Shamir Islam
Shamir Islam

Growth Marketer. Entrepreneur. Photographer.

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.
  • New role - Getting settled and delivering results in my growth marketing role at Timeleft.
  • Legend of Growth - Get my DTC marketing agency off the ground and reach $10k MRR.
  • Thesis defense - Prepare for and pass the defense now that the thesis is submitted.
  • French B2 - Get conversational French to a solid B2 level.

Recent updates

  • 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

  • Build and scale Legend of Growth

    • Hit $10k MRR

    • Hit $50k MRR

    • Hit $100k MRR

  • Build an audience

    • Get 10k followers on X

    • Get 100k followers on X and LinkedIn combined

  • Publish 100 essays

  • Give a talk/workshop on growth marketing at a Paris tech venue (like Station F)

  • Mentor 10 early-stage founders with measurable outcomes

  • Sell a business

  • Acquire a business

  • Land a growth marketing role at an EU startup

    Done: 2026-01

  • Win a startup competition

    Done: 2025-03
›

Personal life

  • Complete Hajj

  • Take care of my parents

    • Take parents on a Europe trip

    • Take parents to see the Taj Mahal

      Done: 2024-02

  • Get married

  • Start a family

  • Write and publish a book

  • Do something storyworthy every month - if you have ideas, send them

  • Fixed % of income to charity every month

›

Languages & learning

  • Become fluent in 5 major languages

    • French

    • Arabic

    • Chinese

    • Hindi

    • Spanish

    • Italian

    • English

    • Bengali

  • Master French

    • Complete French B2

    • Take the TEF exam

    • Read a classic French novel

    • Finish reading 3 major works in original French

  • Master Hindi

    • Read a classic Hindi novel

    • Finish reading 3 major works in original Hindi

  • Complete master's thesis

    Done: 2026-05
›

Creative goals

  • Sell 100 photo prints

  • Sell a signed print

  • Publish a photo essay

  • Do a solo photography exhibition

  • Create a photo series that actually matters

  • Capture life in 50 countries

  • Write essays people actually want to read

  • Own a Hasselblad medium format camera

  • Sell first photo print

    Done: 2025-08
›

Travel & adventure

  • Travel to 100 countries in my lifetime

  • See all 7 wonders of the world

  • Visit Palestine

  • Road trip across Europe

  • Road trip across America

  • Road trip across India

  • Visit Japan when cherry blossoms bloom

  • Achieve location independence

  • Move to Europe

    Done: 2024-09

  • Live in Finland and Vietnam

    Done: 2025-06

  • See the aurora borealis

    Done: 2025-02

  • Drive a scooter through Vietnamese mountains

    Done: 2025-05

  • Go paragliding - Pokhara, Nepal

    Done: 2022-08
›

Sports & fitness

  • Start playing tennis

  • 100 consecutive push-ups

  • Do 10 pull-ups

  • Run 10k

    • Sub-25 min 5k

    • Complete first 5k

      Done: 2025-08-30

  • Deadlift 2x bodyweight

  • Learn a martial art

Last updated: May 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.