Meet Rashid
UX Designer, Front-end Developer & AI Enthusiast
My journey
From Software Development to AI, my professional journey has been shaped by insatiable curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning. It all began in 2011, when I was introduced to Adobe Photoshop and the limitless world of design. As I dived into branding, keynote presentations, and cool illustrations, I found myself selling ideas as much as I was creating designs. Learn more about my learning path →
Starting from 2014, I delved into automation tools like Zapier, starting with Google Sheets and progressing to lead generation funnels, REST API’s, and Chrome extensions. My current focus is on applying AI with tools like Chat GPT-4 and Midjourney.
I've explored both no-code tools and front-end technologies to build software tools and technologies. My design process starts in Figma, where I strive to find the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. These designs form the blueprint for the web experiences I generate with CSS and JavaScript. Although proficient in front-end libraries like React, I am continually expanding my knowledge, currently diving deeper into Javascript, APIs, React, REST APIs, and exploring generative AI tools from Open AI, Meta's LLaMA, Google's Bard, and Midjourney.
Becoming a digital worker
My career unfolded in 2016 where I pivoted from a digital agency role to online sales of health products, plunging into sales funnels, Facebook Ads Manager, and Google Ads, investing over a million dollars in ad campaigns between 2016-2017.
Automations and sales funnels
While exploring sales funnels, I got myself immersed in automation tools like Zapier and Google Sheets, eventually transitioning to Airtable, Typeform, and Sendgrid. This evolution led me into the dynamic world of E-commerce with Shopify and Stripe. It also paved the way for me to broaden my knowledge in APIs.
Building remote teams
In 2017, inspired by "The 4-Hour Workweek", I built a team of sixty remote freelancers mainly from LATAM countries and learned how to establish effective work processes and create thorough documentation. I also began implementing Agile and leverage task-management tools like Todoist, Asana, and Trello.
Journey into Product Development
In 2019, sparked by the growing remote work trend, I conceived the idea of tudelega - a platform that aimed to transform the way work was done in Spanish-speaking countries. Instead of hiring a UX Designer, I chose to learn and design software interfaces and front-end components using Figma myself. I mastered the intricacies of product development, including prototyping, wireframing, user flows, mockups, user research, and usability testing.
Over time, I built functional design components, which soon evolved into responsive webpages with micro-interactions. I then discovered Sharetribe, a low-code marketplace framework, and built an offshore team of developers from Serbia and India to bring tudelega to life. My journey into Agile and Git methodologies helped me manage the team effectively. My focus was on becoming a product developer, building roadmaps, having one-on-one meetings, and more.
Community Building
The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and we were secluded from the outside world. During this time, I started a local community for Wellness and Yoga, hosting daily gatherings in parks and events. Later, I co-founded Dialogos, another community that focused on inviting experts to talk about interesting subjects and speak with their communities through shared points of view. Both initiatives quickly gained popularity, drawing attention from the press and support from local authorities.
Simultaneously, I developed a platform that successfully managed over one million COVID-19 tests across the Dominican Republic, Quintana Roo, and Mexico City. This platform empowered a diverse team of over 100 medical workers, laboratory personnel, and hotel managers, providing a digital solution to the burdensome manual processes.
Starting a Startup
As remote work began to flourish, I conceptualized a marketplace where people could offer their available time through video calls, in a way that they could leverage their online following into scheduling a call with them and thus, providing a tool to transfer knowledge. I quickly pivoted my approach and started building this idea, where we aimed to democratize talent, making it universally accessible and enabling people to capitalize on their unique talents. The platform would operate as a transaction facilitator between service providers and users, building a trustful community and lowering transaction costs.
My dream to create meaningful technology remains as strong as ever…