My life! Oh, my life!

(If you understand the reference, we're friends.)

This page is a living log of what I'm focused on right now and an evolving list of challenges I want to conquer. It's meant to keep myself accountable. And also to share life updates with family, friends, and strangers on the internet.

What I'm doing now

Right now, I'm in Paris, writing the next chapter of my life.

I joined Timeleft, a Paris-based tech startup, in a growth marketing role. On the side, I'm building Legend of Growth.

I take long walks when the weather is nice. I'm also working hard to improve my French fluency.

On a more personal note, I want to get married in 2026 (pray for me), build a life that's fulfilling and meaningful, and stay close to my family back in Bangladesh.

I'm not always sure what "success" exactly looks like in a world that's going through so much, but I do know I want to build useful companies, travel widely, and leave the world a bit better than I found it.

Overall, these are my current priorities:

Deen first - Read Quran every day and never miss salah on time. The most important one.
Legend of Growth - Get my DTC marketing agency off the ground and reach $10k MRR.
Deshi Startup - Build traction and work with founders, orgs, and experts to make it the best resource for Bangladeshi startups.
New role - Getting settled and delivering results in my growth marketing role at Timeleft.
French B2 - Get conversational French to a solid B2 level.

Recent updates

Aug 2026: Launched Deshi Startup.
Jul 2026: Graduated from emlyon business school.
Jun 2026: Defended my master's thesis.
May 2026: Submitted my master's thesis.
Jan 2026: Joined Timeleft as Growth Marketing Manager.
Jan 2026: Started writing my master's thesis.
Dec 2025: Visited Belgium and the Netherlands - biked all over Amsterdam and loved it.
Aug 2025: Started selling photo prints for the first time! (shop).
Aug 2025: Beta launched FavourSwap.
Jul 2025: Moved to Paris after spending the winter in Finland and a spring term in Vietnam.
Mar 2025: Pitched a startup in front of an audience and won a competition.
Feb 2025: Caught the northern lights near the Swedish border.

Challenge list

This is my evolving list of challenges. Momentum beats perfection.

›

Business & career

In progress: Build and scale Legend of Growth
- In progress: Hit $10k MRR
- Not started: Hit $50k MRR
- Not started: Hit $100k MRR
In progress: Build an audience
- Not started: Get 10k followers on X
- Not started: Get 100k followers on X and LinkedIn combined
In progress: Publish 100 essays
Not started: Give a talk/workshop on growth marketing at a Paris tech venue (like Station F)
Not started: Mentor 10 early-stage founders with measurable outcomes
Not started: Sell a business
Not started: Acquire a business
Completed: Land a growth marketing role at an EU startup
Done: 2026-01
Completed: Win a startup competition
Done: 2025-03

›

Personal life

Not started: Complete Hajj
In progress: Take care of my parents
- Not started: Take parents on a Europe trip
- Completed: Take parents to see the Taj Mahal
  Done: 2024-02
Not started: Get married
Not started: Start a family
Not started: Write and publish a book
In progress: Do something storyworthy every month- if you have ideas, send them
In progress: Fixed % of income to charity every month

›

Languages & learning

In progress: Become fluent in 5 major languages
- In progress: French
- Not started: Arabic
- Not started: Chinese
- In progress: Hindi
- Not started: Spanish
- Not started: Italian
- Completed: English
- Completed: Bengali
In progress: Master French
- Not started: Complete French B2
- Not started: Take the TEF exam
- Not started: Read a classic French novel
- Not started: Finish reading 3 major works in original French
In progress: Master Hindi
- Not started: Read a classic Hindi novel
- Not started: Finish reading 3 major works in original Hindi
Completed: Complete master's thesis
Done: 2026-05

›

Creative goals

Not started: Sell 100 photo prints
Not started: Sell a signed print
Not started: Publish a photo essay
Not started: Do a solo photography exhibition
Not started: Create a photo series that actually matters
In progress: Capture life in 50 countries
Not started: Write essays people actually want to read
Not started: Own a Hasselblad medium format camera
Completed: Sell first photo print
Done: 2025-08

›

Travel & adventure

In progress: Travel to 100 countries in my lifetime
Not started: See all 7 wonders of the world
Not started: Visit Palestine
Not started: Road trip across Europe
Not started: Road trip across America
Not started: Road trip across India
Not started: Visit Japan when cherry blossoms bloom
In progress: Achieve location independence
Completed: Move to Europe
Done: 2024-09
Completed: Live in Finland and Vietnam
Done: 2025-06
Completed: See the aurora borealis
Done: 2025-02
Completed: Drive a scooter through Vietnamese mountains
Done: 2025-05
Completed: Go paragliding- Pokhara, Nepal
Done: 2022-08

›

Sports & fitness

Not started: Start playing tennis
Not started: 100 consecutive push-ups
Not started: Do 10 pull-ups
In progress: Run 10k
- Not started: Sub-25 min 5k
- Completed: Complete first 5k
  Done: 2025-08-30
Not started: Deadlift 2x bodyweight
Not started: Learn a martial art

Last updated: Aug 2026

Some goals might seem impossible today, but that's the point. I'd rather aim for the stars and land on the moon than never leave the ground.

Currently operating on the principle of CALIBRATE - finding the balance between ambition and daily execution.

Want to riff on any of these? Reach me at shamir@shamirislam.com.