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Continue reading →: Letters To A Much Younger Me: On IdentityDear 18-year-old self: It’s not your college degree or your grades that will define you.It’s not your intelligence, either.And it’s certainly not your paycheck or your wealth. What defines you as a human, a professional, and a member of society are just two things that matter above all else: your…
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Continue reading →: 21 Life Lessons for 2021The things you own own you; if you don’t need it, get rid of it. Few things are worth arguing over; let people believe what they want. Seek happy, humble, hungry people; most think they are, but few actually exist. Life’s most impactful decision is our choice of a life…
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Continue reading →: On RelationshipsWhat’s your most valuable “asset”? Easily the most fulfilling aspect of life, in my humble opinion, is derived from our relationships: friends, family, coworkers, and everything in between.I’m so grateful for the relationships in my life and the fulfillment I derive from each. Those who know me will appreciate that I’ve…
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Continue reading →: How Old Is History?I’m nearly 50 years old. Some people live 100 years or more. With that in mind, I contend that so-called “history” is a lot more recent than we may have realized as students, especially for a very young country such as the United States. • Only 244 years ago, until…
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Continue reading →: On the Importance of WritingOne activity has gotten me closest to a sense of calm and collected peace: early-morning writing, usually with a cup of something hot next to me. I’ve never described myself as a writer, as it wasn’t a skill on which I was academically trained. However, just as I used to…
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Continue reading →: The Dilemma of Founder/CEO/OwnersThere is an inner conflict that exists in Founder/CEO/Owners that wasn’t clear to me 10 years ago. The three roles/titles may sometimes be conflated when, in reality, each represents a different stakeholder perspective that must be reconciled with the others. The CEO is an employee; she is hired by the…
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Continue reading →: Horsepower-to-Weight Ratio in BusinessI love cars. I always have. Fundamental to a car’s performance is its engine. As business leaders, do we spend enough time identifying our engines? Do we ask ourselves these five questions? Who on my team delivers more than they promise? Who on my team lightens my load? Who on…
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Continue reading →: Do I Have What It Takes? 10 Leadership Must-HavesIt’s a question that troubled and pained me earlier in my life and career. Even as a young child, I suffered from Imposter Syndrome; I felt like I wasn’t as smart as adults thought I was nor as strong as my karate sensei believed. In college, I was enamored by…
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Continue reading →: Smart Isn’t EnoughIn my experience, the most common obstacle holding back highly intelligent people from achieving their potential is that they’re so smart that they always think they’re right, but not quite humble enough to realize that they’re frequently wrong. It took me a long time to understand this, but it was…
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Continue reading →: On WorryingWorrying isn’t inherently bad, but worrying about the wrong things is. I humbly share my reminders to myself: • Don’t worry about brand,worry about relationships. • Don’t worry about network,worry about community. • Don’t worry about detractors,worry about champions. • Don’t worry about outcomes,worry about progress. • Don’t worry about…
Hello!
I’m Bassam
I was born in Egypt, lived in France & England as a child, and came to the United States as a teenager to study Computer Science and Business at the University of Utah. After decades in the tech industry, I’m focused on community, mentorship, and impact.
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Against the Herd 