Starting Young, Staying Curious

The First Spark (12–15)

I was 12 when I first stumbled into programming. Back then, it wasn’t about building a career or thinking ahead - I just wanted to know how websites actually worked. I’d sit on my family computer for hours, googling things like “how do you make a website,” clicking into random tutorials, and trying to make sense of HTML and CSS. Most of the time I’d break something, stare at the screen, then figure out how to fix it.

The first projects were small and scrappy. I built things like Musicstrap, a simple music-related site, and IdealPC, which was more of an experiment than a product. None of it really mattered in terms of impact, but it mattered to me because it made coding feel alive. I wasn’t just reading about it - I was making something I could see and interact with.

Looking back, those early nights taught me something bigger than just how to write code: they showed me how curiosity can snowball into passion. Once I learned one thing, I wanted to learn the next, and the next. It was like pulling on a thread that kept unraveling into new possibilities. That mindset has followed me ever since.

Turning Curiosity into a Business

By the time I turned 15, that curiosity had grown legs. A few agencies and small businesses in Jordan needed websites, and somehow word got around that I could help. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a kid experimenting at home - I was sitting across from adults, discussing deadlines and deliverables. It was both intimidating and exciting.

That’s how Yotta Solutions was born. I didn’t see it as a “company” back then. It was me, a laptop, and a couple of freelancers I found online, but it worked. What started as a side hustle quickly turned into something bigger. We were building websites, delivering projects, and I was managing people - often late at night, balancing it with schoolwork during the day.

I had to learn fast. How do you keep clients happy? How do you manage a team remotely when you’re barely old enough to manage yourself? How do you deliver on promises when you’re still figuring out half the process? It wasn’t always smooth, but those challenges shaped me. Yotta became my crash course in entrepreneurship - teaching me things no classroom ever could.

The Wake-Up Call

In 2016, I signed up for a national programming competition. I went in confident, thinking I had what it takes. I finished 10th out of 60. On paper, that was decent, but it didn’t sit right with me. It felt like I had hit a ceiling.

That competition was a turning point. It made me realize that curiosity and surface-level skills would only get me so far. If I wanted to push further, I had to go deeper - into algorithms, data structures, system design, and the harder parts of computer science that I had mostly avoided. It wasn’t fun at first. It was humbling. But it forced me to treat programming not just as a hobby, but as a craft worth mastering.

That experience taught me something important: failure isn’t just about losing, it’s about seeing where you actually stand. And sometimes, the most useful outcomes come from moments when you feel you didn’t do enough.

Giving Back Early

Around 2017, I noticed something about the local startup scene in Jordan. There were plenty of founders with big ideas and a lot of drive, but many didn’t even have the basics - like a proper website. Not because they didn’t want one, but because they simply couldn’t afford it.

That bothered me. So I launched an initiative to build websites for 25 startups free of charge. I knew it wouldn’t change the world overnight, but I wanted to do something practical. And the impact was real - some of those startups saw their reach and revenue grow just because they finally had an online presence.

For me, it was more than just a community project. It showed me how much small, deliberate acts can matter. Technology doesn’t have to be about flashy innovations all the time. Sometimes it’s about solving the simple, obvious problems that no one else is stepping in to fix. That initiative planted the idea that I could use what I know not only for business, but to enable others.

Recognition and Reach

That same year, I entered a regional programming competition against participants from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. This time, I was more prepared, and I ended up placing 1st out of over 120 participants. It felt like proof that the work I had put in after that earlier failure was paying off.

Not long after, I was selected for the Arab Creative Youth Award, presented by H.H. Sheikha Fatma bint Mubarak. The ceremony took place at the Emirates Palace, and I received the award from H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I was still a teenager, standing in one of the most iconic places in the region, shaking hands with leaders I had only ever seen on the news.

It was surreal, but also grounding. Recognition is nice, but it comes with responsibility. I remember thinking: This isn’t the finish line. It’s just another beginning.

Building Beyond Myself

The startup initiative gave me a taste of what it meant to help others, but it also lit a fire to think bigger. In 2018, I partnered with Microsoft to launch the Yotta Webmasters Bootcamp, a one-month program where we trained Jordanian startups in web development, design, and digital marketing. Watching founders learn how to build their own platforms - and seeing their confidence grow - was one of the most rewarding things I had done up to that point.

It made me realize that tech isn’t just about products. It’s about people. When you give people tools and knowledge, you multiply impact.

Crossing Borders

That same year, I left Jordan to study Software Engineering at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. It was a big shift: new culture, new friends, and a more structured academic path. At university, I wasn’t just focused on lectures - I threw myself into everything I could.

I joined the Entrepreneurs Society as Vice President, co-organized events, and even ended up representing my university at the National Union of Students Conference as the only first-year delegate. I also served as a Faculty Representative and later became an International Student Ambassador. Somewhere along the way, I received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence - twice.

It wasn’t about collecting titles. It was about building communities, testing ideas, and seeing how much I could stretch myself.

Getting Industry Perspective

While studying, I also got a front-row seat to the tech industry through IBM. I joined their mentoring scheme, paired with a senior engineer who helped me navigate career choices. Later, I landed an internship with the IBM MQ product team, where I worked across product, engineering, and marketing.

I helped coordinate releases, founded DoYouMQ (an internal podcast that reached 10,000 listeners), co-organized bootcamps, and even contributed to MQ’s developer experience strategy. It gave me a new perspective: big organizations move differently, but even inside them, there’s space for creativity and initiative if you’re willing to take it.

Teaching and Sharing

In 2020, I got the chance to give back in a different way. Stanford selected me as a Programming Section Leader for their Code in Place program, where I taught Python to students from all over the world. Around the same time, UNICEF invited me to record my first programming course for young people in Jordan, breaking down what code is and how to get started.

Teaching was different from building products. It forced me to simplify ideas, to explain them clearly, and to connect with people who were just starting their journey. It reminded me of my 12-year-old self, staring at tutorials, not knowing where to begin.

Experiments in Entrepreneurship

2021 brought a different kind of adventure. A one-month trip to Bali turned into five. While I was there, I noticed most restaurants and cafes didn’t have digital menus. Less than 10%. That gap turned into an idea: Scan2Dine, a QR-based menu and ordering system.

I pitched it to over 120 restaurants, hustling across the island, learning how to sell in a completely new environment. It wasn’t a billion-dollar business, but it was another step in understanding how to spot problems, test solutions, and see what sticks.

Recognition and Validation

That same year, I launched SheCanWeb, a program designed to train female entrepreneurs and students in web development. It came from a belief that the tech industry had a responsibility to open doors for more women.

Later, I was named to Unikorn’s 30 Under 30 in Jordan, recognized as one of the changemakers shaping the country’s ecosystem. Around the same time, I landed a childhood dream gig: working at Wimbledon as a Technical Match Analyst, syncing live match data with IBM’s Matchmaker software. From coding in my bedroom in Amman to analyzing the Wimbledon final - it felt like life had come full circle.

Wrapping Up One Chapter

In 2022, I graduated with honors from Portsmouth and also completed a professional diploma in UX Design. Around then, I launched Konnekted, a smart digital business card platform that’s still running today with clients including the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.

After graduation, I rejoined IBM full-time as a Software Engineer on the Developer Experience team. I worked on open-source tooling, tutorials, and outreach - helping developers use MQ more effectively. It gave me a chance to bridge two worlds: building technical solutions and communicating them in ways people actually understand.

A New Chapter in Saudi Arabia

In 2023, I moved to Saudi Arabia to join Infinite pl as a Venture Architect. I now lead the Design & Build Pod, working with a cross-functional team of designers and engineers to turn ideas into platforms. I’ve directed design sprints for corporates, startups, and government projects, and co-founded ventures like FikraHub, which has supported over 2,500 ideas and partnered with SAB Bank, IE University, and the Ministry of Culture.

Along the way, I helped set up Infinite AI, our AI function, building tools like Nuggets and YOVA, and running corporate AI workshops. From B2B platforms to consumer apps like BOSLA, every project is another piece of the puzzle - how to bring innovation to life in a way that’s scalable, useful, and human.

Staying Curious

Looking back, the common thread through all of this isn’t the awards or the titles. It’s curiosity. That’s what got me started at 12, and it’s what keeps me moving now. Whether it’s AI in healthcare, building ventures in Saudi Arabia, or just tinkering with side projects like Think42, I’ve always believed in chasing the questions that won’t leave me alone.

And if there’s one lesson in all of this, it’s that staying curious - and acting on it - will take you places you never expect.