CEO Insights Magazine

Over the years, trading has grown onto reach unprecedented heights with many new traders entering the space on a consistent basis. FUNDEDNEXT is a proprietary trading firm that is designed to help traders who are extremely skilled but lack the funding to properly monetize their skills. The goal of FUNDEDNEXT is to fund promising traders from all over the world and owing to its commitment to never compromise on the quality of its offerings, the company as of now has funded traders from over 195 plus countries.Syed Abdullah Galib is the co-founder of FUNDEDNEXT, and he also holds the office of Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at the company. He is a straightforward leader who leads by example and he challenges limiting beliefs & expands the definition of 'possible' by leading from the front and demonstrating what is achievable. This approach not only earns the buy-in of my team members, but it also keeps me motivated to continuously improve and be a better role model for them. He also gives major emphasis on effective communication within the organization which in turn also helps in building a more positive and productive work environment. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights Asia, Syed takes us through his professional journey and how he has achieved sustained success in the industry.

Can you tell us about your professional journey?

I began my professional journey in 2015 as a part of my brother's business operations. Over the next few years, I delved into learning various skills such as media buying, graphic design, SEO, copywriting, product research, PPC advertising, and content creation. I have always possessed an innate ability to absorb and process complex information in a designthinking manner, a skill that was honed through my experience with competitive programming during my high school years. However, it was my love for trading in the financial markets that truly ignited my passion.

As I explored the industry further, I identified several pain points and gaps in the trading industry, and saw an opportunity to provide traders with services that were not yet available. With this in  mind, I built several products and services to cater to traders, which quickly gained momentum. My brother and I then decided to merge our operations to scale the opportunity as quickly and effectively as possible. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, after seven years in the industry, I am proud to have co-founded our flagship product, 'FUNDEDNEXT,' which funds promising traders from all over the world.

What are the factors you take into account when developing effective strategies that enhance the company’s operations?

I have a mental model that I use to align our operations with the company's vision and mission. The formula goes like this- 'Vision is not where you are going, it's where you come from’. Every year, I start by creating a vivid vision for the company. I ask myself, 'What does the company look like in three years?' and I write down my answer in the past tense on a notion page. Next, I document the company's appearance in one year, detailing the composition of the teams, the type of individuals in the organization, the scale ofour operations, the numbers we aim to reach, and the major challenges we have to overcome. I aim to make this description as precise and comprehensive as possible. The most critical step is to document, 'What do we need to do in the next 90 days to achieve all of these goals’? This provides us with the collective priorities for the organization for the upcoming quarter. With these priorities in place, the rest is straightforward. We derive departmental priorities from the organizational priorities and then set individual priorities and KPIs. By following this process, we start from the vision and gradually break it down into manageable chunks for the entire organization, staying true to our mission, vision, purpose, and values.

What is your formula in dealing with the complex changes in strategy for the company?

The secret to success in a fast-growing organization of our size is simple: Prioritization. It is essential to understand that at our scale, there are countless issues and complexities that demand attention. The key is to carefully choose which battles to fight. By focusing on the top 20 percent of priorities, we can achieve our ultimate goal. As the Chief Strategy Officer, I focus on solving the big problems, what I call 'The problems before the problems.' I believe that great people can accomplish great things with ease if the foundation, systems, and structures are in place. It is my responsibility to establish these foundations so that the rest of the team can build upon them. Since I often set the strategic direction for the organization or product, my work is only as effective as the priorities I set and the decisions I make. My natural inclination to solve complex problems and my ability to think using a design-thinking approach are invaluable assets in this process.

What is the future destination you are heading towards?

My ultimate goal for the future is to challenge and expand people's perceptions of what is possible. I aspire to make a lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals and to inspire them to see beyond their current limitations. I want to help shape a world where people believe that anything is achievable with determination and hard work.

Syed Abdullah Galib, Chief Strategy Officer, FUNDEDNEXT

Syed is a successful entrepreneur with multiple international ventures in the FinTech industry. Currently, he is leading the development of FUNDEDNEXT, a company with a team of 200 based in the UAE and Bangladesh that serves over 100,000 traders globally.