In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit with Muhammad Danial, the creator who unintentionally turned simple kitchen experiments into one of Pakistan’s most engaging food communities. From growing up as a quiet kid dealing with OCD, to finding confidence through a camera, to balancing the pressure of online fame with the weight of personal identity, Danial shares the untold story behind his rise.

What We Discuss:

• Danial’s journey into content and the life experiences that shaped him
• How mental health and identity influenced his creative path
• Building a loyal food community and navigating sudden visibility
• Balancing family expectations, education, and career choices
• His evolving relationship with food, business, and long-term purpose
• The mindset guiding his growth, spirituality, and future vision

A candid, inside look at how a young creator is navigating identity, mental health, and sudden digital success, and a long-term path in Pakistan today.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Danial's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m1danial/

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit with Ibrahim Shaukat, the founder, who turned Daari Mooch from a small beard-oil experiment into one of Pakistan’s most recognized grooming brands.

From building products in a market that didn’t exist, to opening their own salon, to navigating Pakistan’s unpredictable retail landscape, Ibrahim breaks down the real story behind Daari Mooch’s rise.

What We Discuss:

• How Daari Mooch began and what clicked with customers
• Pakistan’s shift from old-school barbers to modern salons
• Why salons rarely grow beyond one branch
• Daari Mooch’s approach to online vs offline expansion
• The opportunity in Tier-2 markets
• Ibrahim’s long-term take on Pakistan’s direction

A grounded, inside look at how a local brand can grow in Pakistan, and what it actually takes to survive, adapt, and scale here.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ibrahim's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahimshaukat/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we speak with Obaid Arshad, Founder & CEO of Gingko Retail, Pakistan’s biggest ecommerce operating platform and the largest order aggregator in the country.

We Explore:

• Less than 1% of Pakistan’s commerce has moved online
• How Gingko Retail became Pakistan’s largest ecommerce enabler
• 214+ merchants using the platform
• IPO plans for the future
• Why Pakistanis needs global exposure
• And why Pakistan might become unliveable in 25 years due to climate risk

This episode is a deep-dive into Pakistan’s ecommerce backbone, the systems behind scaling retail digitally, and what the future of this industry looks like.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Obaid's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obaid-arshad/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with a rapidly growing digital creator to unpack his journey from childhood struggles and losing his father at a young age to building a full-time career in online content creation

From early exposure abroad to returning home, he explains why social media gave him more earning power than settling for a corporate job — and why algorithm understanding matters more than talent or luck.

In This Episode:

• Moving abroad and choosing not to settle
• Losing a parent in teenage years & emotional resilience
• Why returning home created better income upside
• The psychology behind going viral and platform discovery
• Understanding algorithms, niches, and customer attention
• TV celebrity fame vs social media creator fame
• Why creators become stagnant & how to stay relevant
• The late-night show gap and the future of entertainment
• And how content, celebrity, and platforms evolve over the next 25 year

This episode is a first-hand look into a creator’s business model, understanding virality, creator economics, and how the entertainment industry is being reshaped by short-form platforms forever.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Asfandyar's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asfandyarbluetick/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Shane and Adnan, founders of Software Finder — a global marketplace for buying and selling software, like an OLX for software buyers.

With 350+ employees across 4 countries and more than 250,000 targeted monthly visitors, Software Finder has quietly become one of Pakistan’s most successful B2B platforms without hype, foreign celebrity founders, or Silicon Valley experience.

In This Episode:

• The story of building Software Finder
• Why couples building startups must sacrifice comfort
• Decline of SEO traffic and the rise of AI search
• Scaling 350+ employees and 250 digital marketers
• The future of software marketplaces & enterprise SaaS buying
• And what Pakistan needs to succeed in a post-AI world

This episode is a first-hand look into Pakistan’s fastest-growing SaaS marketplace, its digital marketing engine, and how AI is reshaping search, discovery, and software buying forever.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shane's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-elahi-22a46835/

Adnan's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adnan-malik

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Ahmed Abubakar, Founder of Imagine Art - a Pakistan-built GenAI creative suite used by millions worldwide and competing for #1–#2 positions in global design app charts, right next to Canva. Today, Imagine does $30M+ ARR, with a major portion of revenue coming from the US and international markets - proving that world-class AI products can be built from Pakistan.

We Explore:

• Early life, education, and family sacrifices
• Building Imagine and scaling GenAI to millions
• Why Pakistani app & gaming industry is bigger than India’s
• Monetization, profitability & $30M ARR
• ESOPs, stock options & talent philosophy
• Future of AI models, creativity, disruption & user context mapping
• Moving to the US, global talent, and Pakistan’s role in 2050

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ahmed's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-abubakar-9482127b/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Umer Munawar, Co-Founder of SmartLane, one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing logistics aggregation platforms.

Umer shares how he exited Finja and jumped straight into solving Pakistan’s most chaotic industry - e-commerce logistics. From integrating 31 courier companies, to processing thousands of parcels, to raising $2.3 million, this episode breaks down what really happens behind the scenes in Pakistan’s delivery ecosystem.

We discuss:

• Why e-commerce is the easiest business today
• Why logistics is brutally hard with razor-thin margins
• How SmartLane aggregates every major courier
• Why delivery riders earn so little
• Why Pakistan’s logistic pricing is totally unrealistic
• The future of debt funding, blockchain, & capital access
• And what Pakistan could look like by 2050

A deep-dive into e-commerce, logistics, fintech, and the future of business in Pakistan.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nayab's LinkedIn: pk.linkedin.com/in/umer-munawar-41a9a2125

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Nayab Babar, Chief Investment Officer at the Pakistan Startup Fund, the man shaping how capital flows into Pakistan’s next generation of startups.

Nayab shares how Warcraft strategy games trained his problem-solving mindset, how his perspective on racism changed, and why he believes exposure not arguments fixes prejudice.

Nayab also explains why:

• Pakistan & India have the same starting line in AI
• You won’t be replaced by AI, but by people USING AI
• Western media’s “free speech” narrative is deeply hypocritical
• NICs are broken and need complete rebuilding
• Brain drain isn’t always a bad thing

This is one of the most honest conversations on Pakistan’s tech reality, global competition, and the mindset shift needed for the next decade.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Nayab's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayab-babar-cfa/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Rayyan, the entrepreneur behind one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing food brands - OD.

From a disciplined childhood in madrassah to running his father’s company at a young age, Rayyan’s journey is a mix of family pressure, resilience, and a deep desire to build something of his own. He shares how he transformed a family business, shifted from textiles to food, burned through cash in restaurants, sold his company, and then partnered with the same buyers to build OD into a national franchise.

We explore:

• Growing up as the first-born
• Cash flow, failures & the reality of the restaurant business
• Scaling OD, acquiring it back & running a franchise-only model
• Location strategy, operations, and how to build a food business that lasts
• The future of Pakistani brands and Pakistan in 2050

A deep dive into business, leadership, family pressure, and the journey of building modern Pakistani brands.

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Rayyan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayyansohail/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠

Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.

You can find out more about them at: ⁠⁠⁠https://kickstart.pk/⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Yasir Suleman Memon, Founder & CEO of Salesflo, one of Pakistan’s biggest enterprise SaaS companies, now used globally across multiple markets.

We explore:

• Why second-tier Pakistani cities never developed
• How AI is reversing Pakistan’s freelancing boom
• Why Pakistani founders lack “IPO hunger”
• Why startups MUST list publicly to retain talent
• Why government will NOT fix anything and private enterprise must

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠

TBT’s Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠

TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠

Yasir's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasirsmemon/

Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠

Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.

You can find out more about them at: ⁠⁠⁠https://kickstart.pk/⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid