Who Am I – A Journey of Struggle, Faith, and Growth

Who am I?
This question has arisen in my mind every single day. For a long time, I kept searching for its answer. Today, I realize that I must write it down.

I am Waleed Raza Malik, a software engineer and an entrepreneur. My journey to reach here was not straightforward. It was full of hurdles, emotional battles, failures, responsibilities, and moments that tested my patience and faith.

I was born in Karachi, the City of Lights, Pakistan, in the same area where my father grew up. At that time, my father was young and had recently started his job. When I came into this world, my family also accepted the responsibility of raising me. I was the first grandson in the family, and everyone took special care of me.

My two chachus, Majid Uncle and Mohsin Uncle, played a very important role in my life. They were not just uncles; they were like close friends. I always loved discussing my problems with them and finding solutions together. I sincerely appreciate their support, guidance, and motivation throughout my life.

On the other side, from my maternal family (nana’s side), there were a few relatives who used to call me different names and point out negative things about me. At that young age, those words disheartened me deeply. Slowly, pain and negativity started building inside my heart. But with time, I understood one important truth clearly:

Allah is the best decision-maker. I left everything to Allah.

From the start of my education, I was hardworking, but naturally very weak in studies. I could never score more than 45% in class. Despite this, my teachers supported me. I want to especially mention Beenish Munir, Naheed, Nadeema, and Miss Seemina, who taught me in class 2 and supported me a lot during my early education.

As time passed and I reached class 9, I was still the same Waleed—quiet, shy, and avoiding people. I did not talk much to anyone. I had only one true friend, Abrar Khail, who has been with me since childhood, and our friendship never broke.

A major turning point came in class 9 when my school teacher Naveed Jillani openly challenged my father in front of the school ground. He said that it was his challenge that Waleed could not even pass the board exams or complete matric. At that moment, my father replied with full faith and confidence, saying, “InshaAllah, he will do it.”

That moment became a challenge for me as well. I challenged myself and decided that I would prove everyone wrong.

A Necessary Reflection on Negative Teaching

This incident made me realize a harsh reality about our education system. Teachers like Naveed Jillani, who publicly demotivate students, challenge their self-worth, and declare their failure in advance, do not build futures—they damage them. Such behavior can push already struggling students into depression, fear, and self-doubt, making their academic condition even worse. Instead of guiding students and correcting them with patience, this kind of attitude crushes confidence. Teachers who humiliate students rather than encourage them should not be allowed to shape young minds, because education is meant to uplift, not destroy. One negative sentence from a teacher can ruin years of a student’s potential.

During that difficult time, Sir Waseem Shah helped me immensely. He gave me special time, left other responsibilities, and focused completely on teaching me so that I could pass my matric exams. Alongside him, my uncles Mohsin Raza and Majid Saleem were constantly motivating me. Mohsin Uncle especially taught me matric theorems and always told me that even if I failed, we would try again.

I used the challenge from Naveed Jillani as motivation. When I appeared in my matric exams, I told my father confidently that I would pass. When the results came, I had passed. That chapter of my life was completed.

After matric, with 48% marks, I was not eligible for FSC pre-engineering. Therefore, I chose a three-year Diploma in IT (DAE). With my uncle’s help, I got admission to a private institute in Rawalpindi. During those three years, I slowly started learning development skills.

When I completed my diploma, my hard work paid off, and I achieved 65% marks. This improvement from 48% to 65% boosted my confidence and motivated me to face bigger challenges.

Later, my father’s efforts paid off, and I got a chance to do a one-year internship at the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad. During this internship, I learned network troubleshooting and technical problem-solving. After one year, I appeared for the computer technician job exam, but unfortunately, I was not selected due to internal reasons. Still, I never felt disappointed because the learning and exposure were worth more than the job. I am thankful to Mr. Warast Mehmood and a lady officer who taught me sincerely.

After that, I decided to pursue higher education. After many hurdles, I finally got admission to Federal Urdu University Islamabad and started BS Computer Science. The first two years passed casually due to immaturity and distractions.

In my fifth semester, Assistant Professor Amir Bilal Mann noticed my potential. He clearly told me that he wanted me to be a unique student and that he found me talented among a class of 50 students. He offered me the opportunity to work with him as a teaching assistant and research student. Under his guidance, my performance and confidence improved greatly.

During this period, I was also selected for the Prime Minister Youth Internship Program for one year. I served in the physics department of the same university, received a stipend of 12,000 PKR per month, taught junior students basic programming, and worked on research. Alongside Amir Bilal Mann, I completed a research paper that was later published. I learned how to present my work professionally.

Eventually, my university life ended, and I graduated with a good result, thanks to teachers like Amir Bilal Mann and Abdul Mateen.

Then began a new phase—job hunting.

My father once again supported me. He sat with me and said that I should search for a job, whether low-paid or high-paid, and not get demotivated. He assured me that even if I had no job or money, he would stand with me.

Later, my friend Abrar Khail offered me a website management job at a software house where he worked. I joined with a salary of 15,000 PKR and worked 12 hours daily. The work was mostly data entry, and growth was limited, but I still learned freelancing and programming skills.

After three months, I resigned and decided to stand for myself. I believed I could build my career through freelancing and my own business. I invested 6,000 PKR to upgrade my computer system. With my parents’ prayers, I received my first project on Fiverr. Slowly, more projects came, and within a short time, I became a top freelancer.

I offered Abrar Khail the opportunity to join me. At that time, he was earning 50,000 PKR, but he trusted me, resigned from his job, and joined hands with me. Together, we founded FIXITSOL and started serving international clients.

With growth came responsibility. I decided that with every step forward, I would give charity. I started donating regularly and feeding cats daily. Even today, I manage almost 1 kg of cat food daily, and by the grace of Allah, I continue this practice.

When my business was progressing well, the most beautiful part of my life began. I married Javeria Khan, who joined me as my life partner. She has been extremely supportive in every phase of my life. At the time of my marriage, I had only 9,000 PKR in my pocket. She knew this reality and still stood beside me, saying, “Don’t worry, my dear husband. Allah will help us.”

After marriage, a difficult phase came. For almost nine months, I had no job and temporarily stepped away from my business due to demotivation and responsibility. It was natural but very tough. Then, by the grace of Allah, my business revived within six months.

After regaining stability, I entered e-commerce. I launched my own brand OUTLETWALA, which I run independently along with my wife. OUTLETWALA is my personal e-commerce venture.

Later, with the support, guidance, and partnership of Dr  Sultan Maqsood, I co-founded another e-commerce brand called WAO ENTERPRISES. This is a joint venture, where we work together on inventory, marketing, and business growth.

Today, by the grace of Allah, I am managing three businesses:

• FIXITSOL (software services and freelancing)

• OUTLETWALA (e-commerce, run by me and my wife)

• WAO ENTERPRISES (joint e-commerce venture with Dr Sultan Maqsood)

This is my journey—full of struggle, faith, lessons, and people who believed in me. I continue to move forward with trust in Allah, because truly:

Allah is the best decision-maker. I left everything to Allah.

My journey demonstrates that success is not determined by early academic results, financial background, or the opinions of others. It is shaped by resilience, adaptability, continuous learning, and faith. Every setback provided an opportunity to grow stronger, more focused, and more disciplined.

I continue to learn, evolve, and build with a clear understanding that sustainable success comes from consistency, ethical work, and belief in a greater plan. This journey is ongoing, and each step forward reinforces my belief that when effort is combined with patience and trust in Allah, progress becomes inevitable.

This is not merely a record of past struggles; it is a foundation for future growth. Allah is the best decision-maker, and I have left everything to Allah.