Muhammad Ahmad

startup CEO associated with InLights

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Muhammad Ahmad is the founder & CEO of InLights. Ahmad was born in Faisalabad, and his family soon moved to Rawalpindi. His father was an engineer.

Early life and background

Ahmad was born in Faisalabad, and his family soon moved to Rawalpindi. His father was an engineer. [1]

Education

Ahmad completed his FSC at a college close to his home. While still in FSC, he concluded that education in Pakistan had something very wrong with it. He attended a 10-day winter program at LUMS on a full scholarship. A video he made at home on a phone was liked, and he was invited to attend on a full scholarship. [1]

Ahmad took part in a two-week summer program of the University of Oxford, and he says it was a summer program, not a graduate degree. He chose NUST because he wanted all disciplines within reach. He studied mechanical engineering there, and he chose it because it is versatile and gives a multidimensional overview. [1]

Ahmad taught himself programming at home. He says he could learn business at NUST and did so there, including through NSTP. He also made a YouTube video on how to apply for university admission. [1]

InLights

Ahmad says InLights runs two main pipelines, one of which is a flagship project. He says this project is public facing and draws a lot of attention. He says a project connected to Unilever's box packing runs for one to two months. According to Ahmad, his team does the software and tells the other party what hardware to use. [1]

Ahmad searched Google and found that the idea already existed elsewhere in the world. He says he knew enough at that point to begin building a basic application himself. He was stopped at a closed signal beside an ambulance on Murree Road in Rawalpindi. He says the basic prototype uses IP cameras of 2 megapixels, and that daylight performance was visible to the team, while night performance was still undecided. [1]

Ahmad says his team was on and off in its first year. He says he stopped earning money at that point. After that, his aim was to solve a problem for his community. He says he approached the traffic police, and he made a short screen-recorded video and began sending it to people on WhatsApp. [1]

Ahmad says InLights intends to run the signals itself. He says he took the startup to competitions and that it is a winner. He says it is an InLights core value that people who leave can start their own startups. [1]

Views

Ahmad says government agencies cannot run such systems themselves. He says the company that built a system should be the one to maintain and run it. He says InLights cannot rely fully on government work, and that growing to scale will bring ten more problems, which he does not want to go into. He says the traffic problem is a human problem as well as an economic one. [1]

Ahmad believes anyone starting a startup should set its values at the start. He says the most sought-after engineering field has changed over time, from petroleum to mechanical to telecom to software. He says one startup has come out of his whole batch, and that he feels ambition has faded. He says more people must step out and start things, and that such conversations are needed. [1]

Ahmad says he has experienced change first hand. He says one reason is that they own this country. He cites Tabish Hashmi as having said that no one is self-made. He says he cannot understand why successful people do not visit universities. [1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2022-09-30 The 21-year-old fixing Pakistan's traffic lights with AI Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Where did Muhammad Ahmad study?

Muhammad Ahmad studied mechanical engineering at NUST. He also attended a 10-day winter program at LUMS on a full scholarship. Ahmad took part in a two-week summer program of the University of Oxford.[1]

Where is Muhammad Ahmad from?

Muhammad Ahmad was born in Faisalabad. His family soon moved to Rawalpindi.[1]

Why did Muhammad Ahmad choose NUST?

Muhammad Ahmad says he chose NUST because he wanted all disciplines within reach. He studied mechanical engineering there. Ahmad says he could learn business at NUST and did so there, including through NSTP.[1]

Why did Muhammad Ahmad choose mechanical engineering?

Muhammad Ahmad chose mechanical engineering because it is versatile and gives a multidimensional overview. He studied the subject at NUST.[1]

References

  1. The 21-year-old fixing Pakistan's traffic lights with AI . Thought Behind Things , 2022-09-30.
Show the source passages (48 statements)
  1. Muhammad Ahmad is described as Pakistan's youngest startup CEO. Pakistan's Youngest Startup CEO Ft. Muhammad Ahmad
  2. Muhammad Ahmad describes InLights as a startup built around a camera. Okay, so Inlights is a startup jo ke aapka camera hai. Camera se aap jo kuch dekh sakte hain
  3. He says InLights timed traffic lights. jaise ki is case mein humne traffic lights ko time kar diya
  4. Muhammad Ahmad was born in Faisalabad, and his family soon moved to Rawalpindi. I was born in Faisalabad lekin saath hi hum Rawalpindi aa gaye.
  5. His father was an engineer. Kyunki mere father engineer the and education system unhone mere andar dala
  6. Muhammad Ahmad completed his FSC at a college close to his home. Then FSC maine ki college, Harvard College uska naam hai. Mere ghar ke bilkul paas tha.
  7. Muhammad Ahmad attended a 10-day winter program at LUMS on a full scholarship. I applied it in a winter program, LUMS mein. Woh ek organization run karti hain 10 days ka and I went there full scholarship pe
  8. While still in FSC, he concluded that education in Pakistan had something very wrong with it. maine ek baat realize kar li thi ki education jo hai na is mulk mein, there is something very wrong idhar na.
  9. A video he made at home on a phone was liked, and he was invited to attend on a full scholarship. Bilkul aur koi video matlab bilkul aise ghar mein baith ke camera se bani hui thi na phone se. Toh unko pasand aa gayi and they were like aa jao full scholarship pe.
  10. Muhammad Ahmad says he did an Oxford summer program, not a graduate degree. Achha, Oxford as a graduate program nahi kiya maine wahan pe. Summer program mein.
  11. Muhammad Ahmad took part in a two-week summer program of the University of Oxford. Maine University of Oxford ka ek program tha, summer program, two weeks ka.
  12. He chose NUST because he wanted all disciplines within reach. Ab Pakistan mein phir ek hi top notch NUST aati hai aur mera plan business ka shuru se tha. So I wanted saare disciplines meri reach mein ho.
  13. He studied mechanical engineering at NUST. Okay, so mechanical from NUST. Right. I was maine university jaane se pehle, jab main FSC mein tha, maine ek baat realize kar li thi
  14. He chose mechanical engineering because it is versatile and gives a multidimensional overview. doosra jab aap aate hain na multidimensional toh mechanical is sort of bahut versatile as opposed to baaki
  15. He taught himself programming at home. main ghar mein baith ke aise seekha maine programming
  16. He says he could learn business at NUST and did so there, including through NSTP. Business bhi seekh sakta hoon kyunki school hai saath mere, NBS hai, NSTP hai aur aisa hi hua, maine seekha wahan pe jaake.
  17. He made a YouTube video on how to apply for university admission. maine ek video ki kaise karna hai aapne admission mein apply, mera channel hai YouTube pe.
  18. He says the basic prototype uses IP cameras of 2 megapixels. woh IP cameras hote hain. Abhi 2 megapixels hain lekin bahut basic prototype ke liye.
  19. He says his team was on and off in its first year. Uh, mere, acha meri team jo hai na, woh pehle saal on and off rahi hai.
  20. He says he stopped earning money at that point. Maine yahan pe break laga di, woh paise kamana chhod diye.
  21. After that, his aim was to solve a problem for his community. To bas us ke baad yeh tha ke yaar masla solve karna hai apni community ka.
  22. He says he approached the traffic police. main ne Safe City ko approach kiya, traffic police ko kiya.
  23. He made a short screen-recorded video and began sending it to people on WhatsApp. Main WhatsApp pe na us ki ek video banayi, choti si screen record karke, bhejna shuru kar di logon ko.
  24. He says government agencies cannot run such systems themselves. agencies jo hain, CDA, TIPA, LDA, RDA, they can't do it, bas.
  25. He says the company that built a system should be the one to maintain and run it. Woh yeh kaam jis company ne woh cheez banayi hai, woh hi aake us ko maintain karegi, woh hi chalayegi.
  26. He says InLights intends to run the signals itself. Humne kehna hai signal hum chalayenge, hum aap ko denge
  27. He says InLights cannot rely fully on government work. To hum ek yeh sarkari pe reliance fully nahi ho sakti.
  28. He says growing to scale will bring ten more problems, which he does not want to go into. But scale ke upar phir 10 masle aayenge aage and I don't want to get into them as well.
  29. He says InLights runs two main pipelines, one of which is a flagship project. do pipelines hamari chal rahi hain mainly. Ek flagship project hai ye wala.
  30. He says this project is public facing and draws a lot of attention. Aur isme public facing bhi hai na. So there's a lot of eyeballs there as well.
  31. He says a project connected to Unilever's box packing runs for one to two months. Same goes for Unilever unke dabbe pack ho rahe hain. Wo mahina do mahine ka project hai.
  32. He says his team does the software and tells the other party what hardware to use. Haan software hum karte hain. Hardware unko bata dete hain.
  33. He says it is an InLights core value that people who leave can start their own startups. Seekh hamari in lights ki core values mein se hai ke jo mere paas log hain na wo yahan se nikle to apna startup karne ke qabil hon.
  34. He believes anyone starting a startup should set its values at the start. agar koi startup shuru karna chahta hai to values set zaroor karni chahiye shuru mein ke kyun kar rahe hain
  35. He says one reason is that they own this country. uski ek reason us layer mein yeh hai ke because humara we own this na country.
  36. He says the most sought-after engineering field has changed over time, from petroleum to mechanical to telecom to software. Scope aaj se 20 saal pehle petroleum ka merit bahut zyada tha. Mere time pe mechanical ka bahut zyada tha. 10 saal pehle telecom ka bahut zyada tha. Aaj software.
  37. He says he took the startup to competitions and that it is a winner. Hamari jo main main ye startup na competitions mein leke gaya hun aur ye winner hai.
  38. He says he feels ambition has faded. Ambitious ambition khatam ho gaya hai feel hota hai mujhe.
  39. He says one startup has come out of his whole batch. Matlab mere poore batch mein ek startup hai. Nikla hai.
  40. He says more people must step out and start things, and that such conversations are needed. Lekin uske liye log nikalna zaroori hain aur uske liye zaroori hai ki is tarah ki conversations ho.
  41. He says he has experienced change first hand. Maine I think maine first hand change experience kiya hai.
  42. He cites Tabish Hashmi as having said that no one is self-made. Toh Tabish Hashmi ne kaha tha ke no one is self-made.
  43. He says he cannot understand why successful people do not visit universities. Universities mein kyun nahi aate? Mujhe samajh se bahar hai.
  44. He was stopped at a closed signal beside an ambulance on Murree Road in Rawalpindi. Murree Road pe, Pindi mein jo hai, wahan pe ek Liaquat Bagh hai. Bahut rush hota hai wahan pe. To signal sa band tha. Mere saath ek ambulance khadi thi.
  45. He says the traffic problem is a human problem as well as an economic one. I think ek ek economic problem hai, ek human problem hai.
  46. He says daylight performance was visible to the team, while night performance was still undecided. humein daylight ka to humein nazar aa gaya, night ka I am still the jury is out on that
  47. He searched Google and found that the idea already existed elsewhere in the world. Google kiya, duniya mein hua hua hai.
  48. He says he knew enough at that point to begin building a basic application himself. mujhe open CV aati thi us point tak itni ke main, maine us ki application thodi si na khud se banana shuru ki.