Project Management was not a conscious career choice. It was shaped by circumstances and the path I followed after starting my first job. I consider myself fortunate to have begun my career with a multinational Oil & Gas company at a young age. From an IT perspective, I gained exposure to warehousing, material and inventory management, procurement, and contracting, before moving into consulting and project management.

However, over time, I began to feel a vacuum within. It was around 2014. At that time, I did not understand what it was, but now I can relate it to what people call a mid-life phase — a point where you begin to question why you are doing what you are doing.

Thankfully, within a short time, my lifelong friend Muhammad Shakeel shared the idea of building an Urdu digital library. It was not an easy decision, but with his confidence and the support of my brother Zaheer, we began this journey in early 2017.

To be honest, everything was unclear and full of challenges in the beginning. But as we kept moving forward, I started to understand how important it is to develop a habit of reading, and how many of the problems in our society are directly or indirectly linked to our collective level of thinking.

History shows that consistent reading improves understanding. As one reads across different subjects, it develops clarity, curiosity, and a more balanced view of the world. Imagine the impact if a majority of people begin to think this way. But such change takes time.

In summary, Adeeb Online is my response to that inner vacuum — a sense of purpose that I was searching for. I see it as a Just Cause where I can invest my energy and resources with meaning.

Adeeb Online is just the beginning of a new chapter in my life. We launched the initial version in January 2020 and have continued to improve it since then. The idea has been validated, and we have recently released upgraded versions of both the apps and the website, with expanded payment options. The next step is to grow it further and evolve it into a self-publishing platform.

Explore the business model of Adeeb Online →