Zeeshan Sikandar

founder and CEO of Zenkoders

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Zeeshan Sikandar is the founder and CEO of Zenkoders, a software company. Sikandar has grown Zenkoders from a solo venture into a team of 80 or more people. He previously worked as a product development engineer at Habib Bank Limited.

Early life and background

Sikandar's father bought him a computer in second grade, around 2002. His father has worked at a bank for about 30 years. His father introduced him to computers because his father saw that they were the future. Sikandar says he had made up his mind to work in IT because his brother was already in IT. [1]

Education

Sikandar completed matriculation at a school in Karachi. He took admission at a college in Karachi and completed its first year. Financial difficulties led him to start a job in the second year of college. He moved to another college that required attendance only for exams and practicals. [1]

Sikandar enrolled in computer science at a university in Karachi. He started university in 2014, at about age 19. He says conditions had not improved enough to cover university travel and tuition fees, so he began tutoring from his first semester. He tutored O and A-level students although he had not taken those courses himself. He graduated in computer science. [1]

Early career

Sikandar worked at a travel consultancy. He later sold international tickets. After he became a salaried consultant, his pay was about 10,000 to 12,000. He says he was giving money at home even out of 10,000. [1]

Habib Bank Limited

Sikandar joined Habib Bank Limited (HBL) as a product development engineer in January 2019. He worked on HBL's mobile app, which he believes has about 10 million users. He worked at HBL for about nine to ten months, mostly on maintenance. He found that HBL offered little growth and that its routine did not satisfy him. [1]

Freelancing

Sikandar says his freelancing journey began from the half day he had to spare. He resigned from HBL with no active clients, confident he could win them. He says that in the following month he had no clients at all, and that he then worked hard and got clients. He says that when anyone in the world searched for React Native, he ranked first. He says it took about two months to reach the top position on the first page of Fiverr. [1]

Zenkoders

Sikandar says the business has run for seven years, starting in 2019. He says he began working entirely alone. Zenkoders offers mobile app, web development, cloud and e-commerce services. Sikandar has over 10 years of experience in software development and project management. [1]

Sikandar says that when the NFT and blockchain boom came in 2022, his company adopted it. He says his company turned its resources to generative AI in 2023 and built its services in that direction. He says his company has grown in every quarter. His stated vision is to lead Zenkoders to the forefront of the global software landscape. [1]

Hiring and operations

Sikandar says his company does not work on an augmentation model in which everyone is placed in front of clients. He says his company has purchased Cursor and adopted GitHub Copilot. He says that research for a proposal after a lead arrived used to take a week or four to five days, and now takes about an hour. [1]

Views

Sikandar believes people who do not use AI will be replaced. He believes people who use AI well and stay efficient cannot yet be replaced. He says a person's job can go if they do not upskill. [1]

Sikandar says communication skills are the biggest problem he deals with. He says being very good in tech is of no use if one cannot convey it. [1]

Sikandar says freelancing was far easier to enter before COVID. He says there are still not many generative AI and AI agency gigs. He says that if the company's vision is to be met, it will not have to rely on freelancing platforms. He says agencies will have to set up offices in the US. He believes an agency working in this way can reach at most 1 to 2 million in revenue. [1]

Sikandar says Pakistan's freelancing industry is not taxed. He compares Pakistan's IT industry at 2 billion dollars with India's at 250 billion dollars. He says most of Pakistan's population is youth, and that many young entrepreneurs have now entered the market. He says the aim is to become one of Pakistan's pioneers, and not only in Pakistan but globally. [1]

Personal life

Sikandar says he has always been a dreamer. He says he landed in San Francisco for the first time. He says he had recently returned from the US after holding meetings and tech events. [1]

Timeline

2002
His father bought him a computer, around this year.[1]
2014
Started university.[1]
2019
Joined Habib Bank Limited as a product development engineer in January.[1]
2019
Start of the business he says has run for seven years.[1]
2022
His company adopted NFT and blockchain work during the boom.[1]
2023
His company turned its resources to generative AI.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2025-05-12 AI will not kill jobs. It will kill the people who don't use AI Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Zeeshan Sikandar?

Zeeshan Sikandar is the founder and CEO of Zenkoders, a software company. He previously worked as a product development engineer at Habib Bank Limited. He has over 10 years of experience in software development and project management.[1]

What does Zeeshan Sikandar do?

Zeeshan Sikandar is the founder and CEO of Zenkoders, a software company. Zenkoders offers mobile app, web development, cloud and e-commerce services.[1]

Where did Zeeshan Sikandar study?

Zeeshan Sikandar completed matriculation at a school in Karachi. He enrolled in computer science at a university in Karachi, started university in 2014, and graduated in computer science.[1]

What company did Zeeshan Sikandar found?

Zeeshan Sikandar founded Zenkoders, a software company. He has grown Zenkoders from a solo venture into a team of 80 or more people. He says the business has run for seven years, starting in 2019.[1]

Where has Zeeshan Sikandar worked?

Zeeshan Sikandar joined Habib Bank Limited (HBL) as a product development engineer in January 2019. He worked on HBL's mobile app. He also worked at a travel consultancy.[1]

How did Zeeshan Sikandar start freelancing?

Zeeshan Sikandar says his freelancing journey began from the half day he had to spare. He resigned from HBL with no active clients, confident he could win them. He says it took about two months to reach the top position on the first page of Fiverr.[1]

What does Zeeshan Sikandar think about AI and jobs?

Zeeshan Sikandar believes people who do not use AI will be replaced. He believes people who use AI well and stay efficient cannot yet be replaced. He says a person's job can go if they do not upskill.[1]

References

  1. AI will not kill jobs. It will kill the people who don't use AI . Thought Behind Things , 2025-05-12.
Show the source passages (64 statements)
  1. His father bought him a computer in second grade, around 2002. Back in when I was in second grade I guess it was 2002, mere father ne mujhe ek computer leke diya
  2. His father has worked at a bank for about 30 years. Woh last 30 years se woh bank mein job kar rahe hain
  3. His father introduced him to computers because his father saw that they were the future. toh unko dikh raha tha ke yaar yeh this is the future toh unhone mujhe computers mein adopt karwaya
  4. He completed matriculation at a school in Karachi. Toh garden mein Soldier Bazaar mein Karachi mein ek school hai Hassan Center Public School toh wahan se maine matriculation kiya
  5. He took admission at a college in Karachi and completed its first year. maine Fatima College se Karachi mein admission liya, first year kiya maine
  6. Financial difficulties led him to start a job in the second year of college. financial crisis thode se zyada ho gaye toh uske baad mujhe second year mein maine job shuru kar di
  7. He moved to another college that required attendance only for exams and practicals. dusre college mein admission liya jahan pe sirf exams ya practical dene ke liye gaya
  8. He worked at a travel consultancy. Main Pulani mein job kar raha tha, Pulani Travel Consultancy
  9. He later sold international tickets. Phir main tickets international ticket sell kar raha tha us waqt
  10. After he became a salaried consultant, his pay was about 10,000 to 12,000. jab main salary consultant ban gaya tha toh woh 10,000, 10-12,000 hi thi
  11. He says he was giving money at home even out of 10,000. Us waqt mujhe yaad hai ke main us us 10,000 se bhi main ghar mein de raha tha
  12. He enrolled in computer science at a university in Karachi. maine Suffah, THS University mein admission liya Karachi mein computer science ke liye
  13. He started university in 2014, at about age 19. maine admission 2014 mein maine admission liya and I guess I was maybe 19
  14. He says conditions had not improved enough to cover university travel and tuition fees, so he began tutoring from his first semester. itne still behtar nahi hue the ke university jaana uska conveyance, uski van aur phir tuition fees bear ho sake toh first semester se hi maine tuition dena start kiye
  15. He tutored O and A-level students although he had not taken those courses himself. maine khud se O and A-levels nahi kiya lekin I was able to teach them
  16. He graduated in computer science. jab maine computer science mein graduation ki phir market mein job ki
  17. He interviewed with 21 companies and was rejected by 18 of them. Maine 21 companies mein interview diya and I was rejected from 18 of them
  18. Three companies accepted him. Teen logon se mujhe acceptance hua toh usmein se bhi ek AppTech Institute tha
  19. He gives his starting package as 32,000. jo maine 32,000 meri starting package tha
  20. He joined Habib Bank Limited (HBL) as a product development engineer in January 2019. from 1st January 2019 woh pure saal ka pehla hi din tha aur main HBL mein meri job lagi thi HBL mein as a product development engineer
  21. He worked on HBL's mobile app, which he believes has about 10 million users. HBL ki jo mobile application hai still us pe kaam kiya hua hai jo ke kaafi I guess it has 10 million users as of now
  22. He worked at HBL for about nine to ten months, mostly on maintenance. Takreeban 9 se 10 mahine HBL mein maine kaam kiya lekin wahan par mostly kaam jo tha woh maintenance ka kaam tha
  23. He found that HBL offered little growth and that its routine did not satisfy him. aur wahan par kuch growth nahi ho rahi thi. Comfort zone bahut tha, 9:00 baje jaana hai, 5:30 baje chhutti ho jaani hai lekin maza nahi aa raha tha
  24. He says his freelancing journey began from the half day he had to spare. Toh wahin se meri freelancing ki journey hui ke mere paas aadha din bach raha tha
  25. He resigned from HBL with no active clients, confident he could win them. Maine HBL se resign kiya even though ke mere paas koi active clients nahi the lekin mujhe pata tha ke main kar lunga
  26. He says that in the following month he had no clients at all, and that he then worked hard and got clients. agle agle hi mahine koi client nahi tha, bilkul zero par aa gaya main. Phir wapsi mehnat ki aur I got the clients
  27. He says that when anyone in the world searched for React Native, he ranked first. Toh I was ranking on top. Matlab puri duniya mein koi bhi React Native likh raha tha toh main first pe rank ho raha tha
  28. He says it took about two months to reach the top position on the first page of Fiverr. mujhe shayad do mahine lage the, first Fiverr ke first page pe, first row mein, first position pe
  29. He says freelancing was far easier to enter before COVID. Dekhein Covid se pehle freelancing mein entry possible thi, bahut aasaan tha
  30. He says there are still not many generative AI and AI agency gigs. Abhi bhi generative AI ki aur AI agency gigs itni nahi hain
  31. He says that when the NFT and blockchain boom came in 2022, his company adopted it. 2022 mein hum NFT ka aur blockchain ka bahut boom aaya to humne us pe adopt kiya
  32. He says his company turned its resources to generative AI in 2023 and built its services in that direction. 2023 mein AI, generative AI pe aaya to humne apni resources ko us pe tap kiya aur apni jo services hain woh is taraf banayi
  33. He says the business has run for seven years, starting in 2019. This is my seventh year. 2019 mein humne start kar diya tha
  34. He is the Founder and CEO of Zenkoders, a software company. the Founder & CEO of Zenkoders, a cutting-edge software company
  35. He has over 10 years of experience in software development and project management. With over 10 years of experience in Software Development and Project Management
  36. He has grown Zenkoders from a solo venture into a team of 80 or more people. has grown Zenkoders from a solo venture into a team of 80+ talented individuals
  37. He worked as a Product Development Engineer at Habib Bank Limited. His background also includes experience as a Product Development Engineer at Habib Bank Limited
  38. Zenkoders offers mobile app, web development, cloud and e-commerce services. offering services ranging from Mobile Apps and Web Development to Cloud Services and E-commerce
  39. His stated vision is to lead Zenkoders to the forefront of the global software landscape. to lead Zenkoders to the forefront of the global software landscape
  40. He says his company does not state in its job postings that a degree is required. hum log apni job posting mein bhi yeh nahi daalte ke aapki koi degree honi chahiye
  41. He says he began working entirely alone. Shuru mein bilkul main akele hi kaam kar raha tha
  42. He says communication skills are the biggest problem he deals with. Achha communication skills jo sabse bada masla hai jiske saath hum kaam kar rahe hain
  43. He says being very good in tech is of no use if one cannot convey it. Tech, you are very good in tech but if you are unable to convey it then koi fayda nahi hai aapke tech banane ka
  44. He says his company does not work on an augmentation model in which everyone is placed in front of clients. this is one of the reason ke hum log augmentation model pe hum kaam nahi kar rahe ke hum har kisi ko front pe rakhenge
  45. He says his company has purchased Cursor and adopted GitHub Copilot. Humne apne paas cursors purchase kar liye hain, hum apne GitHub Copilot aur Grok har cheez humne adopt kar li hai
  46. He says that research for a proposal after a lead arrived used to take a week or four to five days, and now takes about an hour. Pehle kya hota tha pehle ek lead aayi, usne ek concept diya, aapne ek hafta ya 4 se 5 din us pe research karni hai, usko proposal send karna hai. Ab woh kaam ho gaya hamara 1 ghante mein
  47. He says Zenkoders uses an AI interview that candidates complete through a link. humne bas ek link send kar diya candidate ko aur woh uska usne AI interview le liya
  48. He believes people who do not use AI will be replaced. agar jo banda AI use nahi kar raha, woh to laazmi si baat hai woh replace ho jayega
  49. He believes people who use AI well and stay efficient cannot yet be replaced. Lekin jo banda is sahi se AI ko use kar raha hai aur apne aap ko efficient rakh raha hai woh woh abhi replace nahi nahi ho sakta
  50. He says a person's job can go if they do not upskill. Aapki job ja sakti hai agar aap apne aap ko increase nahi kar rahe, skills increase nahi kar rahe
  51. He says that for every 100 interviews his company conducts, it makes about five hires. agar hum 100 interview lete hain to hamare paas paanch hiring hoti hain
  52. He says he had recently returned from the US after holding meetings and tech events. main US se aaya hoon aur meetings karke aur tech events karke main wahan se aaya hoon
  53. He says that if the company's vision is to be met, it will not have to rely on freelancing platforms. Agar let's say ke hamara vision woh hai to humein freelancing platforms pe rely nahi karna padega
  54. He says agencies will have to set up offices in the US. US mein agencies US mein offices setup karne padenge
  55. He believes an agency working in this way can reach at most 1 to 2 million in revenue. mujhe aisa lagta hai ke yahan se hum maximum 1 million or 2 million revenue agency is tarah se kar sakte hain
  56. He says the aim is to become one of Pakistan's pioneers, and not only in Pakistan but globally. humein Pakistan ki one of the pioneers banna hai. Not only in Pakistan but globally
  57. He says Pakistan's freelancing industry is not taxed. Pakistan ki freelancing industry pe tax nahi hai
  58. He compares Pakistan's IT industry at 2 billion dollars with India's at 250 billion dollars. difference between the 2 billion dollar Pakistani IT industry and the 250 billion dollar Indian IT industry
  59. He says most of Pakistan's population is youth. Pakistan ki jo most population hai woh youth hai
  60. He says he landed in San Francisco for the first time. main San Francisco mein tha aur wahan jo maine main I was like main pehli baar San Francisco mein land kiya tha
  61. He says he has always been a dreamer. I was always a dreamer. I am still a dreamer.
  62. He says he had made up his mind to work in IT because his brother was already in IT. kyunke again mera bhai already IT mein tha toh mera dimag dimag toh bana hua tha ke mujhe aage jaake job karni hai IT mein
  63. He says many young entrepreneurs have now entered the market. bahut saare young entrepreneurs uh aa chuke hain market mein
  64. He says his company has grown in every quarter. Har har quarter mein humne grow kiya hai alhamdulillah