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E145: Abdullah Sharief thinks Canada's risk aversion could be costly in the long-term
In today's episode, I'm speaking with Abdullah Sharief, Co-Founder and CMO of Panda Hub, North America's leading mobile car detailing platform.
Abdullah studied medicine in Turkey, came to Canada in 2018, and has gone on to build arguably Canada's biggest car care platform.
Abdullah is a straight-shooter, and I do appreciate folks like him. Launching Panda Hub with his co-founder, Reza Ahmadi, means they've dealt with Canadian VCs firsthand.
His assessment? A lot of them are slow, small-minded, and are always looking for safe bets. And if we stay the same way we are, we're going to be left behind eventually.
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Abdullah and I also chat about:
- Giving up his medical degree
- The door-to-door sales experience that changed everything for him
- Starting a business during COVID
- Why you shouldn't celebrate your wins too early
- What he's hoping Panda Hub looks like by year 10
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Dozie's Notes
A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:
- Being honest in business is a practical and moral position. In the early years of building a business, when everything is messy and relationships are fragile, honesty and consistency is worth more than any short-term advantage a lie could give you.
- "Extract as much as you can from the opportunity in front of you" seems to be a better framework than goal-setting. Goals are useful, but they also create a scorekeeping mentality where you either hit the number or you didn't. Abdullah approaches it differently. He looks at whatever opportunity exists right now and asks: what's the maximum value I can pull from this? That mindset kept him from stalling when COVID killed his agency and when door-to-door sales hit a ceiling It's forward-looking without being rigid because there's always more value to extract.
- Survival jobs can be more than placeholders. Abdullah's door-to-door sales job was some experience; commission only, no base salary, and dealing with constant rejection. However, it taught him to connect with strangers, handle "no" without crumbling, and figure out quickly what language makes people trust you enough to buy. Those are skills that have come in handy today as he works on Panda Hub.
----------
Official Links
ā Connect with Abdullah Sharief on LinkedIn
ā Check out Panda Hub
ā Read our profile on Abdullah Sharief
One Ask
If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.
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By Dozie AnyaegbunamIn today's episode, I'm speaking with Abdullah Sharief, Co-Founder and CMO of Panda Hub, North America's leading mobile car detailing platform.
Abdullah studied medicine in Turkey, came to Canada in 2018, and has gone on to build arguably Canada's biggest car care platform.
Abdullah is a straight-shooter, and I do appreciate folks like him. Launching Panda Hub with his co-founder, Reza Ahmadi, means they've dealt with Canadian VCs firsthand.
His assessment? A lot of them are slow, small-minded, and are always looking for safe bets. And if we stay the same way we are, we're going to be left behind eventually.
----------
Abdullah and I also chat about:
- Giving up his medical degree
- The door-to-door sales experience that changed everything for him
- Starting a business during COVID
- Why you shouldn't celebrate your wins too early
- What he's hoping Panda Hub looks like by year 10
----------
Dozie's Notes
A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:
- Being honest in business is a practical and moral position. In the early years of building a business, when everything is messy and relationships are fragile, honesty and consistency is worth more than any short-term advantage a lie could give you.
- "Extract as much as you can from the opportunity in front of you" seems to be a better framework than goal-setting. Goals are useful, but they also create a scorekeeping mentality where you either hit the number or you didn't. Abdullah approaches it differently. He looks at whatever opportunity exists right now and asks: what's the maximum value I can pull from this? That mindset kept him from stalling when COVID killed his agency and when door-to-door sales hit a ceiling It's forward-looking without being rigid because there's always more value to extract.
- Survival jobs can be more than placeholders. Abdullah's door-to-door sales job was some experience; commission only, no base salary, and dealing with constant rejection. However, it taught him to connect with strangers, handle "no" without crumbling, and figure out quickly what language makes people trust you enough to buy. Those are skills that have come in handy today as he works on Panda Hub.
----------
Official Links
ā Connect with Abdullah Sharief on LinkedIn
ā Check out Panda Hub
ā Read our profile on Abdullah Sharief
One Ask
If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.