Navaid Ahmed

Because the startup ecosystem chases form over function. The so-called young builders lack creativity and fundamental skills, and the actual builders move out with first opportunity. Recently, we have started rationalizing the brain drain as brain export.

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Honored to be featured again in a post by Usman Asif, CEO of Devsinc but the real takeaway is the message he is giving on how we must rethink upskilling for the AI era. ​The question isn’t whether your people can adapt. It’s whether you’re brave enough to invest in their transformation before your competition does. ​A necessary call to action for every tech leader. Let's shift from just training to creating a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. #ArtificialIntelligence #TalentDevelopment #Innovation #TechLeadership

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Some tools are finally built for people who earn online from Pakistan, not just for people who still like going to the branch. For freelancers / contractors / remote folks: nsave (Amer Baroudi)→ multi-currency (USD/GBP/EUR), can receive via ACH/SWIFT, withdraw to PKR, and you can invest in US stocks/ETFs right inside the app (through their investment rail). Basically: “I got paid, I’m holding in USD, and I might as well buy a bit of the market.”  Elevate Pay (YC W22) (Khalid Keenan) → USD account with ACH/routing, made for Upwork/Deel/Remote/Fiverr payouts, funds sit with a US bank, plus virtual card (hopefully soon again) + decent FX when you send back home. It’s the “I don’t want my USD to melt instantly” option. That’s your “I earn in USD” layer. Now for life inside Pakistan…... This is where NayaPay (Danish A. Lakhani) is low-key ahead of most bank apps. Sadly, not a fan of SadaPay anymore. Here’s the exact UX win: When you make an online transaction, NayaPay lets you approve/enable it inside the app, card controls, online payments, international transactions, all there. No hunting for SMS, no “email OTP,” no “please call branch/helpline.” Which matters because: people use non-PTA phones SMS sometimes just doesn’t arrive email might be logged out on mobile and banks still think it’s 2016 Meanwhile a lot of good banks like Meezan Bank Limited (who used to have the best app a 4/5 years ago) still lean on SMS/email/branch flows and old school UI/UX. Secure, yes. Smooth, not always. So for remote workers, the new fin stack is: Get paid globally / hold in USD / maybe invest? → nsave Elevate Pay (YC W22) Spend and control locally, instantly? → NayaPay Still making me wait for an OTP in 2025? → bhai, you call me 🙂

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Stop calling AI a "trend." It’s a Revolution. 🚀 The shift from Internet to Intelligence is happening faster than we realize. I just caught a deep dive with Muhammad Qasim on the 5 levels of AGI, and here is what you need to know: 🔥 Level 1 was just the start. Chatbots were the "intro." 🧠 Level 2 is here. Reasoning models (like OpenAI’s o1) are now thinking before they speak. The Reality Check: * Teachers: Education is becoming 100% personalized. * Engineers: Manual workflows are being automated by "Reasoners." * Professionals: If you aren't using Chain of Thought AI, you're working 10x harder than you need to. The Golden Rule for 2026: AI won’t take your job, but a person using AI effectively will. Check out the full talk: https://lnkd.in/d6biviFB #AI #FutureIsNow #AGI #Innovation #TechTips #Automation #CareerStrategy #GenerativeAI #SmartScaling #Leadership

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After 25 years of operations, Microsoft has shut down its Pakistan office —quietly ending a significant chapter in the country's tech landscape. What began as a local presence to support enterprise and developer growth now transitions into a fully partner-led model. Was it just business strategy or a signal of something deeper in the region’s tech climate? 🟢 What did Microsoft gain (Win) in the short run vs long run? 🕒 Short-Run Gains - Operational cost savings - Closure of the liaison office and layoffs (a few dozen staff) eliminated fixed costs like office rent, utilities, and salaries. - While exact savings aren't public, liaison offices are modest—likely saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. ⏳ Long-Run Gains - Shift to partner-led model - Continued access to Pakistani users via certified partners, without the direct costs of a local office. Risk avoidance - Seeding remote oversight aligns strategy with Pakistan’s fragile economics: FY24 trade deficit of US $24.4 billion and foreign reserves falling to US $11.5 billion by June 2025. ❌ What did Microsoft lose in the short run vs long run? 🕒 Short-Run Losses - Revenue slip : Pakistan contributed roughly US $50 million annually (~0.018% of Microsoft’s global turnover).  - Human capital : Dismissal of local employees (small in number) ends institutional knowledge built over 25 years. ⏳ Long-Run Losses Strategic opportunity cost : In early 2022, Microsoft was reportedly exploring the possibility of investing in Pakistan, possibly including setting up: A regional data center, or other local infrastructure to support cloud services, government projects, and enterprise clients. However, due to rising political instability, economic uncertainty, and bureaucratic hurdles, Microsoft chose not to proceed with that investment in Pakistan. Instead, by October 2022, Microsoft redirected those plans to a more politically and economically stable country in the region Soft power erosion : After 25 years of engagement (2000–2025), Microsoft's exit removes its influence over Pakistan’s digital policy, developer ecosystem, and partner networks. #DigitalEconomy  #TechStrategy #MicrosoftPakistanExit, #CloudShiftPakistan #DigitalEraEnds

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The 7 mistakes that nearly killed my company (while I thought I was scaling smart) Growing from 5 to 30+ developers across Pakistan and Italy taught me expensive lessons. "Hiring for Skills, Not Culture" What I did wrong: Focused only on technical interviews Ignored team dynamics and values alignment Hired fast to meet project demands Assumed skills = success The cost: Lost 3 senior developers in one month when team culture collapsed "No Code Review Process Early On" What I did wrong: Code reviews slow us down Direct commits to main branch Individual ownership of features Quality control = "it works on my machine" The cost: 40% of production bugs were preventable, client confidence dropped "Skipping Documentation 'To Move Fast" What I did wrong: Code should be self-documenting No API documentation Tribal knowledge in senior devs' heads New team members learned by guessing The cost: New developers took 3-4 months to become productive "Not Investing in Team Leads" What I did wrong: Promoted based on technical skills only No leadership training or support Expected natural leadership to emerge Kept all decision-making centralized The cost: Team coordination chaos, junior devs felt abandoned "Micromanaging Instead of Empowering" What I did wrong: Reviewed every line of code Made all architectural decisions Didn't trust team with client communication Created approval bottlenecks everywhere The cost: Team velocity dropped 50%, developers felt demotivated "Ignoring Cross-Cultural Communication" What I did wrong: Assumed Pakistan/Italy teams would "figure it out" No cultural awareness training Different communication styles created conflicts Timezone challenges became people problems The cost: 2 major project delays, team friction, client escalations What I learned: Processes > individual brilliance Empowerment > control Documentation > tribal knowledge Culture > technical skills Leadership development > hoping for the best Which mistake are you making right now? (I made all 7 simultaneously) Your honesty in the comments might save someone else's company. #StartupGrowth #TeamBuilding #Leadership #TechnicalLeadership

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At IHHN, our indigenously developed in-house HMIS (Hospital Management Information System) is more than just a piece of software — it embodies our vision of a paperless, secure, and seamlessly integrated healthcare ecosystem across Pakistan. I’m honored to lead and work alongside our talented IT team, including both Application and Infrastructure experts, who are driving this digital transformation forward. Through their dedication, innovation, and teamwork, we’ve created a centralized digital health platform that effectively connects patients and healthcare providers throughout our network. Importantly, the data generated through this HMIS is paving the way for a data-driven, evidence-based approach to healthcare delivery — empowering us to make more informed decisions, improve outcomes, and optimize resource allocation. This journey isn’t just about technology — it’s about enhancing the quality of care and making it more accessible, efficient, and secure for everyone. Proud and grateful to be part of this mission. #IHHN #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #HMIS #PaperlessHealthcare #ProudMoment #InnovationInHealthcare

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This is a high-ownership role with real technical influence. If you want to build things and make real decisions, not just maintain code, take a look.

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🚨 Microsoft Shuts Down Its Office in Pakistan Microsoft has officially closed its liaison office in Pakistan after nearly two decades of presence. While this may seem like an exit, it's actually a strategic shift towards a cloud-first, partner-led model—not a retreat. What does this mean for: Local businesses? Developers & IT professionals? Pakistan’s tech ecosystem? I broke it down in a short, well-structured blog post. 👉 Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/dsZh8REq Let’s discuss: Do you see this as a loss or a necessary evolution? Drop your thoughts below 💬 #Microsoft #Pakistan #TechNews #CloudComputing #DigitalTransformation #MicrosoftPakistan #BusinessStrategy #Blog #TechBlog

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Excited to share Sahulat – a one-stop solution for every essential helpline in Pakistan. 🇵🇰 The Problem: In emergencies, finding the right number (Police, Ambulance, Edhi, or NADRA) shouldn't be a struggle. The Solution: One app. All public service numbers and SMS codes. No technical expertise required. What's New (v1.3.2): ✅ Urdu Support: Built for every Pakistani, regardless of language or tech-skill. ✅ Clean UI: Optimized for speed and ease of use. ✅ Built for Impact: From emergency services to welfare helplines - all in one place. Currently in the testing phase and refining the experience before the full rollout! 🚀 #SahulatApp #DigitalPakistan #AndroidDev #PublicService #TechForGood #PakistanTech

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Excited to be joining an incredible lineup at Startup Foundry Karachi, hosted by Katalyst Labs in collaboration with Google Cloud and byteelT. 💬 Why this matters: Pakistan’s startup ecosystem is entering a critical phase. It’s not just about product-market fit anymore — it’s about scaling sustainably, attracting smart capital, and building with resilience. Looking forward to sharing lessons from AdalFi's own scaling journey and learning from fellow founders and investors. #StartupPakistan #TechEcosystem #VCFunding #Fintech #AdalFi #KatalystLabs #GoogleCloud #byteelT #FatimaGobi #i2iVentures #SehatKahani

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🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 — 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 🇵🇰🤖 Had an amazing time at 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔—meeting founders, innovators, and industry leaders who are shaping Pakistan’s tech future. 🤝✨ Also enjoyed sharing thoughts on Pakistan’s AI revolution on a HUM News podcast 🎙️📺 and strengthening ties with the brilliant minds building real impact with AI. Let’s keep the momentum going—responsible AI, real innovation, and stronger collaboration. 💡🔐🌍 What’s the most exciting AI use-case you’re working on in 2026? 👇 Tech Destination Pakistan | Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) | Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication #IndusAIWeek #AI #Pakistan #Innovation #TechLeadership #Startups #FutureOfWork #ResponsibleAI #Networking

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ChatGPT started making newspapers. He was also caught by mistake. At the end of the news in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the question is asking whether to make a copy for the front page. Meaning the entire copy is written by AI. Prompt was printed due to copy-paste. Use AI but also use your brain.

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Surviving the Online Rush Hour: How Pakistani Apps Prepare for Big Sales We’ve all felt the excitement: A massive "Blessed Friday" sale or an "Eid Gala" is live! You rush to your favorite shopping app to grab a deal, add it to your cart, and just as you’re about to check out… the app freezes. The page won't load. The deal is gone. Frustrating, right? This digital traffic jam is what every major Pakistani e-commerce, banking, and streaming service works hard to prevent. Their secret weapon is a field of testing called Performance and Load Testing. What Is Performance Testing? Think of a new bridge opening to the public. Before it does, engineers don’t just hope it’s strong enough for rush hour traffic. They test it rigorously by driving hundreds, even thousands, of heavy trucks over it at once to see how it holds up. Performance testing is the exact same idea, but for websites and apps. Before a big event, engineers create a "virtual rush hour" by sending thousands or even hundreds of thousands of simulated users to the app all at once. The goal is to find the breaking point in a controlled way so that it never breaks during a real rush hour. Modern Techniques for a Mobile-First Nation In a mobile-first market like Pakistan, this testing is incredibly sophisticated. Engineers don’t just check if the app crashes; they use modern techniques to ask very specific questions: Spike Testing: What happens if a flash sale is announced and 100,000 users log in within the same minute? This test simulates that sudden, massive "spike" in traffic to ensure the system can scale up instantly without falling over. Stress Testing: This is about finding the absolute limit. Engineers keep adding more and more virtual users until the system finally slows down or breaks. This tells them the maximum capacity, so they know exactly how many users they can handle before performance is affected. Soak Testing: What if the Eid sale lasts for three whole days? Can the app handle high traffic for a long, sustained period without getting tired? A "soak test" runs a heavy load on the system for many hours to check for issues like memory leaks that only appear over time. Why It’s a Game-Changer for Pakistan For Pakistani companies, mastering performance testing is not just a technical goal—it's a business essential. It’s what allows shopping apps to serve millions during sales, banking apps to work flawlessly on salary day, and streaming services to deliver cricket matches without buffering. By building applications that are fast, reliable, and ready for any rush, companies build the most important thing of all: user trust. And in the booming digital landscape of Pakistan, that trust is everything. 🚀🇵🇰

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At the Indus AI Week 2026, we got pretty forward-looking tech announcements Pakistan’s seen in a long time. The government has committed to investing $1 billion in artificial intelligence by 2030. I see it as a strategic signal that Pakistan wants to move from being tech consumers to tech builders and contributors on the global stage. And they plan to do it this way: - Introducing AI curriculum across schools and remote regions - Training 1 million non-IT professionals in AI skills - Supporting 1,000 fully funded PhDs to build research capacity Well...I’ve been in the industry long enough to know that big investments don’t change the future but capable people do. Hearing the $1B AI commitment was encouraging, but what matters more is how fast we turn this into real skills, real systems, and real problem solving across industries. The winners in this next wave will not be the companies with the most tools, but the teams with the deepest readiness and cross domain thinking. For leaders like us, the work is simple and urgent: build people who can build with AI, not just talk about it.

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I recently learned about DealCart, a startup helping middle-class Pakistanis shop for everyday groceries at up to 24% savings compared to regular stores. They’ve empowered small grocery retailers to list products online and serve their communities via a seamless app. DealCart raised approximately $4.5 million in pre-seed funding and an additional $3 million in seed funding in 2024, signaling that investors see potential in transforming essential retail in Pakistan. What strikes me most is how they’re bridging the gap between offline and online commerce, irrespective of Silicon Valley models. They’re building for here, and that matters.

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