Unplugged with iSolution: Pivoting to Success: Samir Mubarak's Journey through Entrepreneurship and AI Innovation

What if being at the right place at the right time could ignite the next big thing in your career? Join us as visionary entrepreneur Samir Mubarak takes us on a journey through his bold endeavors, from his beginnings in logistics to launching more than a dozen companies. With candid insights, Samir shares his experiences navigating the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, unraveling the delicate balance between timing and innovation. Discover how collaborations with tech giants like iSolution and Google Cloud were instrumental in steering Nafiz Logistics through the complexities of cloud technology.

Broadcasting from the vibrant tech hub of Gitex in Dubai, our conversation shifts to the groundbreaking terrain of AI and robotics. Samir's encounters with the latest tech marvels, including GPT engines and the visionary work of OpenAI, paint a picture of a future reshaped by artificial intelligence. With a palpable excitement, he recounts witnessing innovations that promise to redefine industries and daily life. This episode is a captivating exploration of the technological transformations revolutionizing our world, offering a unique perspective from an industry leader who stands at the forefront of this digital revolution.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

I got a rumor that this is your 12th company . Ah , it was too late . In the market , I saw Elon Musk launching few robots . Cash is more important than your mother's . Next time , we'll have you on board . You'll have your guitar with you . We've all been there . Sometimes to get connected , you gotta unplug and try again . This is where we connect you with the brightest minds in the MENA region . This is Unplugged with iSolution . Welcome , mr Samir Mubarak , director of Nafiz Logistics , thank you . Thank you for hosting me . We're here from Jatex , dubai . This is a special series . Before launching this promising conversation , I just want to ask our audience to follow us on LinkedIn and to subscribe to our YouTube channel so they can watch the full episode there . Is it Samir , or do you prefer Mr Samir ? Samir , samir , samir . I'm always Samir . Unflagged conversation , completely Okay , samir , that's good . What got you into logistics in the first place ?

Speaker 2 1:02

Oh , in the year 2000, . You know , I once sort of hibernated from my entrepreneurship into a bank and out of the just . It lasted only 18 months , luckily and then went and established a company which the main motto of this company is to take on projects which could become companies . So we took on a project in new orleans and it was in the ports of new orleans which gave us a huge innovative idea . Accordingly , we established nafeth , came out of it Okay , nice .

Speaker 1 1:45

So , since you spoke about building companies , I got a rumor that this is your 12th company .

Speaker 2 1:52

Actually true , it is my 12th . I have a 13th as well . Oh , nice , nice Okay . I even tried to start up a new one recently . It was too late in the market market . You see the issue of starting up companies you're either sometimes too early or too late . Or too late , or if you're on the knob like an effort , then it succeeds .

Speaker 1 2:17

That's great , that's great , let's uh , let's talk a bit of cloud . Okay , um , you've been with isolution and google Cloud for the past how many years ? Oh , I can't count Exactly . That's why I didn't mention that . Yeah , I can't count .

Speaker 2 2:33

We've been with iSolutions on the cloud for quite a long time .

Speaker 1 2:39

How is Google Cloud and iSolution helping you through this full scope ?

Speaker 2 2:44

I think you took us by hand initially , which helped us a lot , and for us , this was essential because in the beginning you need that and now we expand with Google Cloud , with OKI Solutions .

Speaker 1 3:01

That's nice . That's nice . We're here on a special series , as mentioned that joytex . So it's uh , it's a tech playground . No , you can see it as a tech playground this year . It's massive . It's massive exactly anything you've seen that take it just , uh , slapped you in the face like , wow , this is something that's gonna break the technology . That's going to break the technology , that's going to break the industry . That's going to revolutionize everything around us .

Speaker 2 3:27

Well , when I was picking up an Uber coming here , I met a couple of guys and these couple of guys were part of the go-to market of open AI oh nice , okay , oh nice , okay and uh . We talked about , uh , gpt engines and um , basically I wanted to understand their point of view about other engines such as grok and uh . I test quite a bit of ai and gemini , them and gemini and uh and uh quite a few of the others as well . And when I stood here , I noticed that we are literally at the gate in Gitex to the second hall , which is the AI hall , and it's massive , so it's actually very impressive in Gitex .

Speaker 1 4:20

Yeah , it's disrupting the industry as it is . It's changing our lives . I saw Elon Musk launching a few robots that can help you at home . Did you see that ?

Speaker 2 4:30

Yeah , I saw that I'm very interested in robotics and AI at this point in time in my life . I think we are at the cusp of a new revolution . I think 10 years years ago we talked about industry four . I think we're talking about now about industry five . With these two technologies ai and robotics together um , as a fusion of technologies , we're gonna see a massive , massive rollout of new things in our lifetime . Nice , would you get a robot ? I already have some .

Speaker 1 5:13

I'm looking forward to the new ones . That's good . Talking about robots and talking about powers , etc . If you had one superpower to solve any issue that's currently tackling the logistics industry , what would it be ?

Speaker 2 5:32

I always talk about an exoskeleton that is smart , capable of allowing people to carry heavy cargo . Exoskeletons , in my opinion , are things that will probably enable people to still work in logistics , in warehouses , yet remove them of the physical burden .

Speaker 1 5:57

Okay , can we just explain to the audience what's the definition of exoskeleton , because some people might not actually know the pure definition of that .

Speaker 2 6:05

An exoskeleton is something you wear on you which helps you lift 300 kilograms with your arms , but as if you're just carrying one kilogram oh cool , before getting into our last question , um , I got rumors uh rumors that you're very diehard football fan .

Speaker 1 6:29

Is that correct ? Of course , yeah , of course I've done my research , yeah , and you have . Based on that , I would like to know for you who's the best player ever .

Speaker 2 6:45

Yeah , look , there are many legends , but my legend is Messi .

Speaker 1 6:51

Boom , that's good , that's good , that's good , that's good . Okay , I'd love to continue a lot this conversation , but you know we're a bit tight because this is a special series . So I'm closing off with one last question , and this is where I need your insights . I know we've been in a leadership role for a long time . How much is mentorship important , and what's one advice you might give to people ?

Speaker 2 7:24

I think mentorship is essential . Throughout my life , I was mentored and also mentored quite a few entrepreneurs . Some of them made it , some of them did not . What I say to entrepreneurs is always cash is more important than your mother's . This is my biggest , which was given to me by a mentor , an american mentor , and I'm giving this to people . If you don't look at cash coming from investors , look at cash that you can make and concentrate within your entrepreneurship about cash flow .

Speaker 1 8:15

That's honestly . That's the first time someone gives this different point of view of this answer . Usually it's like mentorship is important , you have to guide people , et cetera . I really like this point of view . That's great . It was a pleasure having you on Unplugged . Would you promise us you'd be with us for a full episode once we launch officially ?

Speaker 2 8:36

Absolutely . I am here . I would love to talk more about the experience . What's our outlook ? What's my outlook as a person who has been in technology since the 70s and I'm still a die-hard technology fan . So I'm looking forward , perfect , perfect .

Speaker 1 8:59

Can you promise us one thing as well Next time we'll have you on board , you'll have your guitar with you , because , as I heard , you're an amazing guitar player , I'm a bass player and I did quite few in my life of music playing .

Speaker 2 9:19

I did professional work for almost 9 years ok , perfect , it was a pleasure having him .

Speaker 1 9:24

Don't forget to subscribe to YouTube . Follow us on LinkedIn and on to the next one .