Asim Rais Siddiqui

Asim Rais Siddiqui is the co-founder and CTO of TekRevol, one of the fastest growing digital transformation companies in the United States. Under his guidance, TekRevol was listed on Inc. 5000 in just 4 years and named as the best software development company by Clutch in 2021 and 2022. It also expanded its operations with offices in Miami, London, Pakistan, and Dubai. Asim Rais Siddiqui is an entrepreneur, a digital strategist, and actively engages in thought leadership in his areas of expertise and interest.

Where did the idea for TekRevol come from?

As a major advocate for change, I’m always thinking about how to advance and break the mainstream status quo. The idea of TekRevol stems from this mindset that me and my co-founder Abeer both share. We wanted to create a disruptive tech company which operates at the forefront of a technological revolution.

Not only did we succeed in doing that but we also developed several meaningful relationships with our clients along the way. We treat their problems and their needs as our own which is probably why they treat us like a family as well.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

An average day in my life consists of work and more work. Digital transformation is what I’m passionate about so work has never seemed like a chore to me. There are new innovations in technology every day. I try to learn and adapt to them as much as I can. This drives me to do better and improve myself so that I can lead better too.

Despite how tragic my work-life balance may seem, I do make it a point to take time out for myself and my family to relax and keep my energy levels up.

How do you bring ideas to life?

A lot of people come up to me and tell me “I have a great business idea but I don’t know where to start from.” I tell them, “start from the beginning of course.” Without risk, there’s no reward.

Conceptualizing ideas follows a very standardized process. Do your research first and foremost. If the idea seems viable, then allocate resources and execute it. Keep monitoring the development and if it fails, don’t lose hope and give up. There’s no end to learning and every time you fail you’re getting closer to success.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Artificial intelligence (AI) for sure. There’s been a lot of debate about how millions of jobs will be replaced by AI by 2025 but people fail to mention that millions more jobs will be added to the global economy in the same year thanks to AI. In a space where data is constantly changing the way companies create value, AI is and will continue to be revolutionary.

I recently tried out ChatGPT, which is an AI program that can answer questions in ways that are easy for the average human to understand. I believe that it will change how we consume information in ways we can’t even imagine. I’m excited to see what’s ahead for AI in the future.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Rather than a habit, it’s a little mantra I live by. Organize. Optimize. Automate. You’d be surprised by how productive you’ll feel after following this simple process. Organize your tasks based on difficulty level from easiest to hardest. Optimally allocate your resources and use automation wherever you can. This allows me to maximize my efficiency and productivity.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I’d probably tell myself not to listen to what others have to say. Don’t be afraid and just take the risk. You won’t know whether it’ll work out or not unless you try. So, have more faith in yourself and your abilities.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Dissatisfaction is actually very useful. The day you’re satisfied with what you’ve achieved and the person you have become is the day you stop growing and striving to improve.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Never stop learning and innovating. We’re living in an extremely fast-paced world and we need to keep up. I’m very eager to learn and recently did a course in Cybersecurity (CC) Self-paced Training which allowed me to venture into a different domain and learn new things. The more you learn the more you’re able to innovate.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

The pandemic was a particularly stressful time period for businesses all over the world and it inevitably took a toll on our company as well. There was a time during this period when we were unsure whether we’d even make it to the next week. The issues of people leaving and low levels of productivity were very much prevalent. But this period was also extremely crucial for TekRevol as it helped us devise a strategy that not only enabled the company to survive the pandemic but also grow during it.

Our strategy was simple. Invest in the right people. Working in this industry for over a decade, I know that being a cultural fit matters way more than any other thing. Every goal seems easier to accomplish when you invest in the right people.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I think this is not unique to our business but the pandemic was a global failure. It was also the turning point for our business. We were able to critically analyze our situation and shifted our immediate focus from optimizing for predictability to adaptability.

Rather than thinking about how we can predict, plan, and execute certain ideas, we began thinking about how our organizational structure can adapt to different circumstances and remain resilient in the long run.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I believe that coming up with a unique business idea is a myth in itself. Any idea can be unique if you have a personal vision that you can work towards. I can tell you that AI is the future and is worth investing time and effort in but unless you have your own vision for it and set milestones toward achieving that vision, you won’t be able to get anywhere.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

As I mentioned above, the cyber-security course that I did is my most notable and best investment recently. Security had always been of interest to me ever since my undergraduate days and this course was extremely stimulating.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

For me and for TekRevol as whole, Slack has been of immeasurable help. It allows the whole organization to stay connected and communicate effectively. Different teams can keep tabs on each other and track work progress smoothly. It also eases communication between our offices located in other countries to ensure that we’re all on the same page.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris is a book that I believe every individual who aspires to work should read, regardless of their income, designation, or employment status. It illustrates and puts into application the concept of working efficiently instead of just working hard.

Ferris talks about how he went from earning $40,000 a year working 80 hours per week to earning $40,000 a month working just 4 hours a week. It’s the ultimate guide to working productively without burning yourself out and is definitely worth a read.

What is your favorite quote?

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

Key Learnings:

• Invest in the right people and work towards a clear goal.
• Have faith in yourself and take the leap. You’ll never know if you can fly if you don’t jump.
• Choose something that you’re passionate about so you won’t have to feel like your work is a job.