Who and How and Why

- Hashim Alsharif

Since I started writing on Twitter and meeting people, I’ve always focused on what I’ve done and what I’m planning to do. People rarely know who I am or what I did to become who I am today. So, I decided it’s time to write about myself for the first time.

Introduction

Who’s Hashim? Well, I was born in 2006 (Yes, 2006—maybe if you’re reading this in 2030, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but as I write this, I’m 18 years old). My passion for technology started when I was 5. I remember learning the alphabet on a computer (which might explain my bad handwriting). When I was 5, I used to spend all my time on my dad’s computer. At the time, my dad was day trading in the stock and FX markets (we’re not rich, and my dad didn’t make a lot of money). I paid close attention to what he was doing, and I still remember these things in detail. It was eye-opening to see all those charts moving, knowing they represented money (To be honest, I didn’t understand any of it at the time, and I might still not understand most of it). I spent my entire childhood between computers and screens.

How Did I Learn English?

A lot of people ask me this question, especially since English fluency isn’t common in Saudi (in previous interviews, coffee chats, and different occasions). The ideal answer would be attending international schools or living abroad, but I did neither. I was playing a game called MTA. I started playing it when I was 12, specifically a game mode called Roleplay. Roleplay, in a nutshell, simulates real-life jobs like being a cop or a judge, etc. This gameplay allowed me to learn new vocabulary and grammar while having fun. It was an amazing experience, and now I can read, write, and communicate with full English proficiency. I just kept practicing and moving forward (as that’s my goal in life).

How Did I Learn About Tech, Startups, and Finance?

This is a complicated question without a straightforward answer. To understand how I got here, we need to dive deep into my journey. It all started with crypto. I mentioned on my About page that I came across crypto through Elon Musk’s tweets back in 2020 (Yes, it’s not as recent as you might think—four years ago, during COVID). I was intrigued by crypto for a few reasons: first, it’s a financial tool, and second, it features a lot of cool charts (the same kind my dad was working on when I was six). I thought to myself, “This is just like what my dad was working on, but way cooler.” So, the first thing I did was buy Dogecoin (Yes, Doge—it means nothing).

While doing this, I started reading books. I’m not sure how I got into reading, but I remember coming across something about how people don’t read. It instantly clicked in my mind that people who read are 10x better than those who don’t because they have access to other people’s ideas, which they can absorb and build upon. The first book I read was Zero to One (every startup person has read this book—if you haven’t, you should; for the record, a lot of friends text me about my review on Amazon from 2022, which is funny).

What I did next was simple: I kept reading more, learning about the Valley and what it really is, and networking with people abroad. Honestly, I’m still not sure how I landed my first job—it was more luck than anything, but I’m grateful for it. I got my first internship at a crypto startup called mycointainer.com, a Polish crypto startup. They’re very nice, and their CEO is excellent. I’ve lost contact with the people there, but I hope they’re doing well. This was my first exposure to a real tech business (though my first job was working with my uncle on his online business on amazon.sa and noon.com doing data and spreadsheets when I was 14). But this experience was different—it was eye-opening. There were many things they talked about that I didn’t understand, but my only goal was to keep moving forward (which is still my goal). I learned more about marketing and sales (not directly related to crypto), but I kept my obsession with one thing: money movement.

I kept moving forward, believing that I should read more to understand things I couldn’t find on the Internet (like founders of billion-dollar companies writing books). Over time, I read a lot of books on various topics, mainly finance, tech, and startups. Through this journey, I met some incredible people in my network, one of whom is Gabe Romualdo. It all started with my usual random cold DMs—I messaged him, he followed me back, and just like that, we became friends. I asked him if I could join his company for free because I was eager to learn and wasn’t looking for money.

Honestly, I believe Gabe gave me a great opportunity (I wasn’t the best Chief of Staff at 15, but I was good at moving forward). Gabe still endorses my communication skills, saying I can shine in any network or group of people. Shoutout to Gabe for that. My time at Third Labs taught me a lot about startups and the importance of constantly moving forward (as you’re reading this, you probably know by now that’s my only rule in life—you’re exactly like a ship, steering the direction based on where you’re going).

After that, I focused on finishing high school and preparing for the national exam. To be honest, I didn’t get a great score—I’m not the best student, but I’ve always known what I wanted: to make an impact in financial services. I might be below average in academics, but I was good at steering the ship. During this time, I participated in a hackathon and won. It was one of the biggest hackathons in the region, held in Riyadh (I was living in Mecca at the time). What I saw in Riyadh was eye-opening—I was meeting CEOs and ministers! Wow, this wasn’t something I could do every day in Mecca, so I decided that once I graduated, I’d move to Riyadh immediately. And that’s exactly what I did. I graduated high school last year (Yes, just last year—at the end of July) and didn’t even attend my graduation ceremony. I booked a flight to Riyadh right away, and it paid off. Being in Riyadh at this stage has been a significant leverage. I later joined Tap as an intern, but I was offered a job just two months into a three-month internship program. It was a good experience that fueled my obsession with financial services. While Tap might not have been the best in terms of culture, I can’t deny that I was involved in a lot of meaningful work—like collaborating with merchants and tackling technical projects. I still don’t know how I managed to build and ship a fully functional payment gateway in about 20 days, but it was an amazing experience, mainly to prove to myself that I could do more.

I spent around 7-8 months at Tap, and it was a valuable experience. While my peers were studying at universities, I was taking risks and doing cool stuff (though my parents had little idea what I was doing—they thought it was cool as long as it didn’t affect my studies). I joined Tamara last May, and it’s been incredible. I’m shipping products that reach a lot of people, contributing to my ultimate goal: impacting financial services. I know I’ve mentioned this goal many times, but it’s what drives me. It’s hard for people to understand my obsession with it.

I talk very little about what I do in my job (current or previous) for one reason: I believe these jobs are adding to me personally, preparing me to build things in the future. And when the time comes, I’ll be ready to talk about what I’ve done. I have so much to do at this stage—this isn’t the final destination. We’re just steering the ship.

Why?

I do all of this because I genuinely enjoy it. The excitement of building and shipping new things is amazing, and the growth is addictive. After all, I'm just a random kid from Mecca with no wealth or fame. The goal isn't wealth or fame, but they often come along as you continually move forward and understand more things. I want to make my children and family proud by thinking differently and doing random stuff that impacts others. It didn't make sense before, but now it does. I strive for a better future. That's why.

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© 2024 Hashim Alsharif