Tell us what an average day in your life looks like, starting with waking up.
I probably should start with a complaint against me: I sleep extremely late because I end up working at night. That is my time when I end up doing majority of my preparations and work; be it post production for the documentary film or data analysis or writing papers, this leaves little room for personal time. The days after I wake up are usually drenched in keeping up with deadlines and meetings, so the rush is omnipresent; yet after all of that you have this sense of triumph which is only hindered by a nagging period of silently planning your next moves insides your head.
What’s your biggest challenge in being an entrepreneur?
Calling me an entrepreneur would be a long shot; I don’t believe I am one. I am more of an idea implementer; and that is honestly how all of my projects start. Because majority of my projects are based on ideas that have are yet to be implemented, the biggest challenge is driving the demand for it. Take Data Nudge for example; the trend of analyzing market data for corporate decision making is still not a commonplace in Bangladesh. So convincing people that: “Hey, the data shows that your production line is still inefficient; you should try this instead,” is not that easy. The second challenge is finding time to sleep, and when you do actually falling asleep.
What’s your best tip for success so far?
Have a big to do list? Start now. Backlogging is the biggest back stabber when you are controlling your own time.
Can you make time for yourself?
(Laughs) Let’s put it this way, while being able to control a chunk of your time (outside of the university hours) for your own activities is fantastic, and you are free from the clutches of bosses, you soon realise you are a slave to the things you yourself set up. So in order to make time for leisure, you really have to plan for it way ahead.
If you could start from scratch, what would you have done differently?
I am kind of in a limbo, with two legs on two boats. One in documentary film-making and the other in academia; and I often ponder whether things would have moved much faster had I just stuck to one. While I certainly do not regret this, and things have worked out well for me (the other entertains me when I get bored with one) I probably wouldn’t recommend this to people. Your family will want to tear you apart in the little instance they see you flash by.
Are you perceived differently by the elder generation because of your choices?
Some take me way too seriously and some laugh me away. The latter is probably due to my childish nature of getting too excited about things. That said, elders do tend to have higher expectations from me, which in many cases I have to smother down because of lack of time and that, alas, often leads to disappointment. It’s a tricky thing balancing this.
Does your routine sacrifice your relationships with friends and family?
In a way I am no longer the social monkey I used to be, but I do appreciate that the little I get to spend with people now are with my closest ones. However, it has become a rare encounter meeting close people loving further away from where I live thanks to Dhaka’s traffic.
What activity motivates you to go on in the darkest of days?
As clichéd as it may sound, the light at the end of the tunnel. You always start with a vision and a goal, and you already knew perseverance will be a test; so in those darkest times, it is imperative for you to stay calm and carry on. Oh and cheesecake always helps!
What apps, tools and food can you not live without?
I use a reader app (UB Reader), for reading things on the fly; and a note app (S Note and Google Keep) for jotting down ideas. I am an old fashioned kind of guy and nothing beats writing things down. For tools, it would be my watch (not a smart watch) and a camera. I suffocate otherwise.
Foodwise, pizza and cheesecake. Fat is the new sexy.
About supporting yourself, financially…
We re-invest everything back into Finding Bangladesh, so it is not really a profit making venture. The Data Nudge is aimed at being one and time will tell whether it can withstand the blows. Teaching at BRAC University always helps in those desperate times.
It isn’t exactly easy being your own boss. Would you suggest the lifestyle you lead to others?
Only if you have a firm resolve and can take the uncertainty in your life; if you enjoy the risk and challenges, a 9-5 lifestyle would bore you to death.
