا کہ جیل اصلاحات اچھی بات ہے مگر اسکا آغاز اڈیالہ جیل کے ہونا چاہیے جہاں عمران خان کو ناحق قید کیا ہوا ہے بنیادی انسانی حقوق سے محروم رکھا گیا ہے!!!

تقریر کے اختتام پر اتنی تالیاں بجائی گئی کہ سہیل آفریدی سے اسٹیج سے اتر کر کرسی پر بیٹھ گئے پھر بھی تالیاں بجتی رہی!!!

مطیع اللہ جان اور ذوالقرنین نے اندرونی کہانی بتا دی!!!👏🔥

[Saad @saad32170]

Been thinking about this for a while: the value of VCs and investment funding for startups, not just for the founders, but for the ecosystem and, more broadly, the country.

The obvious benefit of fundraising is that it enables entrepreneurs to take early-stage ideas that require funding and a network and turn them into reality, which then translates into accelerated job creation, economic growth, and profits for the VCs investing in them. That is the core benefit of capitalism: work hard, aim high, and benefit from unimaginable profitability, which is beautiful.

The missing layer, or perspective, is the nation-building, purposeful youth, and accelerated innovation that come along with simply unlocking capital.

First, nation-building. The dreams of those stepping out of college in cities like SF and other startup hubs drastically contrast with those in many other regions. In cities and regions where risk capital is abundant, we see crazy stories coming out of SF where university students drop out, raise an insane amount of capital, and give it their all to build the next big disruptive company.

On the flip side, the "dream" is much different in other regions. The imagined pursuit is to either get a well-paying job or begin a master's degree. Sure, there are other factors that impact this: societal constructs, economic conditions, and familial pressure. But think deeper about these things, and the foundational missing tenant is money. Society at large (across multiple cultures) respects, fortunately or unfortunately, those who have money and job security, and thus the ability to run your own company after raising capital helps solve that. Economic conditions and the prospect of improving your financial situation by pursuing your dream are also powerful catalysts. And finally, family. The core idea behind familial pressure is similar to that of society: stability and a good life. Traditionally (and even today to a decent extent), a good job and further education have been the safest paths to achieving that.

By enabling accessible funding, you are, in essence, transforming how a nation and its upcoming youth think about opportunity. Intelligence is plentiful across many universities (for example, Education City in Qatar), but there are issues, which became more apparent to me while hiring and working with senior design teams. The largest gap is not talent, but the incentive and ability for these students to turn their ideas into commercially viable startups. Once these funds are unlocked, the effects will not be instantly visible. But over time, they will lead to a nation where youth are building, innovating, creating, and genuinely excited about solving meaningful problems. That fundamentally changes how people think about wealth creation, opportunity, and economic growth. This builds into my next two points.

Second, purposeful youth. Building on the first point, and being fully aware that not everyone has the capacity, willingness, or desire to start a business, the few who do will now have the "permission" to pursue that path much more easily. (Opinions on how funding should be allocated are a separate discussion, but for this thought experiment, I am intentionally being liberal.) At the same time, those who do not wish to become entrepreneurs can still find purposeful work. For example, a student interested in circuit design may see a new startup offering competitive pay, ESOPs, and the opportunity to work on exactly what they are passionate about. Not entrepreneurship itself, but one of entrepreneurship's greatest outputs. This builds into the third point.

Third, accelerated innovation. When young people are enabled to pursue what they genuinely want to build, rather than defaulting to more traditional employment, innovation compounds. In places like Qatar, and more broadly across MENA, much of the engineering focus is on maintenance rather than R&D. While maintenance is essential, it rarely produces breakthrough innovation. A thriving startup ecosystem shifts that balance by creating demand for original research, product development, experimentation, and technical excellence.

It also creates stronger connectivity between universities, industry, investors, and government. Universities produce the talent. Governments create the regulatory environment and incentives that encourage high-risk, high-reward investment. Investors provide the capital to commercialize them in collaboration with government policies. As more success stories emerge, they inspire the next generation to build, creating a flywheel where capital attracts talent, talent creates companies, companies generate wealth, and wealth is reinvested back into the ecosystem.

Ultimately, startup funding is about far more than financing companies. It is about financing ambition. It changes what young people believe is possible, what families encourage, what universities produce, and what a country becomes known for. While the financial returns for investors are important, the long-term return for a nation is arguably even greater: a culture of builders, a generation with purpose, and an economy driven by innovation rather than dependency. In the long run, that may be the most valuable investment of all.

[Saad @saad32170]

Free Imran Khan!

[Faizan Shaikh @FaiziWithKhan]

سہیل آفریدی کی سپریم کورٹ میں کی گئی مکمل تقریر 🚨

[James Clear @JamesClear]

The first minute of action is worth more than a year of perfect planning.