Syed Arsalan Ali Shah

co-founder of Connected Pakistan

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

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah is the founder of Connected Pakistan. Shah says his whole career has been based in Abbottabad. His first job was at a CD shop, where he was paid 1,500 rupees a month, which he used to fund his studies.

Early life and background

Shah is from Abbottabad, a small city on the northern side of Pakistan. His father was a government school teacher who left a government job to join a private school. Shah is one of five brothers and has two sisters. His father died when Shah was in the third class. [1]

Education

Shah was a topper at school and passed every class with distinction. He tutored other students while studying, to fund his own education. He graduated from Hazara University. [1]

Career

Shah says his whole career has been based in Abbottabad. His first job was at a CD shop, where he was paid 1,500 rupees a month, which he used to fund his studies. He then moved to a university. He says he took MBA classes and taught computer science. [1]

Shah then got a job at a company in an IT Park. He began freelancing on the side while working at the IT Park company in Abbottabad. He worked there for about a year. [1]

Shah says he set up an e-commerce store and invested in dropshipping. He also says that during the previous government he was at the World Bank and worked with government offices. [1]

Connected Pakistan

Shah says the idea for Connected Pakistan was an organisation that speaks purely and solely about Pakistan. He says he had only four lakh rupees. He says they rented a small space and had no money for tables or chairs, and that they initially had no success on platforms. [1]

Shah says he told those they emailed that he had already made five designs for their website, and that everyone they emailed got in touch with them. He says they are a top rated seller on Fiverr and Upwork. He says one of their profiles was de-ranked and closed, after which they realised they should build multiple revenue streams. [1]

Shah says they have registered a dot NZ and plan not to build a physical business there. He says competition is low in markets such as Ireland, Denmark and Ukraine. He says they have created so many freelancers in Pakistan that they rank fourth. He also says the company holds a P@SHA certificate, is an NTN holder and has a tax filer. [1]

Shah says the five founders decided to put 30% of annual revenue towards social empowerment. He says they identified ten segments, including education and employment. He says awards were given to 250 top rated sellers in Pakistan. [1]

Shah says the first official Connected Pakistan conference was held in 2016. He says his company is the only one to have held six conferences in Pakistan, and that he paid for the six conferences himself, in a private capacity. He says the conferences held over six years were not enough. He says Connected Pakistan will announce chapters in different cities and villages. [1]

Connected Pakistan first offered internships to local students. They ran awareness sessions on freelancing at universities. Shah says he decided to train people himself, and that a person who is trained is more loyal than one who is hired. Connected Pakistan built a five-level system in which members earn a salary and a share of project income at the top level. Shah says each level raises the share of project income a member receives. [1]

Views

Shah says freelancing is a starting point, not a destination. He calls freelancing the quickest possible way until another way is found, and says the aim is ultimately to become an entrepreneur. He says he repeats in every talk that freelancing leads to entrepreneurship. He says he used the word that freelancers will be dead after three years, and that freelancers who do not transform will be dead. He says he charged $1,000 for an HTML website ten years ago and that the same website now costs $20. He cites research saying half the workforce will be freelancers by 2025. He says freelancers have money sitting idle, whereas startups need funding, and that Pakistan has no accelerator bootcamp for freelancers. [1]

On government, Shah says that if they are living in a Riyasat-e-Madina, interest based loans are not needed. He says the countries that succeeded in the world are those where governments did not give jobs. He says the Punjab IT board did not need to be so large, and the private sector should have built it, and that government needs to cut the fat. He says visas and interest-free loans are second priority, and that governments get about 10 things wrong and 8 things right. He says the government held the first National Freelancing Conference in Bhurban. He questions why freelancers are taxed when the IT industry receives rebates. He says Pakistan should build special technology zones, since the world is moving towards virtual spaces. He describes Akhuwat as a programme run by the private sector, and says he would blame the government that a boy from Khuzdar had no internet. [1]

Shah says the ultimate goal is to empower Pakistan. He says young people will play the biggest role in empowering Pakistan. He says one cannot sit down, do nothing and just complain about things. [1]

Personal life

Shah's wife was the first Pakistani woman to become a top rated seller on Fiverr. [1]

Timeline

2016
First official Connected Pakistan conference held, according to Shah.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2022-01-12 Why Pakistan's freelancers will be dead in three years if they don't transform Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

What does Syed Arsalan Ali Shah do?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah is a co-founder of Connected Pakistan, which he says is categorised as a digital freelancing agency and describes itself as a tech social enterprise. He also says he set up an e-commerce store and invested in dropshipping.[1]

Where did Syed Arsalan Ali Shah study?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah graduated from Hazara University. He tutored other students while studying, to fund his own education.[1]

Where is Syed Arsalan Ali Shah from?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah is from Abbottabad, a small city on the northern side of Pakistan. He says his whole career has been based in Abbottabad.[1]

What company did Syed Arsalan Ali Shah found?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah is a co-founder of Connected Pakistan. He was one of five friends who were its founding members, and he says the idea was an organisation that speaks purely and solely about Pakistan.[1]

When was the first Connected Pakistan conference held?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah says the first official Connected Pakistan conference was held in 2016. He says he paid for the six conferences himself, in a private capacity.[1]

What does Syed Arsalan Ali Shah say about freelancing?

Syed Arsalan Ali Shah says freelancing is a starting point, not a destination. He says the aim is ultimately to become an entrepreneur, and that he repeats in every talk that freelancing leads to entrepreneurship.[1]

References

  1. Why Pakistan's freelancers will be dead in three years if they don't transform . Thought Behind Things , 2022-01-12.
Show the source passages (84 statements)
  1. He is from Abbottabad, a small city on the northern side of Pakistan. Abbottabad, uh, Pakistan ka jo shehar hai chhota sa, aapko pata hai northern side pe, wahan se belong karte hain.
  2. He says his whole career has been based in Abbottabad. My, my whole career is from Abbottabad.
  3. His father was a government school teacher. Ek school teacher the, government school teacher.
  4. He is one of five brothers, and he has two sisters. Aur hum paanch bhai the, do behnein thi aur kaafi bada kunba tha.
  5. His father left a government job to join a private school. unhone government job chhod di thi aur ek private school join kar liya tha.
  6. His father died when he was in the third class. Teesri class mein tha toh mere walid sahab ki death ho gayi.
  7. He was a topper at school. Main apni school mein topper tha.
  8. He passed every class with distinction at his school. Pines hamara school tha, wahan pe maine har class mein distinction se tamam cheezein pass ki.
  9. He tutored other students while studying, to fund his own education. tuitionein padhata chala gaya taake main apni jo, uh, education ki journey hai, usko main, uh, find kar sakun.
  10. He graduated from Hazara University. maine Hazara University se graduation ki.
  11. His first job was at a CD shop. maine apni zindagi mein pehli naukri ki, jo ke ek CD ki shops hoti hain
  12. At the CD shop he was paid 1,500 rupees a month, which he used to fund his studies. Aur believe you me ke mujhe mahine ke 1500 rupaye milte the. Just to fund my studies.
  13. He then moved to a university. phir uske baad maine Al-Khair University mein shift kiya.
  14. He says he took MBA classes and taught computer science. main us age mein main MBA ki classes bhi leta tha, unko computer science samjhata tha, padhata tha.
  15. He applied for a job at the Ministry of Environment. Aur uske baad fortunately ek job announce hui thi Ministry of Environment ke andar aur maine waise hi apply kar diya tha.
  16. After an interview he was offered the government job at the Ministry of Environment. Wahan se call bhi aa gayi, interview bhi ho gaya aur saari ki saari cheezein jo hain, woh ho gayi aur main government job mujhe mil gayi.
  17. He says that after he set up a network, he had no work to do all day. maine ek dafa woh network bana diya tha. Uske baad mere paas saara din koi kaam nahi hota tha.
  18. He says he realised he had done no work in three years. Toh jab maine ahata kiya toh mujhe pata chala ke 3 saal mein maine koi kaam toh kiya hi nahi.
  19. He then got a job at a company in an IT Park. Toh IT Park mein ek company mein job mil gayi.
  20. He began freelancing on the side while working at the IT Park company in Abbottabad. Wahan pe maine apne skills ko mazeed polish kiya aur wahin pe maine saath saath parallel mein freelancing bhi shuru kar di, Abbottabad mein.
  21. He worked at the IT Park company for about a year. Wahan pe taqreeban ek saal maine wahan pe kaam kiya
  22. He says the idea for Connected Pakistan was an organisation that speaks purely and solely about Pakistan. Toh wahan se Connected Pakistan ka ek idea dimag mein aaya ke ek aisi organization honi chahiye jo ke purely and solely baat kare Pakistan ke hawaley se.
  23. He was one of five friends who were the founding members of Connected Pakistan. jis waqt humne foundation rakhi Connected Pakistan ki, toh mere saath jo founding members the, hum paanch dost the saare
  24. He says he had only four lakh rupees. believe karein Muzamil ke mere paas sirf 4 lakh rupaye the.
  25. He says they rented a small space and had no money for tables or chairs. Humne ek chhoti si jagah hire ki aur wahan pe hamare paas table, kursiyan khareedne ke paise nahi the
  26. He says they initially had no success on platforms. Achha, initially platforms ke upar kamyabi nahi mili.
  27. He says he told them he had already made five designs for their website. Main unko saath yeh bata raha tha ke aapki website ke liye maine paanch design already banaye hue hain.
  28. He says everyone they emailed got in touch with them. Aur believe karein ke jitne logon ko humne email ki, un sab ne humse raabta kiya.
  29. He says they are a top rated seller on Fiverr and Upwork. Fiverr ke upar hum top rated seller hain, Upwork ke upar hum top rated seller hain
  30. He says one of their profiles was de-ranked and closed, after which they realised they should build multiple revenue streams. Woh unfortunately woh wali profile hamari de-rank ho gayi, band ho gayi, toh us waqt humein realization yeh hui ke humein multiple revenue streams jo hain woh khadi karni chahiye
  31. He says they have registered a dot NZ and plan not to build a physical business there. To abhi humne ek dot NZ register karwai hai aur this time we are planning ke hum wahan pe koi physical business na banayein.
  32. He says competition is low in markets such as Ireland, Denmark and Ukraine. Is tarah bahut sari Ireland ki market hai, Denmark ki market hai, Ukraine ki market hai. Theek hai na jahan pe aapko competition level bilkul low milega.
  33. He describes himself as a social entrepreneur. I am a social entrepreneur.
  34. He says the company describes itself as a tech social enterprise. Basically hum isko kehte hain tech social enterprise.
  35. He says the five founders decided to put 30% of annual revenue towards social empowerment. hum paanch dost the saare aur humne yeh decide kiya ke hamara jo bhi annual revenue hoga na, uska 30% hum towards social empowerment laga denge.
  36. He says they identified ten segments, including education and employment. Toh humne 10 segments identify kiye jiske andar education bhi tha, employment bhi tha, eradication of drugs bhi tha, engagement of senior citizen bhi tha even ke.
  37. He says the company is categorised as a digital freelancing agency. Connected Pakistan ko hum hum usko jo categorize karte hain woh digital freelancing agency kehte hain.
  38. He says the KP Information Technology Board gave the company its best digital freelancing agency award for three years in a row. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board ne teen saal musalsal hume best digital freelancing agency of Pakistan ka award bhi diya hai
  39. His wife was the first Pakistani woman to become a top rated seller on Fiverr. jo meri Mrs. hain jo Anam Zulfiqar hai woh Pakistan ki pehli khatoon thi jo Fiverr ke upar top rated seller bani thi.
  40. He says awards were given to 250 top rated sellers in Pakistan. 250 top rated sellers ko award diye hain Pakistan ke
  41. He says the first official Connected Pakistan conference was held in 2016. Maine jo Connected Pakistan conference 2016 mein pehli dafa officially karwayi thi
  42. He says his company is the only one to have held six conferences in Pakistan. main wahid company hoon jisne Pakistan mein 6 conferences conduct karwayi hain.
  43. He says he paid for the six conferences himself, in a private capacity. Main private aur capacity mein rehte hue apni financial apni pocket se maine 6 conferences karwayi hain
  44. He says the conferences held over six years were not enough. 6 saal mein jo humne conferences karayi woh kaafi nahi thi.
  45. He says Connected Pakistan will announce chapters in different cities and villages. Um different cities ke andar, different villages ke andar hum uske chapters announce karenge
  46. He says a person who is trained is more loyal than one who is hired. jis bachche ko aap sikhate ho na, woh bachcha comparatively usse zyada loyal hota hai jisko aap hire karte ho.
  47. They first offered internships to local students. Toh initially humne yeh kiya ke humne wahan pe internships dein bachchon ko local.
  48. They ran awareness sessions on freelancing at universities. universities mein humne sessions conduct karwaye, awareness sessions conduct karwaye regarding freelancing.
  49. He says he decided to train people himself. Maine kaha main bandon ko khud train karunga taake saath saath jo mera vision hai, jo mission hai
  50. Connected Pakistan built a five-level system in which members earn a salary and a share of project income at the top level. Toh humne paanch level system banaye aur paanchvein level pe humne yeh kaha ke aapko, uh, salary bhi milegi aur project ki share percentage bhi milegi.
  51. He says each level raises the share of project income a member receives. har level ke hisaab se unki jo project ki share percentage hai, woh badhti chali jaati hai.
  52. He says freelancing is a starting point, not a destination. Aur samajhne wali baat yeh hai ke yeh jo freelancing hai, yeh sirf starting point hai.
  53. He calls freelancing the quickest possible way until another way is found. freelancing jo hai na woh ek quickest possible way hai jab tak dusra way nahi milta.
  54. He says the aim is ultimately to become an entrepreneur. lekin aapko ultimately entrepreneur banna hai.
  55. He says he repeats in every talk that freelancing leads to entrepreneurship. main kehta hoon ke freelancing leading to entrepreneurship.
  56. He says he used the word that freelancers will be dead after three years. maine ek word use kiya tha ke freelancers teen saal ke baad dead ho jayenge.
  57. He says freelancers who do not transform will be dead. Ab woh bacche dead kyun ho jayenge kyunki woh transformation nahi kar rahe.
  58. He says he charged $1,000 for an HTML website ten years ago, and the same website now costs $20. aaj se 10 saal pehle main HTML website ka $1000 charge karta tha. Aur aaj wohi website $20 mein banti hai.
  59. He says freelancers have money sitting idle, whereas startups need funding. Achcha startups woh hain jinko funding chahiye. Aur freelancers woh hain jinke paas funding padi hui hai.
  60. He says Pakistan has no accelerator bootcamp for freelancers. Poore Pakistan mein koi freelancers ka accelerator boot camp nahi hota.
  61. He says he set up an e-commerce store. Theek hai main fortunate tha ke maine ek e-commerce store khada kar diya.
  62. He says he invested in dropshipping. Like main fortunate tha ke maine dropshipping mein investment kar di.
  63. He says problems in Pakistan are opportunities. Basically woh jo problems hain woh opportunities hi hain.
  64. He proposed a travel jeans concept that would charge a phone while the wearer walks. agar hum ek travel jeans bana lein aur aap sirf pocket mein apna cell phone rakho aur woh charge hona shuru ho jaye.
  65. He says young people cannot write an email. bachon ko email likhni nahi aati.
  66. He says customer support is not a focus in the online or offline market. woh yeh hai ke hum customer support focus nahi karte aur yeh sirf online market mein nahi hai, hamari offline market mein bhi hai.
  67. He says they have created so many freelancers in Pakistan that they rank fourth. Aur Alhamdulillah humne itne freelancers Pakistan mein create kar diye hain ke hum number fourth pe rank kar rahe hain.
  68. He says that if they are living in a Riyasat-e-Madina, interest based loans are not needed. Agar hum Riyasat-e-Madina mein jee rahe hain toh humein interest based loans nahi chahiye.
  69. He says the countries that succeeded in the world are those where governments did not give jobs. Duniya mein woh country succeed ki hain jismein governments ne naukriyan nahi di.
  70. He says the Punjab IT board did not need to be so large, and the private sector should have built it. Punjab ka IT board itna bada banane ki zaroorat nahi thi. Private sector ko banane chahiye the.
  71. He says government needs to cut the fat. government need to cut the fat.
  72. He says visas and interest-free loans are second priority. Hamein visas bhi second priority pe hain, hamein interest free loans bhi second priority pe hain.
  73. He says governments get about 10 things wrong and 8 things right. Main baar baar yeh kehta hoon, 10 cheezein government galat karti hai, 8 cheezein government sahi bhi kar rahi hoti hai.
  74. He says that during the previous government he was at the World Bank and worked with government offices. Maine jab main pichle government mein Shahbaz Sharif sahab ke office ke saath aur Umar Saif sahab ke office ke saath, main World Bank mein us time pe tha, unke saath humne kaam kiya.
  75. He says the government held the first National Freelancing Conference in Bhurban. pehli dafa Pakistan mein government ne National Freelancing Conference karayi thi, Bhurban ke andar.
  76. He questions why freelancers are taxed when the IT industry receives rebates. IT industry ke paas rebate hai, toh freelancer ke upar tax kyun laga rahe hain?
  77. He says the company holds a P@SHA certificate, is an NTN holder and has a tax filer. hamare paas P@SHA ka certificate hai, hum NTN hain, hamara filer hai, sab kuch hai.
  78. He says Pakistan should build special technology zones, since the world is moving towards virtual spaces. world is moving towards virtual spaces and each and everything and we are building special technology zones.
  79. He says the ultimate goal is to empower Pakistan. lekin ultimately the goal is to empower Pakistan.
  80. He says young people will play the biggest role in empowering Pakistan. Aur uski empowerment mein sabse zyada bada kirdar yeh youth ada karegi.
  81. He says one cannot sit down, do nothing and just complain about things. We cannot sit down and not do anything and just crib about things.
  82. He cites research saying half the workforce will be freelancers by 2025. Research yeh keh rahi hai ke aapki 2025 mein 50% workforce jo hai woh freelancers honge.
  83. He describes Akhuwat as a programme run by the private sector. so Akhuwat is a program, again private sector.
  84. He says he would blame the government that a boy from Khuzdar had no internet. Government ko main blame karoon ga ki Khuzdar mein jahan se woh ladka aaya hua tha, uske paas internet kyun nahi hai?