A product focused personal history? Neural networks and microcode simulators in C, on AIX, '91. dBase Clipper '92. Back office systems '93. Delphi '95. Ed Tech '99. B2B Exchanges '00. Online Annuities '01. Treasury '03. Risk tech '04. Wiped out '08. Wiped out redux '12. Content play '13. Exit '14. Earnout '16. Empty Nester '22. Professor of Practice '23.
If at first you don't succeed, blow up again. Hooked up with startups at 27. Now write, mentor, teach and experiment with fastest ways of losing obscene amounts of cash without gambling, banking, trading, alcohol or wheels.
Credentials. Fellow Society of Actuaries, '01 (SoA, Schaumburg, IL). MBA, Columbia Business School, '00. FAST NUCES, Karachi, '92.
Bragging rights. 1) From a wheelchair to two half marathons in 37 months at 46. 2) 6 books, 4 continents, 1 cross border exit.
Two text books on risk published by Palgrave Macmillan (Models at Work, Options Greeks Primer). An accidental pitch from the days when LinkedIn groups were worth hanging around. See books in profile.
Self published Reboot, Portfolio Optimization Models in Excel, Founder Puzzles and Craft. There are pluses and minuses to both (credentialed publisher vs self publishing). The money is better with self publishing. The prestige higher with a tier one publisher.
I now teach computational finance, technology product development, innovation and freshmen CS at IBA School of Math and Computer Science in Karachi. Many ways of giving back. I settled on teaching after 3 decades of traveling the world for work and teaching as an adjunct. Teaching has always been the most meaningful work I have done.
After 29 years exploring airplanes, airports, systems, clients and new cities in strange lands, realized that just like the Alchemist, what I had been looking for was right where I had started from. I consult on engagements selectively for clients that I like and want to work for. Alchemy is alive. Smaller, lower profile, discreet footprint.
Two pieces on medium that review my teaching philosophy. Open doors on the value and purpose of an education. The world doesn't owe you a B+, on chasing grade point averages and my approach to grading students in my class room.
Favorite Quotes. a) Behind every successful man is a penny less wife. b) Feedback is a gift. c) Give it the commitment it deserves. d) Every dream has a price e) If you think education is expensive, you should try ignorance.
New book alert.
Craft, the art of building products for the real world is my latest book on product development and design. I wrote it on request for students in my product dev class. A road map for the product world. The 2nd edition comes out end August 2025. Pre-orders are now open.
