Shows
Thought Behind ThingsMaha Shahzad: I Built a PROFITABLE Startup Without a DEGREE!! | 473 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Maha Shahzad, the founder & CEO of Buscaro — Pakistan’s first tech-enabled bus-sharing startup that’s making everyday commuting safer, smarter, and more affordable for thousands of Pakistanis.From doing odd jobs to fund her education, to building a profitable transport startup without a degree, Maha’s story is pure resilience. She shares how her experiences at Careem, Foodpanda, and SWVL shaped her understanding of Pakistan’s mobility problems — and how a confusing global model inspired her to build something truly local.We...
2025-11-031h 38Thought Behind ThingsPakistan’s Entertainment Powerhouse: ARY's Journey to 66 Billion Views Ft. Jerjees Seja | 472 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Jerjees Seja, CEO of ARY Digital Network, one of Pakistan’s most iconic media leaders. From shaping the country’s TV and drama landscape to building ARY into a powerhouse of entertainment, Jerjees shares his journey of transforming Pakistan’s media industry.We discuss:How Pakistan’s private TV revolution beganThe economics behind news, dramas, and entertainment ProductionWhy premium Pakistani content is now free on YouTubeWhy global giants like Netflix don’t invest in PakistanThe future of OTT and local streaming platformsWhy filmmaking s...
2025-10-311h 58Thought Behind ThingsUplift AI Co-Founder: Our AI Model SPEAKS Every Pakistani Language!! | 471 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Muhammad Bin Sabir, Co-Founder & COO of Uplift AI, a Y Combinator-backed Pakistani startup building AI voice models for every regional language of Pakistan. From Urdu to Punjabi, Sindhi, and Balochi, Uplift AI is on a mission to make sure language is never a barrier to knowledge.We explore:The collaboration with Khan Academy and their vision for AI tutorsHow they’re training voice models for Urdu, Sindhi, and BalochiThe rise of regional-language AI in PakistanHow they’re making AI affordable and inclusive for de...
2025-10-271h 17Thought Behind ThingsDAYYAN: People LOVED A 13 Year Old Doing EDGY Comedy!! | 465 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Dayyan, a young, super-talented and rising stand-up comedian and content creator known for his sharp wit and humor.From small open mics to sold-out shows, Dayyan shares his unfiltered journey through Pakistan’s evolving stand-up scene, the struggles, the experiments, and the state of comedy in a sensitive country like Pakistan.We uncover:His early comedy experiments at Laugh Out LoungeWhat it’s really like performing live in PakistanWhy Pakistani comedy isn’t growing as fast as it shoul...
2025-10-131h 38Thought Behind ThingsSannan Saleh: Pakistan’s Media Industry Needs More Writers! | 463 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Sannan Saleh, a filmmaker, storyteller, and creative producer who’s worked with global giants like Comedy Central in Los Angeles before returning to Pakistan. Sannan shares an unfiltered look at the real state of Pakistan’s entertainment industry, its creative challenges, and the opportunities AI now brings.We explore:How his journey from Duke to LA shaped his creative mindsetWhat made him leave a stable career in the U.S. to return to PakistanWhy content distribution is easier than ever How Pakistani TV cha...
2025-10-081h 38Thought Behind ThingsSikandar/Moiz Nawaz: Pakistani Drama Industry Is Absolutely TRASH! | 462 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Sikandar Nawaz and Moiz Nawaz - two multi-talented brothers who’ve carved their own creative paths in Pakistan’s evolving entertainment industry.From Bhatti Gate to the big screen, the Nawaz brothers share an honest, heartfelt conversation about their journey - from madrassah life and acting struggles to music, content creation, and the pressures of public life.We explore:Sikandar’s childhood and madrassah experiences shaped his creative driveMoiz’s transition from music to televis...
2025-10-061h 47Thought Behind ThingsAbbas Bukhari: Comedy Can’t Be Learned - You’re BORN With It! | 460 | TBTFind out more about Endeavor: https://pakistan.endeavor.orgIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Abbas Raza Bukhari, a rising stand-up comedian, storyteller, and content creator of Pakistan’s digital comedy scene.From hating Instagram and never planning to create content to building a loyal audience through relatable, family-friendly humor, Abbas walks us through his journey of creative self-discovery, content burnout, and what comedy truly means.We uncover:Why Abbas believes abusive comedy doesn’t work in PakistanThe ego trap of social media conten...
2025-10-011h 53Thought Behind ThingsPakistani Man Behind Evee’s Best Selling Electric Scooters Ft. Saad Farrukh | 456 | TBTFind out more about Endeavor: https://pakistan.endeavor.orgIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we're joined by Saad Farrukh, founder of EVEE, Pakistan’s fastest-growing electric scooter company. Coming from a conventional motorcycle spare parts business on McLeod Road, Saad transitioned into the EV space after years of importing parts from China and setting up local assembly.We dive into:The origin story of EVEEWhy Saad chose scooters over bikesComparing innovation in China vs PakistanGovernment policies, localization challenges, and B2B market potentialSoci...
2025-09-221h 51Thought Behind Things500 Million $ GMV, 25 Million $ Revenue: The PostEx Story Ft. Omer Khan | 455 | TBT Find out more about Endeavor: https://pakistan.endeavor.orgIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Muhammad Omer Khan, Founder & CEO of PostEx, Pakistan’s largest e-commerce logistics & cashflow solutions provider — operating across Tier 1 to Tier 3 cities with over 11,000 employees and handling 3x more COD cash than any competitor.This episode answers:Why PostEx skipped the traditional franchise modelWhat goes into delivering to Pakistan’s most remote townsHow tech, data, and credit scoring drive modern logisticsWe also talk about team sca...
2025-09-192h 04Thought Behind ThingsCan Pakistani Startups Go Global? $200 Million Tech Empire Ft. Dr Saira Siddique | 453 | TBTIn this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Dr. Saira Siddique, Founder & +CEO of medIQ Smart Healthcare, a digital health platform revolutionizing healthcare access in Pakistan. Before founding medIQ, Dr. Saira led several major health initiatives with the Government of Pakistan until a tragic road accident left her paralyzed from the neck down. But that wasn’t the end, it was the start of a bigger mission.This episode answers: How a life-threatening accident changed her mission Why she left government to build something bigger What medIQ actually does, and how...
2025-09-152h 16
Sukhan - The DiscourseCircle of Stories | S03 E05 | Saad Idrees
Step into the dynamic world of co-working spaces with our latest episode of Sukhan Circle of Stories, featuring Saad Idrees, the CEO of Daftarkhwan. Join us as we delve into the origins of Daftarkhwan and explore the vibrant co-working ecosystem in Pakistan.
Saad Idrees, a tech consultant-turned-entrepreneur and a LUMS graduate, brings a wealth of experience and a deep love for music, squash, and self-improvement to his role. As the CEO of @daftarkhwan, Saad has played a pivotal role in shaping the co-working landscape in Pakistan.
In this episode, we uncover the secrets to success in the co-working industry...
2023-08-2134 min
Tech Made Fun | Tech Podcast By SK NEXUSTMF 011 - Truth Behind Trump’s AppThe world has a new the best, the most amazing, the greatest App - learn why you should care and why Trump isn’t in over his head. This and much more in today’s episode of Tech Made Fun.Hosted by Saqib Tahir and Khayyam JafriSupport the show: https://www.sknexus.com/supportChapters:01:07 Intro00:23 Donald Trump launches his own social media app called Truth Social 03:43 Is Trump’s Truth Social app getting the right traction?10:25 Has Google Pixel 6 failed as a cont...
2022-03-031h 03
Hopeful Economics PodcastThinking and living abundantly with Maryam Mohiuddin AhmedThinking and living abundantly with Maryam Mohiuddin AhmedMaryam co-founded the Social Innovation Lab, a social innovation ecosystem builder in South Asia and Daftarkhwan, including co-working spaces in Pakistan and a number of impact focused initiatives. Maryam is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree at the University of Waterloo, exploring the impact of faith-based social enterprise. Maryam and Terrell discuss the importance of thinking and living abundantly and the incredible impact that can have.hopefuleconomics.com Hopeful Economics unConference is back on March 3 & 4, 2022. Guaranteed to meet great people, have deep conversations, and...
2022-03-0219 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan insights | empowering women, Roshaneh Zafar | Kashf Foundation#GenderEquality is one of the most prominent challenges globally that we all have to work together to address. Our next guest, Roshaneh Zafar, is the Founder & Managing Director of Pakistan's first micro-finance organization that has worked extensively towards women's economic empowerment: Kashf Foundation.In this this session of daftarkhwan insights, "Empowering Women" we're excited to hear from the woman herself who has been able to maintain this vision for the last 20 + years of empowering women and alleviating poverty by providing low-income households withmicrofinance products and much more.This session is hosted by our...
2021-12-1738 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Jehan AraJehan Ara is a superwoman and a boss lady. From supporting the startup ecosystem to gender diversity - she's been unstoppable. We're talking about none other than the queen of the startup ecosystem and IT industry in Pakistan, Jehan Ara. She has extensive experience of 28 + years in marketing and interactive new media in the Far East, Honk Kong, UAE & Pakistan and was the President of P@SHA for 17+ years and started her own incubation center; NEST I/O which has incubated 189+ startups. She's now the founder and CEO at Katalyst Labs.This podcast is hosted by our...
2021-10-3050 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan insights | Evolution of LearningDr. Mariam Chughtai is an Assistant Professor at LUMS and Director Pakistan Programs at Harvard University Mittal South Asia Institute. As a teaching fellow, Dr. Chughtai taught Negotiations at Harvard Law School, Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, along with several courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Our host for this podcast is the talented, Annum Sadiq, co - founder of Edkasa. She is a Fulbright Scholar and has a MSc in Public Policy and has previously worked in the education sector in different settings.This podcast will highlight the key role various stakeholders...
2021-10-1043 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Faisal Aftab, Zayn CapitalThis time for a daftarkhwan fireside chat, we're hosting Faisal Aftab, Co - Founder & Managing Director at Zayn Capital which is a venture capital fund with a primary focus on seed and growth stage ventures in Pakistan and Middle East and North Africa. With an MBA degree from Oxford University, joint Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Michigan State University USA, and close to two decades of experience as an investor, entrepreneur and executive in diversified industries, Faisal Aftab is a veteran in his field. He is also a limited partner of the Silicon Valley-based Venture Capi...
2021-09-2648 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Ahmad Saeed, GrocerApp | Shoaib Zahid MalikWith the rise of COVID-19 and consequent lockdowns, Pakistan has become a hotbed for online grocery apps. Leading the charge is GrocerApp: founded in 2016, GrocerApp is a local mobile e-commerce platform that is transforming the shopping experience by bringing the mega store to your door step.Over the last couple of years, GrocerApp has raised a significant amount of venture capital from local & international investors alike and have skyrocketed in scale. Our next guest of daftarkhwan | Fireside, Ahmad Saeed, is the CEO and Co-founder of GrocerApp who shared his remarkable journey as the COO of PakWheels...
2021-09-0950 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Mina Salman, bagallery | Amna NiaziWhat happens when the house of fashion & beauty meets one of the most influential blogger in the town - a mindblowing Fireside.We're super pumped to announce our next guest. Mina Salman is a supermom, woman entrepreneur and Co - founder of bagallery - a fashion and beauty ecommerce platform that recently raised $900,000.Interviewing Mina is uber talented, supercommunity member, Amna Niazi, Partner and Managing Editor at SiddySays, a content creator for digital & fashion and wardrobe stylist.The talk emphasized on Minas journey of founding her own venture in 2011 with a team of 4...
2021-08-2229 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Zain Jeewanjee, Insure123In our third episode of What We Learnt we were joined by the legendary: Mr. Zain Jeewanjee also known as the insurance guru and founder of first travel insurance aggregator in 1985, G1G. The company has generated hundreds of millions of dollars of value in the insurance sector in the US since then and has been regarded as 1 online authority of insurance by CNN."Give more than you receive, and you will never have less", Zain has lived his life by this belief and always contributed to the society in various ways. He has been the board...
2021-08-0641 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Dr. Omar Chughtai | Shoaib Zahid MalikDr. Omar Chughtai, Director Operations at Chughtai Lab, joined us for our second episode of What We Learnt! After graduating from King Edward Medical College, Dr. Omar Chughtai moved to the United States and did his residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at The University of Texas - Health Science Center at Houston. He is American Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists. He joined Chughtai Lahore Lab as a Lab Director in 2007.Interviewing Dr. Omar is Shoaib Zahid Malik, an all-rounder who balances being an advisor...
2021-07-2326 min
what we learntdaftarkhwan fireside | Kalsoom Lakhani, i2i | Shoaib Zahid MalikHere's a rare opportunity to learn from the most prominent investors of our startup ecosystem.Our guest is the brilliant Kalsoom Lakhani: the founder of, Invest2Innovate (i2i) & General Partner at i2i Ventures that accelerates, invests and provides insights to Pakistani leading startups.Interviewing Kalsoom is Shoaib Zahid Malik, an all-rounder who balances being an advisor & investor to some of Pakistan's leading hottest startups with being the Director of Kausar Group of Companies.So, if you're a budding entrepreneur or just curious to know how startup investments work in Pakistan, check...
2021-07-0925 min
Mashable Pakistan LabEpisode 5: Mashable Pakistan Lab – Saad IdreesSaad Idrees, is the Co-founder and CEO of daftarkhawan.
As per their tagline daftarkhwan is more than just an office – it’s a meeting point for entrepreneurs, a resource palette for startups, and an open call for collective action. They aim to deliver an agile workplace that can adapt to the evolving needs of the modern day.
In this episode we talk to Saad about the culture of using co-working spaces in Pakistan, the importance of community building and much more.
2020-11-1653 min