https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog daily 0.75 2025-10-25 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/beyond-business monthly 0.5 2025-10-25 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/whatever-you-choose-to-believe-you-are-right monthly 0.5 2025-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1760391144085-CHI1I67F6ZVM71HASHCK/unsplash-image-mBXQCNKbq7E.jpg Blog - Whatever you believe, you’re right - Make it stand out textile factory - thought into existence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1760391234015-44W2K623XJQMDWOHYVRZ/unsplash-image-DadxVNgdRSM.jpg Blog - Whatever you believe, you’re right - Make it stand out image added cuz I’m a huge fan of whatever this is https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1760391331247-JNJKAFLRTT5B8H4NG35U/unsplash-image-h_Y_SzO3y9E.jpg Blog - Whatever you believe, you’re right Years of internalizing content from social media, as well as people around me had conditioned me into thinking reality is whatever culture says. But as I truly saw the world around me, I realized norms and values we write down are wildly different from ground realities. I would see nuclear families having stronger feelings and respect for each other than live-in extended families. I saw a woman who was a homemaker, but really was the strategist, advisor, and accountant for the family business. I saw God-fearing people with immense wealth, and cunning evil where money was scarce. Everything I knew about the world was being challenged and it took me a long time to realize that reality is … sort of what I choose to see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1760390998875-Q6HTQ9PYAF9ZVJLSB34Z/unsplash-image-PTgl0cfAcPA.jpg Blog - Whatever you believe, you’re right - Make it stand out That’s the universe making things happen for me because I prayed. Real. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/the-necessity-of-building-your-own-table monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/c17c2cde-7c13-43fb-b03f-99cc73905d7e/20250223_181238.jpg Blog - The Necessity of Building Your Own Table - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1c0609ee-7623-4ace-b29f-2288ed2e44ab/20250226_141211.jpg Blog - The Necessity of Building Your Own Table - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/f010c5a4-9355-487b-bb0f-0ca696dacde1/20250226_141505.jpg Blog - The Necessity of Building Your Own Table - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/b96166ba-bc0c-4f75-8936-01eff0143e24/20250226_141621.jpg Blog - The Necessity of Building Your Own Table - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/and-what-if-it-does monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/9ae6e882-b91a-4a54-8775-786ff9c57d80/museum+of+the+future+dubai.jpeg Blog - And what if it does? - Make it stand out Museum of the Future - probably my favorite building in downtown Dubai. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/029f1f7a-af08-43d0-b454-150a79300c5f/dayu+bay.jpeg Blog - And what if it does? - Not my photo, but accurate representation of the spot we were having this conversation in. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/how-the-world-inspires-me-in-business-and-life monthly 0.5 2024-03-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/2e12a3e3-cb74-4f8a-98f7-cc4fec1c165a/WhatsApp+Image+2024-03-08+at+15.46.50.jpeg Blog - How the World Inspires me in Business and Life - Make it stand out Badshahi Masjid, Lahore, Pakistan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/851df10d-db53-4de0-84b2-13ae4b93276f/WhatsApp+Image+2024-03-08+at+15.30.42+%281%29.jpeg Blog - How the World Inspires me in Business and Life - Make it stand out Dubai, UAE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/9cdcc739-2905-47e4-ab53-83a423512af4/WhatsApp+Image+2024-03-08+at+15.27.41.jpeg Blog - How the World Inspires me in Business and Life - Make it stand out Khor Fakkan, UAE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/421641bc-3833-46c1-9ef4-1a18505fd602/WhatsApp+Image+2024-03-08+at+15.37.52.jpeg Blog - How the World Inspires me in Business and Life - Make it stand out Duke Kunshan University, China https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/839a2e79-3181-4262-b073-fbda3781c110/WhatsApp+Image+2024-03-08+at+15.37.35.jpeg Blog - How the World Inspires me in Business and Life - Make it stand out Somewhere in Seattle, USA https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/why-pakistanis-need-to-read-pakistan monthly 0.5 2024-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1706276578704-B53YHA45HV123PB2O8MU/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Why Pakistanis need to read Pakistan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1706276448704-UHP49I0MVWT0UADSKFLS/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Why Pakistanis need to read Pakistan - Make it stand out Average business meeting in Lahore ;) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1706276206712-T15BUYGL4FAHUCZI2ONZ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Why Pakistanis need to read Pakistan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/racing-to-60 monthly 0.5 2023-10-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/562592ca-616d-4553-b190-d4809ac9b452/deception.png Blog - Racing to 60 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/the monthly 0.5 2023-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/a9e2010c-2806-44ae-a818-a38b60137eca/daska.jpg Blog - Business is Bold - lessons from Daska - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/when-will-founders-learn monthly 0.5 2023-09-12 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/lessons-from-failures-phi-education monthly 0.5 2023-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1692824822054-M9R644EN53VVKZ606E91/image-asset.jpeg Blog - My first startup fail and a pan-in-your-face-lesson - Make it stand out (Unrelated image of chocolate croissants - the university café was out of them the day I had the crazy idea of just doing business in China when all I could speak was Ni Hao (that too was wrong because my tones were messed up)) https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/5-annoying-things-about-corporate-in-pakistan-and-8-solutions monthly 0.5 2023-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1692561461764-XOFZW5D1W8IW9PMFLZFD/image-asset.jpeg Blog - 5 annoying things about corporate in Pakistan and 8 solutions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/ghani-shanwari monthly 0.5 2023-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/ecd35035-26e6-4904-bb85-7068370c0928/ghani+2.jpeg Blog - Ghani Shinwari -Why a restaurant in Lahore succeeded in an oversaturated market - In case you’re wondering, the 2.5 hour wait for the Masala Rosh was 1000% worth it. And this is coming from someone who refuses to stand in any lines where I’m the one paying for the product on the other side of the counter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/8d553573-3ce8-45f0-8e6a-f065ead9dcaf/ghani+1.jpeg Blog - Ghani Shinwari -Why a restaurant in Lahore succeeded in an oversaturated market - So what made Ghani Shinwari so impeccably successful in a city where people are very serious about taste and very short on patience? https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/building-a-healthy-organizstion monthly 0.5 2022-11-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/f8108913-8737-48f2-ae4c-e19f513804a1/911062802-virginia-v-duke.jpg.jpg Blog - Finding the Healthy Organizations in Pakistan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/error-404-pakistani-youth-not-found monthly 0.5 2023-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1661148117061-E3QNSVGRJ6Q1VV1TVS0G/unsplash-image-QckxruozjRg.jpg Blog - Error 404: Pakistani Youth not found - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/leadership-not-what-you-think monthly 0.5 2022-03-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/b50c6c51-e182-4634-ad91-079a63fb4ec0/unsplash-image-qlaot0VrqTM.jpg Blog - Leadership - not what you think - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1648493980764-U5KZ8KUCQAIJIGR01GM0/unsplash-image-ASKeuOZqhYU.jpg Blog - Leadership - not what you think - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/letting-go monthly 0.5 2022-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/0f4b3918-8ec4-4d59-bb8e-751e139f6788/Beginners-Wakeboarding-Tricks-Tips-Videos-UK-2.jpg Blog - Letting Go - Make it stand out Wakeboarding https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1645256123932-IY4WTMBC6MCV9UF90SXG/unsplash-image-sOdldNCQEtU.jpg Blog - Letting Go - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/why-i-will-never-hire-the-smart-jerk monthly 0.5 2022-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1643777705934-9K8C1V3NMONUGG1UBNNG/unsplash-image-oMpknr7yi7g.jpg Blog - Why I will never hire “the smart jerk” - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1643781989114-VP4CSE1S4NFUI3MDFZ9R/unsplash-image--VIS9hTH4bY.jpg Blog - Why I will never hire “the smart jerk” - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/committing-to-china-for-my-undergrad monthly 0.5 2022-02-02 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/vegan-trends-amp-fried-chicken-tb8ns monthly 0.5 2021-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1639083856151-N6FA3P4GR5FISRACEDGR/unsplash-image-7tFFO6Mq5L4.jpg Blog - Startup Shenanigans in China - Make it stand out Shanghai - a city that made me feel like I was both on top of the world and a tiny tiny part of the universe at the same time. I loved it and it inspired me so much. Especially at night with all the city lights and their magic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1639083529669-11LUB0TFGGS710NXWMUQ/unsplash-image-Ns2aJ5OXKds.jpg Blog - Startup Shenanigans in China - Look how DELICIOUS these look! Mini chocolate rolls/croissants that they didn’t have that day and I’m still craving even though I’m writing this from Pakistan https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/isentrejectionletterstoteacherandmentors monthly 0.5 2021-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1640907673233-R5591BFBVNBAK2C3EBL8/unsplash-image-AZMmUy2qL6A.jpg Blog - I sent rejection letters to potential teachers/mentors. And why you should too. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1640903759835-HZDBZXM6IMTKPR98O9KE/unsplash-image-LaqL8nxiacc.jpg Blog - I sent rejection letters to potential teachers/mentors. And why you should too. - One of the best ways my extrovert nature has served me is when I invited myself to lunch with a man in his 50s and 2 other students. Kind but mischievous eyes, sandy blonde hair that blended into grey tied in a ponytail, French beard, and a very charismatic chill personality. I just remember asking him “Where is the crazy China where all the innovation is happening?” but I don’t really remember what he said after that. It’s hard to remember it all because we talked for about 3 hours, and I was not taking notes. This wasn’t a one-of-a-kind conversation. This person, despite not being a professor, became one of the most important teachers I had at DKU. The image on the right is a lesson he drilled in my brain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/1640908538605-QVPFTKZW99IP1OO1921V/unsplash-image-q03ZLncun2Y.jpg Blog - I sent rejection letters to potential teachers/mentors. And why you should too. - Make it stand out Most of my learnings were at restaurants. Here’s somewhere I’d really wanna go sometime. What a vibe. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/mind monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/business monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/carpe+diem monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/neuroscience monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/entrepreneurship monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/networking monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/dreams monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/founders monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/third+space monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/imposter+syndrome monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/community monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/life monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/healthcare monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/community+building monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/community+entrepreneurship+networking monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/ambition monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/lahore monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/emerging+markets monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/belief monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/blog/tag/lessons monthly 0.5 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/home daily 1.0 2022-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/f14e8a65-dd82-4724-b3c2-e78110e38463/DSC00318.jpg Home - Podcast coming soon! Clusters of ideas both smart and dumb - we’re talking tech, emotional intelligence, fashion houses, and whether you’d rather have Cheetos as your toes or fingers all in one episode. https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/about daily 0.75 2021-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/f14e8a65-dd82-4724-b3c2-e78110e38463/DSC00318.jpg About https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/contact daily 0.75 2022-02-03 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/donate daily 0.75 2022-03-01 https://www.zarfishartayyab.com/research daily 0.75 2022-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61afaf7ca8d747198605003c/b5c7cd4c-93b1-491e-be40-71734c3a3a67/Tez-Team.png Research - Tez Financial Services - a pioneer in Pakistani startup ecosystem. This report was initially written for my signature work published at Duke Kunshan University, but it means so much more than that to me. I studied one of Pakistan’s most inspiring success stories in the startup/fintech world. I interviewed Naureen Hyat, CEO and Co-Founder Tez Fin, who shares the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of Tez being a success story. I studied Grameen Bank, Bangladesh’s and now the world’s most successful microfinance model, and finally I put together a comprehensive overview of the fintech/microfinance landscape in Pakistan based on reports put out by Karandaaz, i2i Ventures, as well as McKinsey and Cambridge University. I hope this read will be of value for you!