Moving to the US for grad school changed my life and has opened countless doors that I've walked through since.
But I kept wondering why do so few Pakistanis come to the US for higher education (less than 5,000 annually for grad & undergrad ).
I figured there was information asymmetry because there weren’t really any Pakistani content creators talking about study abroad. So in March 2024 I decided to be one and help Pakistanis get to the US for grad school.
After 700+ videos, ~50 webinars and millions of students reached, I don't feel qualified to keep doing it anymore.
Visa rules have changed multiple times in the last year alone. The job market for international students is being rewritten by AI.
Giving someone life-altering career advice in this environment requires more certainty and bandwidth than I have right now.
I just have too much else going on to give it the attention it deserves.
So what is Tabarak qualified to talk about now?
During my 9-6, I work as a distressed credit analyst at a top restructuring firm in New York City. My job is to figure out what companies will go bankrupt in the next 12 months, then find ways to help them.
Outside of work, I'm building Defuser AI, which helps businesses automate customer engagement on WhatsApp, Instagram & Tik.
I spend way too much time reading about and testing AI tools to automate my workflow and see what actually works
I also meet & interview a lot of very smart people who are investing in or building billion-dollar companies.
And somewhere in between, I'm also a content creator, who's figuring out how to turn all of this into something worth sharing.
This newsletter will be called Unprompted, a place where I share:
What I'm learning in AI (tools, workflows, for those who are building a company or working a demanding job)
Finance and business case studies (the interesting stuff, not the obvious stuff: distressed credit, stock market analysis, what makes companies break)
Conversations with smart people building, operating, or investing in Billion-Dollar companies
A curated job board (because I still care about helping you move up)
On Instagram, expect a mix: behind-the-scenes of building Defuser, AI workflows that actually save me time, finance and business breakdowns, event recaps, and other creative pursuits or things that make us human.
I'm not abandoning the college advice identity. I'm graduating from it.
If you're here for grad school tips, this won't be for you anymore but you will definitely learn what I am learning about AI, making money, growing a business & creating content.
I am extremely proud and happy (but definitely more relieved if I am being honest).
I'll tell you about the time from a year ago and finding out my sister is moving to New York for grad school. My first reaction was happiness. My second was stress.
I'll explain why in the next newsletter.
In the weekly emails after that, I'll share:
How I'm using Claude to automate parts of my workflow (and what actually works vs. what's overhyped).
Latest & greatest news in AI & capital markets.
5–10 curated job openings at startups that are hiring aggressively.
Three small things if you have a second:
If this lands in spam or promotions, drag it to your primary inbox. Helps Gmail learn we're real.
Hit reply with anything, a word, an emoji, a story of your own. I read every one and it makes a real difference.
Find me on Instagram at @tabarakrehman_ that's where most of this conversation lives between sends.
See you soon. Keep on Keeping on.
— Tabarak