Nabeel Qadeer

founder of Idea Croron Ka

Compiled from 2 recorded interviews. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Nabeel Qadeer is a Pakistani founder of Idea Croron Ka and a board member at DirAction Skills. Born and raised in Lahore, he has worked in training and skill development and titled his book This Book is About You. He has spoken as a guest speaker at about 84 universities.

Early life and background

Qadeer was born and raised in Lahore. His family came to Lahore from Amritsar and Jalandhar around the 1947 partition, and it once owned 250 tongas, horse-drawn carts. He says no one in his extended family worked as a government servant. [2]

Education

Qadeer completed his schooling and his O-Levels. He completed a BSc in Computer Science at FAST. He says about 12,500 people came to take the FAST entrance test, and he describes FAST as the top school at the time. He says FAST made hard targets and timelines normal for its graduates. [2]

Qadeer chose to study for a degree in Glasgow. He says that in the mountains, in the Highlands, he was able to explore himself. [2]

Career

Qadeer carried out customised ERP implementations for business owners. He automated the dispatch of sweets from a factory to retail stores. He says he has never worked for a multinational company, and he was offered a job at Accenture but chose not to take it. [2]

He has taught at universities for 10 years, starting with his first class at FAST. He has spoken as a guest speaker at about 84 universities, and he recently spoke to about 4,000 people in Gujranwala. He says he has stopped teaching because he is disheartened. [1][2]

Qadeer says he works in the skills space and has started training and capacity-building work for technology companies. He set up skill centers. He has worked in training and skill development. [1]

He says he wanted to spread entrepreneurship to the masses. He says he has supported people in Pakistan who are now successful, and that he has tried to make an impact in Pakistan himself. He says his dream for 2025 is to build a large skill university. [1][2]

He says he has a company. He also says he is assisting an organisation where 60% of the staff are women. [1][2]

Programmes, incubation and co-working

Qadeer says his team did not know how to run an incubator when work began. He ran the first government-backed skill development programme for young children. He ran the first accelerator programme, in which his team tried to bring startups to the next stage. His team began opening centres in 36 districts. [2]

His team opened a co-working space on the fifth floor of the Punjab IT Board building in 2014. The co-working space was called Tech Hub, and his team created its name and logo. [2]

Startups and investors

He says bringing investors in was a very new concept in Pakistan at that time. He says he was able to partner with Facebook. [2]

This Book is About You

Qadeer titled his book This Book is About You, and he says it took five years of his work. In the book, one is the point when a person finds their identity and brand. The book's chapters are labelled zero, 0.0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3. [2]

The book covers empathy, goal-setting, self-marketing, conflict management, people management and team building. The last chapter of the book is on faith, and the book is based on the quality of thoughts, words and actions. It contains none of his own examples and is about other people. He is also writing a new book. [1][2]

Views

Qadeer says the country's economics are not conducive to the growth its population needs. He says economic, social and political developments have caused chaos in Pakistan. He says Pakistan is a pressure cooker of mental health issues, and that there is no comparison left between India and Pakistan. He expects a new economic structure to form in Pakistan. [1]

He said in October 2022 that he was very hopeful and positive about Pakistan. He says he has strong faith that Pakistan will stay. He envisions Pakistan in 2050 as a regional player, driven by its young population, and says that population is its biggest strength. He is hopeful because young thought leaders can use the internet to spread their voice. [1][2]

He says the venture capital model is flawed, and that Pakistan needs its own mature angel investment scene. He says Pakistan's startup ecosystem cannot copy Silicon Valley's language and jargon. He says the startup fad has hurt the educated urban crowd. He says incubators have become a safe haven and have not changed much. [1][2]

Qadeer says government taught him the power of public money, and he believes well-meaning people can do great things with public money. He encourages people to take technocrat roles in government. He says government can act as a smart enabler where no one else will back an idea. [2]

He says governments can only act as enablers and initiators, giving initial investment, and the private sector should then take over. He says government is not structured for efficient execution. He says the biggest problem is clashing priorities, since the private sector focuses on making money. [2]

He says brain drain should not exist today if people do their jobs right. He advises working outside the country in large economies to see how real money operates. He says the non-resident Pakistani model will be the most successful model for the next 10 years. He has hope in IT companies as a source of jobs, and says basic English writing skills, such as writing a few lines of email, are needed. [1]

Qadeer says the world order is changing. He calls the evolution of AI phenomenal. He says people should not rely on ChatGPT. [1]

He says success needs three things: a financial push, a motivational push and skills. He says focus gives a person the ability to execute what they want, and he presents a triangle of reflect, focus and execute. He says he put together a quotation himself. He says success in business means that the people who worked for him became rich. [1]

Qadeer says unlearning is harder than learning again, and that there is no replacement for experience. He says people who tell you all about their successes are more often than not fluff. He says automation is implemented through people, since the user is a person. He says coaching is about asking good questions and listening. [1][2]

He says the future of education will be skill-based. He says a teacher is the most important figure in a society. He says narrative building is a major art for a leader. He says a format loses its flavour when it is adapted into Urdu for mass audiences. He says reality is very different and the bubble has to burst. [1][2]

Qadeer says working for an organisation is not wrong. He says he does not want to lie in public and cannot speak the truth. He says he understands his own country better than any other country. He says he focuses on generating value because money is a representation of value, and that double incomes are rapidly becoming a reality. [1][2]

Personal life

Qadeer says he made about 15 or 16 trips between Pakistan and Dubai in about three months. He says he is one of the few Pakistanis who has seen the world beyond Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. He says he has travelled the world, and that he has travelled to 87 cities in Pakistan. [1][2]

He says his parents had a disagreement. He says he lost his grandfather in 2003, to whom he was very attached. His grandmother died in 2011. His mother was diagnosed with oral cancer, and he says she was very ill and passed away a few months earlier. [2]

Qadeer describes himself as having been constantly curious and risk-taking. He has stopped attending events in the past two years. He was offered film and television work and declined it. He says he is not an actor. [2]

Timeline

1947
His family came to Lahore from Amritsar and Jalandhar around this time.[2]
2003
He lost his grandfather.[2]
2011
His grandmother died.[2]
2014
His team opened a co-working space called Tech Hub at the Punjab IT Board building.[2]
2022
He said he was very hopeful and positive about Pakistan.[1]
2025
He named building a large skill university as his dream for the year.[2]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-12-20 Pakistan's youth is in a stubborn rage — and that's dangerous Thought Behind Things
2022-12-05 Nabeel Qadeer on being lost after Idea Karoron Ka Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Nabeel Qadeer?

Nabeel Qadeer is a Pakistani founder of Idea Croron Ka and a board member at DirAction Skills. He was born and raised in Lahore and has worked in training and skill development.[1][2]

What does Nabeel Qadeer do?

Nabeel Qadeer says he works in the skills space and has started training and capacity-building work for technology companies. He is a board member at DirAction Skills and titled his book This Book is About You.[1][2]

Where did Nabeel Qadeer study?

Nabeel Qadeer completed a BSc in Computer Science at FAST. He also chose to study for a degree in Glasgow.[2]

Where is Nabeel Qadeer from?

Nabeel Qadeer was born and raised in Lahore. His family came to Lahore from Amritsar and Jalandhar around the 1947 partition.[2]

What company did Nabeel Qadeer found?

Nabeel Qadeer is the founder of Idea Croron Ka. He is also a board member at DirAction Skills.[1]

What book did Nabeel Qadeer write?

Nabeel Qadeer titled his book This Book is About You, and he says it took five years of his work. The book covers empathy, goal-setting, self-marketing, conflict management, people management and team building.[2]

Has Nabeel Qadeer worked in education?

Nabeel Qadeer has taught at universities for 10 years, starting with his first class at FAST. He has also spoken as a guest speaker at about 84 universities.[1][2]

What is Nabeel Qadeer known for?

Nabeel Qadeer is known as the founder of Idea Croron Ka. He has also titled a book This Book is About You and has worked in training and skill development.[1][2]

References

  1. Pakistan's youth is in a stubborn rage — and that's dangerous . Thought Behind Things , 2023-12-20.
  2. Nabeel Qadeer on being lost after Idea Karoron Ka . Thought Behind Things , 2022-12-05.
Show the source passages (119 statements)
  1. Nabeel Qadeer is the founder of Idea Croron Ka. Nabeel Qadeer is the Founder of Idea Croron Ka and a Board Member at DirAction Skills.
  2. Nabeel Qadeer is a board member at DirAction Skills. Nabeel Qadeer is the Founder of Idea Croron Ka and a Board Member at DirAction Skills.
  3. He says he works in the skills space. Hum skills ki space mein kaam kar rahe hain.
  4. He says he has started training and capacity-building work for technology companies. Technology companies ki training, capacity building shuru kar di hai.
  5. He is writing a new book. Also in the process of writing a new book.
  6. He set up skill centers. why I set up skill centers?
  7. He recently spoke to about 4,000 people in Gujranwala. Main abhi do mahine pehle, do mahina pehle Gujranwala mein 4000 logon se baat kar raha tha.
  8. He has spoken as a guest speaker at about 84 universities. Maine 84 university mein bola hua hai as a guest speaker.
  9. He has worked in training and skill development. training and development pe toh maine kaafi kaam kiya hai.
  10. He says he has stopped teaching because he is disheartened. Matlab maine toh is dil bardashta ho ke padhana hi chhod diya hai.
  11. He says the venture capital model is flawed. mera personal manna yeh hai ke VC ka model is tarah kharab hai
  12. He says Pakistan needs its own mature angel investment scene. Pakistan needs its own angel investment scene. A very mature angel investment scene.
  13. He says the country's economics are not conducive to the growth its population needs. The economics of the country unfortunately is not conducive for the sort of growth that is required for a population
  14. He says economic, social and political developments have caused chaos in Pakistan. I think the way our economics or our overall society, things that are happening politically, all of those things have caused chaos.
  15. He said in October 2022 that he was very hopeful and positive about Pakistan. You asked me this question in October of 2022 and I said I'm very hopeful and I'm very positive about Pakistan.
  16. He says the world order is changing. The world order is changing.
  17. He calls the evolution of AI phenomenal. It's phenomenal. That that that the evolution in AI that we are seeing.
  18. He says brain drain should not exist today if people do their jobs right. brain drain in today's day and age doesn't should not exist because theoretically if people do their jobs right, fair enough.
  19. He says there is no comparison left between India and Pakistan. There is no comparison left between India and Pakistan anymore.
  20. He says a teacher is the most important figure in a society. Aapka ustad aapke muashre ka sabse important character hai.
  21. He advises working outside the country in large economies to see how real money operates. jaiye mulk se bahar kaam kijiye. Badi badi economies mein real money ko dekhiye hota kya hai.
  22. He says Pakistan is a pressure cooker of mental health issues. Pakistan is a is a pressure cooker of of of of mental health issues at this point in time.
  23. He says he made about 15 or 16 trips between Pakistan and Dubai in about three months. pichle taqreeban 3 mahine mein na maine koi taqreeban 15-16 dafa travel kiya hai between Pakistan and Dubai.
  24. He is one of the few Pakistanis who has seen the world beyond Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. main un chand logon mein se hoon jisne waqai Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad se bahar bhi duniya dekhi hai
  25. He says he has travelled the world. Allah ne mujhe wasail diye, maine duniya phira.
  26. He says Pakistan's startup ecosystem cannot copy Silicon Valley's language and jargon. it cannot be a photocopy of the language, the jargons we put that we've taken from Silicon Valley.
  27. He says he has supported people in Pakistan who are now successful. Aaj kuch kuch log bahut kamyab bhi hain hamare mulk mein, jinko maine support kiya hai.
  28. He says he has tried to make an impact in Pakistan himself. maine apni taraf se koshish ki hai ke apne mulk mein aa ke kuch karoon
  29. He says success in business means that the people who worked for him became rich. People who reported to them are now rich. That is success to me in terms of business.
  30. He says working for an organisation is not wrong. Why is it wrong to work for an organization? It's not.
  31. He says the non-resident Pakistani model will be the most successful model for the next 10 years. non-resident Pakistani model ko main aaj halfan keh raha hoon, yahi sabse kamyab model hoga agle 10 saalon ke liye.
  32. He says unlearning is harder than learning again. Ab learning again is easier, unlearning is more difficult.
  33. He expects a new economic structure to form in Pakistan. Because a new economic structure will happen in Pakistan.
  34. He says he does not want to lie in public and cannot speak the truth. jhoot main bolna nahi chahta aur sach main bol nahi sakta
  35. He says he understands his own country better than any other country. The context of my country that I understand, the way I understand it in vertically and horizontally, I cannot understand any other country now.
  36. He says success needs three things: a financial push, a motivational push and skills. Three things you need to be successful. Financial push, motivational push which is positivity and skill, abilities.
  37. He says focus gives a person the ability to execute what they want. What focus then does is, it gives you the ability to actually execute what you want
  38. He presents a triangle of reflect, focus and execute. Now repeat this triangle. Reflect, focus, execute.
  39. He says he put together a quotation himself. there's this quotation that I put together myself, it's nobody's.
  40. He says double incomes are rapidly becoming a reality. Double income is now very rapidly becoming a reality.
  41. He has hope in IT companies as a source of jobs. Isliye mujhe IT companies se umeed bhi hai.
  42. He says basic English writing skills, such as writing a few lines of email, are needed. Basic skills of zubaan, English language ko at least likh sakna do emailon ki linein.
  43. He says people should not rely on ChatGPT. Chat GPT pe rely nahi karna.
  44. He says he is assisting an organisation where 60% of the staff are women. Ah I am assisting an organization these days. 60% of the staff is women.
  45. He says the startup fad has hurt the educated urban crowd. Because jo padha likha urban crowd hai na hamara, usko startup fad le dooba hai.
  46. He was born and raised in Lahore. Lahore se janam pal hai aur life, early life bhi Lahore mein, early education bhi Lahore ki hai
  47. His family once owned 250 tongas, horse-drawn carts. hamare paas 250 tangay the.
  48. His family came to Lahore from Amritsar and Jalandhar around the 1947 partition. Amritsar aur Jalandhar se aate hain back in 1947.
  49. He completed his schooling and his O-Levels. Alma se schooling ki, apni O-Levels kiya.
  50. He completed a BSc in Computer Science at FAST. Then I went for my BSc in Computer Science from FAST.
  51. He says about 12,500 people came to take the FAST entrance test. FAST rakhta tha FSC ka bacha bhi, A-Level ka bacha bhi. 12,500 banda test dene aaya hua tha.
  52. He describes FAST as the top school at the time. It was the top school. It was the top school.
  53. He describes himself as having been constantly curious and risk-taking. I was constantly curious. I was constantly risk-taking.
  54. He says FAST made hard targets and timelines normal for its graduates. FAST ne mushkil targets ko, mushkil timelines ko, niters ko mainstream kar diya hamare liye
  55. He carried out customised ERP implementations for business owners. customized ERP implementations maine badi ki, Sethon ke liye.
  56. He automated the dispatch of sweets from a factory to retail stores. maine apni na dispatch automate ki, ke mithai dispatch hua karegi factory se into retail stores
  57. He says automation is implemented through people, since the user is a person. User toh aapka insaan hai.
  58. He says he has never worked for a multinational company. maine kisi bhi multinational company mein kaam nahi kiya
  59. He says there is no replacement for experience. There is no replacement to experience.
  60. He says people who tell you all about their successes are more often than not fluff. if they're telling you all about their successes, they're more often than not a fluff.
  61. He says no one in his extended family worked as a government servant. mera pura khandan mein koi government servant nahi hai
  62. He says his parents had a disagreement. My parents had a bit of a tiff.
  63. He says he lost his grandfather in 2003, to whom he was very attached. when I lost my grandfather in 2003, I basically lost a part of me because I was so attached to him.
  64. His grandmother died in 2011. To dadi passed away in 2011.
  65. His mother was diagnosed with oral cancer. My mother was diagnosed of oral cancer.
  66. He chose to study for a degree in Glasgow. I went and chose a degree at Strathclyde in Glasgow
  67. He says that in the mountains, in the Highlands, he was able to explore himself. in the mountains, in the Highlands, I was able to really explore myself
  68. He was offered a job at Accenture but chose not to take it. Nahi mujhe wahan par naukri mil gayi thi Accenture mein. Acha. Haan lekin wo maine nahi karni thi wahan
  69. He says the team did not know how to run an incubator when work began. Um aur usme jab hamari actual working pe aaye aur paper pe aaye to ye nahi pata tha ke incubator humne chalana kaise hai.
  70. He says incubators have become a safe haven and have not changed much. Not a lot has changed in incubators uh because wo it's become a safe haven rather.
  71. His team began opening centres in 36 districts. Humne 36 zilon mein center kholna shuru kiya hai.
  72. He ran the first government-backed skill development programme for young children. I was able to run the first government-backed program for young children. Uh skill development program with kids.
  73. He ran the first accelerator programme, in which his team tried to bring startups to the next stage. I was able to run the first accelerator program, jisme humne startups ko next stage pe leke aane ki koshish ki.
  74. His team opened a co-working space on the fifth floor of the Punjab IT Board building in 2014. Humne pehli co-working space ek floor pe, paanchve floor pe kholi thi. Acha. Uh IT board mein, Punjab IT board mein 2014 mein.
  75. The co-working space was called Tech Hub, and his team created its name and logo. It was called the Tech Hub. We came up with the name ourselves, we made the logo ourselves.
  76. He says government taught him the power of public money. government taught me the power of public money.
  77. He believes well-meaning people can do great things with public money. I think with public money we can do wonders.
  78. He encourages people to take technocrat roles in government. That is why I encourage people to go take these technocrat type roles in the government.
  79. He says government can act as a smart enabler where no one else will back an idea. where nobody else is ready to sort of bank on your idea, the government can come in and they can act as a smart enabler.
  80. He says governments can only act as enablers and initiators, giving initial investment, and the private sector should then take over. Governments can only uh act as an enabler, Yeah. as a initiator, Yeah. dhakka lagane ke liye, initial investment dene ke liye. Uske baad usko dena to private sector ko chahiye.
  81. He says government is not structured for efficient execution. government ka ke andar ability hoti hi nahi hai efficient execution ki. Governments are not structured that way.
  82. He says the biggest problem is clashing priorities, since the private sector focuses on making money. I think the biggest uh problem is that of priorities. Aur wo clash karti hai. Hmm. Private sector is about making money.
  83. He first watched Shark Tank in 2015. mujhe maine 2015 mein pehli baar Shark Tank dekha.
  84. He says he did not have the kind of money Mark Cuban has. Ab masla yeh tha mere paas Mark Cuban wale paise nahi the.
  85. He says he had to become the connector who brings investors to the show. I have to become the connector now.
  86. He made a pilot with his own money. Toh maine phir pilot banaya. Acha. Khud apne paison se.
  87. He says he met Mark Cuban at South by Southwest in Austin. I met with Mark Mark Cuban at South by Southwest in Austin.
  88. He says only 37 to 42 percent of investments on his show actually happened after the show. Only 37 to 42% of the investments actually happened after the show.
  89. He says he always described the show as an angel investment show. Main hamesha kehta tha yeh angel investment ka show hai.
  90. He says he was able to partner with Facebook. I was able to partner with Facebook. I was able to partner with She Means Business.
  91. He says a format loses its flavour when it is adapted into Urdu for mass audiences. Jab usko ab aap masses ke liye Urdu mein kar rahe hote hain na suddenly it loses a lot of that flavor.
  92. He says he has a company. I have a company called Direction.
  93. He says he has travelled to 87 cities in Pakistan. I have traveled to 87 cities of Pakistan.
  94. He titled his book This Book is About You. naam rakh diya you. Ke this book is about you.
  95. He says the book took five years of his work. meri zindagi ki 5 saal ki mehnat
  96. In the book, one is the point when a person finds their identity and brand. Zero woh waqt hai jab aap paida huye. Right. One woh waqt hai jab aapne apna wajood dhoond liya. You found your brand.
  97. The book's chapters are labelled zero, 0.0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3. that's why my chapters are zero, 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3.
  98. The book covers empathy, goal-setting, self-marketing, conflict management, people management and team building. Usmein empathy aati hai, usmein uh uh uh things like uh setting goals aate hain, usmein marketing your brand, marketing yourself aati hai, aur uh conflict management aati hai, people management aati hai, making teams aata hai.
  99. The last chapter of the book is on faith. that's why chapter the last chapter is on faith.
  100. The book is based on the quality of thoughts, words and actions. The quality of your thoughts, the quality of your words, and the quality of your actions.
  101. The book contains none of his own examples and is about other people. Ismein mera koi bhi example nahin hai. Right. Yeh sab logon ke baare mein kitab hai.
  102. He has taught at universities for 10 years, starting with his first class at FAST. So I've been teaching for 10 years. Achha. Haan, in universities. And I started from your and my alma mater. My first class I taught was at FAST.
  103. He says he has strong faith that Pakistan will stay. I have strong faith. Pakistan will stay.
  104. He envisions Pakistan in 2050 as a regional player, driven by its young population. Regional player for sure, run by a very youth intensive uh you know, we are very we are a very young nation.
  105. He says Pakistan's young population is its biggest strength. And that's our biggest strength. We just have to encash it.
  106. He says narrative building is a major art for a leader. narrative building jo hai na, woh ek bahut bada art hai ek leader ka.
  107. He is hopeful because young thought leaders can use the internet to spread their voice. young thought leaders are coming up and they have the the very strong power of the internet
  108. He says he focuses on generating value because money is a representation of value. talking about how to generate value because money is a is a representation of value.
  109. He says reality is very different and the bubble has to burst. Because reality bahut mukhtalif hai aur woh bubble burst honi hoti hai.
  110. He says a model of social welfare must be worked out through platforms like podcasts. There has to be a model of of social welfare that we all must figure out through these platforms.
  111. He says coaching is about asking good questions and listening. Coaching is about asking good questions and listening.
  112. He has stopped attending events in the past two years. I have literally stopped attending events. Hmm. Past two years.
  113. He says his mother was very ill and passed away a few months earlier. meri walida bahut bimar thi and she passed away a few months back.
  114. He says bringing investors in was a very new concept in Pakistan at that time. Toh unko connect kiya investors se. Kyunki Pakistan mein investors lane ka concept bada naya tha us zamane mein.
  115. He says he wanted to spread entrepreneurship to the masses. I genuinely, genuinely wanted to spread entrepreneurship to the masses.
  116. He says his dream for 2025 is to build a large skill university. Mera khwab hai ke maine ek badi skill university banani hai. That's my 2025 ki dream.
  117. He says the future of education will be skill-based. the future of of education would be skill-based.
  118. He was offered film and television work after the show and declined it. I got offered to do a film after that show. I got offered to do to do some television gigs. I didn't do none any of any of that.
  119. He says he is not an actor. I am not an actor. And I am not someone who can read a script.