About
I’m Yousuf. I lead engineering teams.
The Short Version
Engineering Manager with 13+ years in product engineering. Currently at Cashia leading the Consumer Experience Squad. Previously Senior Mobile Engineer at Tamara, Delivery Hero, Airlift, Bykea. My code and the code of teams I’ve shaped has been used by 120M+ people.
Pakistani. Muslim. Husband. Father.
Based in Dubai. Building remotely with a team in Nairobi.
The Longer Version
I started coding in 2010 at the University of Karachi. First program was a calculator in C++. It didn’t work. I stayed up all night fixing it. Been hooked since.
Joined the industry in 2013. Built apps for local businesses, then moved to products that scaled globally. Each company taught me something:
- Folio3: How to write production code
- Bykea: How to solve real problems in real constraints (location tracking on budget hardware)
- Airlift: How to go from 0 to 1M users, fast
- Delivery Hero: How to serve 120M users across 20 countries without breaking things
- Tamara: How to build fintech products people trust
- Cashia: How to make finance accessible — and how to lead the people doing it
What I Believe
Simple > Complex The best code is code that doesn’t exist. The second best is code anyone can understand.
Users > Technology Nobody cares about your clean architecture if the app doesn’t solve their problem.
Depth > Breadth Master one thing before moving to the next.
Family > Career Work to live, don’t live to work.
What I’m Building Toward
Short term: becoming a better engineering manager and father.
Long term: building products that help underserved communities. Financial tools that respect Islamic principles. Educational apps that preserve fitrah. Things that matter for people who are often an afterthought.
Beyond Code
I live in Dubai with my wife and kids. We’re exploring homeschooling and trying to live more intentionally — less screens, more outdoors, real food.
I trek when I can. Play table tennis badly. Read everything from technical papers to Islamic history.
Connect
Best way to reach me is email or LinkedIn.
This website is an experiment in being myself online. No brand. No image. Just me.