My story, what I do & how I can help

How it begin

All I wanted to do after high school is to work.

I didn't have a specific dream of who I wanted to be. I wanted a bachelor's degree of two years in length, but it doesn't exist.

I remember when I was younger; I wanted to build or invent things. However, the environment where I grew up lacked the right atmosphere.

I used to play with tools, attempting to find something around the house to fix, mow the grass, or wash my father's car.

I just wanted to do something. not sure if any of you had the same experience or its just me.

Maybe I didn't express that enough, so my parents didn't pay attention to what I wanted to do.

Anyways, I am a design strategist for now. I graduated in business and accounting from Amman, Jordan. I grew up in Tunisia and was born in Montreal.

I worked for Deloitte. I joined as an auditor, then moved to business strategy and advisory.

Before that, I wanted to become a CPA. I was traveling to the US in September 2014, but a civil war erupted in Libya in the summer prior to my travel.

The war destroyed the airport and, as a result, shattered my dream at the time.

Pivot

Long story short, I ended up not getting my CPA and pursuing new interests.

I became obsessed with the word "design" and turning ideas into startups.

I was convinced that design is not only about shapes and colors, as we all perceive it.

I did some research and stumbled upon design thinking and user experience design. The moment I learned about them, I knew what I wanted to do.

UX design was aligned with turning ideas into tech startups. With such skills, I can design apps, initiate ideas, and more. UX design and design thinking can open so many doors.

As I read extensively about them, I realized that the design discipline is a consulting tool that provides tangible results. Not many can see this.

I quit my job at Deloitte, traveled back to Toronto, and started the design journey.

Starting all over wasn't easy, but the field resonates with what I want to do and my values.

My inspiration and gurus were Donald Norman and IDEO firm. If you're new to the design world, these are the best directions.

New journey, why I do what I do

I became a UX designer and worked in startups in Toronto, Munich, and Frankfurt.

I read books and took courses on many aspects of the design discipline, from business, innovation, strategy to value propositions.

With experience, knowledge, and exposure, I transitioned into a design strategist. As a creative, I help companies solve complex challenges, drive innovation, and achieve desired outcomes.

I find joy in working on a project, understanding and designing the building blocks of the solution. To me, this is a creative work that I love doing.

It's like dissecting a human body to learn about the role of every organ and how they work together in an integrated system.

We all, as individuals, companies, and countries, share a common goal: to be part of a prosperous future and avoid staying behind.

How I can help

During my engagement and exposure with companies, I observed a lack of understanding of how things work in this era. This observation applies to many companies of all sizes.

Even at the employee level, many individuals exhibit stagnating skills and knowledge. This led me to ask, "What will they do when many of these roles are replaced by technology or other expertise?"

Many are unaware of the transition we are in because they aren't following the trend.

But they will see it once it takes its complete shape. By that time, it's too late to catch up.

Only after COVID did companies and individuals start to realize the need for the digital world, even though new technologies were in the making before 2020.

Change in business and technology is not only digital; digital is a medium.

Change encompasses many aspects, from skills, approaches, and methods to new concepts.

Here are some key areas to think about:

• Understand the lean startup model.

• Understand methods like design thinking.

• Understand user experience and customer experience.

• Understand building a brand online.

• Understand that strategy is a choice, not just a plan.

• Understand that a value proposition is designed.

• Understand new operating models and business models.

• Understand new approaches to marketing and sales for generating traffic.

• Understand the skill sets needed as an individual or a company.

• Understand the need to be creative and innovative as an individual or a company.

The development and advance of technology have influenced markets, societies, and jobs.

To stay ahead as a company or individual, you need to have a good general understanding of many aspects.

Some companies, despite having resources, attempt to catch up with the market but lack a comprehensive understanding of the how.

Even with the help of consulting firms, their transformation often fails massively.

These efforts frequently result in failure, leading to the waste of resources.

Alternatively, some companies are unaware of what they need, and they may face significant consequences as we progress further into the future.

I see opportunities to help individuals and companies with my creative problem-solving skills.

I deploy these skills in many areas: transformation, strategy, innovation, improvement, and product development.

Creative problem-solving is a skill that aligns with the future. It's going to be one of the highest in-demand skills across many industries. Due to AI, automation, and robots, humans will be left with a lot of valuable work to create.

How can I help companies and individuals navigate change?

• Assist underserved companies in riding the new wave.

• Aid those who want to become creative problem solvers in gaining skills and being prepared for a world that will depend more on value creation than administrative work.

• Provide advice and guidance on challenges you are currently working on.

This is my story – a creative problem solver. I see an unrealized need in the transition period, addressing a problem many companies and individuals are unaware of.

I have started Neo Strateje, a business & service design consultancy.

If you are an individual or a company, reach out for any questions. I am happy to answer you.

The goal is to help as many underserved companies to drive innovation and individuals who want to learn the skills of creative problem solving.

Thanks for reading!

Ahmed Busuwa