I'm Mohamed Bashir. Somali, grew up in Denmark, now living in Oman. Here's how I got here.
I'd rather make the thing than talk about making it.
I grew up in Denmark. After university I spent about three years in consultancy and sustainability. The work was good and the people were sharp, but I kept feeling like I was putting all my energy into someone else's company. So I left to build my own.
That decision changed a lot. I made hijrah, packed up my life and moved to Oman, closer to the life I actually wanted. I've been building from here since then, content and companies, and most days that just means getting on with the work.
I'm not trying to be loud or go viral for the sake of it. I want to make a few good things that are still around in ten years, إن شاء الله, and share how it actually goes along the way.
Somali at home, Danish around me, Muslim underneath all of it. That mix shapes how I see things, and it's why none of this is just business to me.
Most of it is just showing up again the next morning.What the work is really like
Two things sit behind everything I make.
The first is craft. I'd rather put out one thing I'm proud of than ten I'm not. I get it right, check the details and think about the person who'll use it. That part is in my control, so I own it.
The second is harder. Once I've done my part, I let go of the rest: the numbers, the timing, who it reaches. My job is the effort. The result is up to Allah. Some weeks I'm better at remembering that than others.
Alongside the writing I build Unbury, Aswati Studio and al-Firasah. When I'm not doing either, I'm probably making karak at 1am instead of sleeping, talking to myself in three languages and planning the next thing.
Every so often I write a letter about building, faith and what I'm figuring out. No schedule, no spam.
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