Hi, I am Bilal Zuberi, a techie-turned-entrepreneur-turned VC. This space started off as a personal blog and is now a place for me to ramble on when I get some free time. I still like the blog format even though you can also find me quite active on Twitter and Facebook. A more formal bio is available at the General Catalyst website.
WORK:
- Venture Capital: Principal at General Catalyst Partners in Cambridge, MA
- Entrepreneur: co-founder of GEO2 Technologies, an automotive emissions control materials company with a biomedical device spin out, Bio2 Technologies.
- Strategy consultant at The Boston Consulting Group
ACADEMICS:
- Ph.D. from MIT in Physical Chemistry (with Prof. Mario Molina – Nobel Laureate 1995)
- B.A. from The College of Wooster in Chemistry
- High School from St. Patrick’s High School, Karachi, Pakistan
INTERESTS:
- Building companies, creating value, changing the world
- BIG, audacious ideas
- Early stage, technology intensive companies. First-time entrepreneurs
- Cleantech. Energy. Infrastructure development
- Human development & sustainability
- Education
PERSONAL:
- Wife: Lama
- Daughter: Ayla
- Family comes first. Friends are also family.
- Love cricket, skiing, squash, social networking, ethnic food, warm weather.
- Miss my parents and siblings.
Copyright statement: All original material on this page is copyright of the author. Material from other sources is either referenced (for full credits), or is being used for educational purposes under fair use clause of United States copyright law. If you are concerned about copyright protection on material used on this blog, please contact me and I will take appropriate action.
August 15, 2006 at 11:23 pm |
Hi Bilal,
It is heartening to note that you are proud of your heritage and you hope for a peaceful humanity.
The reason I am writing to you is this:
I am someone who fails to understand the difference between World religions such as Islam/Christianity/Judaism and Terrorism, as each of their “Holy Books” asks its followers to “save” the non-believers by converting them. How can any religion claim to be tolerant and peace-loving when its very foundations acknowledges that some men are more equal than others and some are downright lesser mortals and need to be salvaged ?
Further, I don’t understand the claims of countries like Pakistan and its founders — you point out that Jinnah said:
“You are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”
If you are/were supposed to be free to do so in Pakistan, then what was the need for the partition of India along religious lines and the formation of a separate Islamic state ?
The reason I am writing to you is so that I can get a measured view from a person who is hopefully able to provide an objective reasoning.
I mean no dis-respect in any shape, way or form.
Best Regards to you on your happy day and for the future and thanks for your time and response.
Saurabh
August 16, 2006 at 2:18 pm |
Saurabh: you did not dis-respect anything I hold near and dear. I am thankful for your thoughtful note and an invitation to a dialogue. I believe I might want to comment on two assumptions you used. (1) that muslims in India were , and are, free to practice their religion, and (2) that Pakistan was founded as an Islamic state.
I think you will agree that the situation for muslims in India is still far from satisfactory. The Babri mosque saga notwithstanding, the hindu-muslim riots and the massacre of muslims in Gujrat are just a modern day reminder of what the situation was like 50-70 years ago. There was serious tension and animosity, and as much as Gandhi ji wanted the people to sort out their differences, at the end of the day it was just not possible. hat great man himself lost his life at the hands of an extremist.
On the second point, Pakistan was setup as a secular state where muslims would be able to freely practice their religion. That, given all the nuances in muslim society code of ethics, can happen most easily in a predominantly muslim country. That is why when Pakistan was founded, its leader declared that people were free to follow their own religions, and there was no role of the state in controlling their freedoms. The reality in Pakistan today is far from the ideals on which the country was founded. But just like India, all is not lost. The message to the muslims of Pakistan is clear – and is written on the wall – that we must clena up our act and realize the pinciples on which our country was founded. It was not the separatist, terrorist, hypocritical version of Islam that extremists want us to have, but a secular, paceful, tolerant state that allows all people, including muslims, to practice their religion freely in a modern democratic country.
August 17, 2006 at 3:43 pm |
Bilal, I agree with your observation about religious freedoms in India — I want to hold Indians to the highest possible ideals too.
Having said that, you will have to review your perception from a broader spectrum – your claims are not false, but the same is true for Indians of all religious beliefs, not just one. In fact what is true (and sadly so), is that it is not religion but financial and social standing of the common Indian that determines their life-value. This is the ground reality of the soon-to-be world’s most populous nation, (if it isn’t already, counting all the illegal immigration). That despite being one-seventh the size of the US with three times as many people, despite being amongst the poorest countries in the world, it still continues to give its people a right to elect its own leaders (whether they are leaders or something else is a topic for another discourse). When people are busy fending for sustenance, you will appreciate ala Le Miserables.
But please don’t take this as my condoning what is wrong. Still, I am certain that it is not lost on you that not only are there more Muslims with Indian passports (maybe outside Indonesia now) but every echelon of Indian society is well represented proportionally by members of every community. Like they say in Hindi, jab bartan honge, to bajenge hi.
What gets me is that something that should not have been in the first place, something that to me is nothing more than the rogue designs of a twisted colonizer, is till today holding back the future of one of the most ancient and civilized people of this world.
I do not believe in man-made boundaries, geo-political or religious. But I can’t escape it.
All I wish is willing enough people who can atleast start thinking in a positive manner. Hopefully, their energy will sublimate across souls — and a critical mass will be attained that will help minimize the suffering amongst us, if not maximize our true potential. Here is the essence of my motivation: http://home.case.edu/~sxs163/
On a personal note, belated Congratulations to you and your lovely wife (and any further family). I don’t know if you recall but you and I shared a couple semesters at Wooster. I work and play in RTP/Cary, NC area and have been happily hitched myself – we are responsible for 2 other human forms – the older of which turned 4 on July 4th — she is appropriately named Asha – hope!! It is nice talking with you.
August 17, 2006 at 3:57 pm |
Saurabh: I do remember you, albeit I could not recall too much of our time together. Perhaps we worked ogether at the Wooster security office – walking the hallways at night, pretending to provide a safer campus to its inhabitants.
On your note: I did not mean to suggest that India in any way, shape or form is worse off than any other country I can think of. In fact the democracy you mention is perhaps among the great achievement sof this country, and in some ways not least due to the land reforms that took place soon after independence. They alays held their politicla leaders to be “civil servants”, hence the master to whom they served, i.e. the people, always held a supreme position to some extent.
People continue to be defined by boundaries, and some boundaries are actually very useful. As a person deeply interested in people management, I can attest to the utility of having organization, heirarchy and order in a system. Clustering does a good, often natural, job of that. On the other hand, I agree with you that some people tend to extol in highlighting the differences rather than the commonalities. There is much common between Judaism and Islam, but try asking a Pakistani what he/she knows about Judaism? Practicaly nothing, except the name of their Prophet and that they and Hindus are responsible for all evils in the world (ironically they also have an axis of evil, defined by the US, Israel and India). This situation is sad and needs to be resisted.
The website you recommended had a poem by Robert Frost. It is my all time favorite, words of which have guided me for a long time now.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
August 18, 2006 at 8:37 pm |
Dear Bilal
Please change your spectacles. You look a real geek. Boring. We already know you are/were at MIT.
I am not calling the fashion police just yet.
October 6, 2006 at 12:32 pm |
Hey Bilal,
Just stumbled upon your blogsite. I am a friend of Faraz! went to NED with him. Just wanted to let you know that I have spent quite a few days in that bagheecha of yours back in KHI. Small world.
Anyways congrats on your marriage!
October 25, 2006 at 9:47 pm |
Hi..
I need information about the history of MIT.
may you help me, please?
April 16, 2007 at 2:08 am |
Congratulations on your discovery of the evice toreduce the gas emission. Now the next aim should be to attend more conferences and show your device to more people, to get further attention. Then orders will pour in, and you will be a millionare. Give a contract to a company to make these devices on large scale, this will work. Inshallah !
April 16, 2007 at 2:11 am |
Sorry for the mistake in the first line. “Congratulations on your discovery of the device to reduce the gas emision”
May 4, 2007 at 10:54 am |
Its good that your company is doing something good for our homeland; earth. It would be great if you explain more on how your product is going to be effective in mitigating the adverse effects of gas.
May 13, 2007 at 11:37 pm |
So what’s up with the fascination with Arabs? Do you as well suffer from the delusion that Pakistanis are descended from Arabs?
May 14, 2007 at 12:05 am |
Hi C’Mon: My wife is Arab – so yes if we are lucky the future descendants of at least one Pakistani man will be Arab as well
June 30, 2007 at 8:25 am |
Nice to meet you over on you blog
August 9, 2007 at 5:13 pm |
Hi Bilal, I thought you may be interested to know these people. Check out this web site: http://www.tabdilee.org
August 11, 2007 at 3:41 pm |
The trouble Pakistan is in is due to the injustice in our culture .The day a Policeman cannot even pick up an “umrood” from the Hawkers cart …that is the day we will start to rise.
August 11, 2007 at 7:53 pm |
Hi Bilal,
I was doing a search on google on an issue related to Pakistan when I stumbled upon your very interesting blog. You’re a good writer.
I just wanted to make a few observations with regard to your discussion with Saurabh on 15/08/06 – 17/08/06.
First, I generally agree with your observation about the situation of Muslims in India. I have a few family members who are still in India, as well as Muslim friends, and every time I hear about them I thank God for Pakistan. Granted, Pakistan is not quite what we had hoped it to be, but generally speaking, however, for Muslims (as well as other minorities in India) Pakistan would tend to be a much better place to dwell. From what I have heard and seen, unless you are filthy rich, life as a Muslim is not quite great in Indian. There is discrimination over a host arenas, whether job, education etc. And, moreover, Islamaphobia is fast on the rise. With all the ills of Pakistan, comparatively it tends to be a better place in my opinion…at least for me when I am there (Karachi! loved my time there, though I was born and raised in London).
Secondly, I personally do not espouse secularism and do not entirely agree that the founders of Pakistan really had a purely secular state in mind. There is a theological barrier here for me, since I am of the opinion (and open to correction) that the dismissal of the Shariah is as good as the dismissal of Islam. One has to accept the divine origin of the Shariah. You’ve mentioned one statement of Jinnah, but, as you may well know, he made other statements as well, which give the impression that he did not quite have a purely secular state in mind. Essentially, Mr. Jinnah was a politician who, at times, said different things to cater for different audiences as do politicians normally. Be that as it may, assuming Jinnah did have a secular state in mind, I see no reason to submit to his erroneous (in my view) vision. Having said this, I would also add: I do not support the implementation of the Shariah in Pakistan at the present time. I think to have Shariah in Pakistan right now – rather “shariah” – would only lead to more intolerance, hatred and violence in the country. It will create what we call “fitna.” I say this because I have come to the conclusion that we no longer have too many properly/adequately trained scholars in our midst who can implement the Shariah in its true Islamic spirit. Sure, a few brilliant scholars remain (Hamza Yusuf for instance), but that’s not enough. As a result, the implementation of the Shariah will be in the hands of the usual knuckleheads who only know how to scream and shout in anger, point out the deficiencies in the shape of your beard, having no love and mercy, and no intellectual power. They will be typical idiots like the Taliban. This will surely drive more Muslims away from Islam.
In other words: I accept the authority of the Shariah; I have to for being a Muslim, but I do not agree with its implementation at this state. Sadly, our scholarship has been largely one of failure in the past 150 years or so. In the past we used to have scholars such as Imam Ghazali, also known as the “proof of Islam” – that mighty scholar who excelled in so many fields, be it logic, philosophy, Shariah etc. There were so many brilliant scholars, who were mathematicians as well, or doctors, and experts in the science of hadith, who knew, based on their vast knowledge, how to interact with the situations current in their times. Presently, however, most of our scholars are intellectually duffers, having no idea about the problems presented by the modern world.
Third, Saurabh uses fuzzy logic when he equates Islam/Christianity/Judaism with “terrorism” on account of their teaching to “”save” the non-believers by converting.” None of these religions make use of this terminology. But, speaking about Islam specifically, the Quran also states to reason with the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), to have a dialogue with them in a respectful manner and thereby invite them to accept Islam. If they reject the invitation then their choice, if they admit it then great. This has nothing to do with “intolerance” and “terrorism.” Essentially, the Author of the Quran claims to be God and He does make the assertion that one has to follow His command. We can either accept His invitation or reject it. The choice is ultimately our own.
All men are equal, but some excel over the other not on account of their race or skin colour, but the level of their God consciousness.
Anyway, enough rambling from my end…wish and family all the best.
Allah Hafiz from London.
August 18, 2007 at 6:08 pm |
On the of Muslim minorities in India, please read this article by my good friend Saleem Ali: http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007/08/18/story_18-8-2007_pg3_5
September 12, 2007 at 7:58 pm |
Huh, Ph. D. in physical chemistry, don’t hear that very often.
University of Missouri – St. Louis 1979.
October 3, 2007 at 11:23 am |
Enlightened humans and governments do not rejoice at the killing of fellow humans for purposes of retribution. In fact, enlightened humans and governments reject capital punishment … seeing it as an evil, morally wrong and counter productive.
In your blog you jump up and and rejoice at the hanging of your fellow Pakistanis.
October 16, 2007 at 1:25 am |
Hey Bilal AoA
I don’t know if you still remember me… but we studied together at St. Pats. Hows life. So happy to read all this about you and see that you have done exceptionally well for yourself.
Take care
November 24, 2007 at 5:36 am |
hi i m markleting manager in pakistan post newspaper america wanna comply from u getme back on this no.0334-546-4871
tx waiting
bilal do reply
tx
bye
March 6, 2008 at 6:19 am |
March 8, 2008 at 11:39 pm |
I read with interest your comments on Ethanol
Do you know of a study that compares the amount of oil needed to produce a gallon on Ethanol.? That would include farm production, ethanol manufacture, transportation, etc.
Also please note that the Current Wall Street Journal points out that we have sufficient oil for the rest of the century.
Thank you in advance,
Lee
April 29, 2008 at 11:29 pm |
Assalamu alaikum
Dear Bilal
It is so nice to see the big Z as I search for Zuberi every now and then, and as you may know being a Zuberi that all Zuberis end up finding that they are related to each other in one way or another!
If I am not mistaken you may be the same young man who once wrote on another blog about the charm of Ramadan in the homeland elaborating all the special dishes of Ramadan customary to your household.
Its always a pleasure to see a Zuberi in this cyber world and definitely you have worked hard to be where you are.
Drop me a line to tell about your parents as I come from a bit older generation of Zuberi family while I am always interested in our genealogy.
Best wishes
Allah hafiz
May 14, 2008 at 11:15 pm |
Assalam alaykum Bilal, I came across your blog by searching by googing veil muslim images and well I enjoyed reading your ideas and well Although for most of the cases I don’t agree I appreciate your directness and willingness to understand. I read that you have a chemistry backgroudn and well I am quite empressed. i am a chemistry student in UC Davis.. so its cool to hear about your educational journey.. Inshallah I wll get to study at MIT….
Salam, Yasmine
June 26, 2008 at 11:59 am |
Sorry to see that misinformation is being spread about the plight of muslims in India. Muslims get reservation in education, job opportunities etc. Muslims get subsidies for Haj trips and a muslim man can have 4 wives as per the sharia. What does Pakistan provide for Hindus?
July 22, 2008 at 3:36 pm |
Dear Bilal:
I came across your blog by chance. Glad to see that there are educated & broad minded Pakistani men in USA. Like you I also spent a number of years studying in Karachi … BVS Parsi High School & Adamjee Science College. I did study in USA (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 1993-95 and had a number of friends from Engg University at Lahore from where I got my Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engg in 1991.
I visited MIT in 1993 & 94 and came to know quite a few Pakistani boys & girls studying in Harvard & MIT. I don´t know if you were in MIT during these years. I also know a couple of my classmates from BVS who ended up studying & doing their PhD from MIT. I found out their details from the alumni website of BVS.
I recently graduated from Instituto de Empresa Business School in Madrid, Spain and am currently holed up in London, UK.
Anyway I have to sign off now. I will reply to your e-mail (if you do reply) and maybe we might have a few common friends. I read the articles in Daily News & Daily Dawn (Pakistani Newspapers) and do e-mail their authors but so far not a single journalist/author (e.g. Ayaz Amir, Ayesha Tammy Haq etc.) have replied to my detailed analysis of their articles. Lets hope that in your case the outcome is more encouraging.
Wishing you & L the best for the coming months!
Kind Regards
Mansoor Azam
August 21, 2008 at 3:33 pm |
Dear Mr. Zuberi
Mr. Mansoor Azam has written on your blog that he has sent me a detailed analysis of something I have written and has recieved no response from me. I am amazed to hear this as I have NEVER recieved an email from any such person and for the record I do not write for the 2 publications he reads – the Dawn and the Daily Times.
Regards,
Ayesha T Haq
August 26, 2008 at 3:18 pm |
Hi!
This is in response to Ms. Ayesha Haq´s comments posted above. I did read a number of her articles which are published in The News (owned by Jang Newspaper) and I did send her an e-mail twice at the e-mail address listed at the bottom of her article. If the e-mail address listed in end of her article is wrong or something else is the reason why she never received my e-mail than it is not my fault. I did send her a two page analysis in good faith.
After a few attempts in e-mailing journalists/politicians who frequently write in the major newspapers in Pakistan … I have found that whenever you try & respond/e-mail them at the e-mail address provided by them in the newspaper, 90% of the e-mails bounce back despite repeated attempts. Looks like there is something wrong with their e-mail addresses or their inbox is filled and thus your e-mail bounces back and is never delivered.
I believe that our newspapers should give other Pakistani men & women a chance to air & express their opinions & views about politics, events of national importance etc., rather than just limiting to publishing the views of a few selected journalists & politicians etc.
Anyway I have tried to e-mail a number of our distinguished fellow Pakistani men & women and after getting nowhere or getting no response, I have decided to focus my energies in contacting other people who might respond more positively. I did e-mail a couple of Nobel Laureates (Economics) like Dr Robert Merton & Dr Scholes and got immediate & friendly replies.
Regards
Mansoor Azam
P.S: Ms. Haq has mentioned that I read Daily Times (last line of her e-mail). I never mentioned the name “Daily Times” in my e-mail. Maybe Ms. Haq needs a new pair of reading glasses.
January 18, 2009 at 10:50 pm |
Greetings Bilal – Hope that your journey continues and you keep setting and meeting one after the other milestones…as you have to go miles before you can sleep. Here is my request to you to likes of you. Please focus on the Pakistani youth…in a bit isolation from the issues. When I say youth, I refer to 5th graders, 10th graders, students going to our engineering, science, liberal arts, medical, and management schools. All the accomplished people (IMHO) like you and Dr. Adil and many others are either self centric or have focused solely on big issues and have completely ignore the innocent youth. I see a big gap there. We are not making good connection with otherwise self assured and talented youth. Not everyone is blessed with opportunities and not everyone is gifted enough to find their way. I wish Pakistaniat.com or BZnotes can come up with a youth version and with a message for the younger ones. It is perhaps the change we need.
February 8, 2009 at 4:36 am |
dear sir,
i know nothig about you,but one thing is that you have gr8 personality,GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS FAIMLY TOO.AAMIN
February 17, 2009 at 3:19 am |
I hope you will recognize me. I am Faraz’s friend from NED and use to email you during 1998 and 99. Anyhow I am still thankful for your guidence. I am happy to see your achievements at this page . In fact I was searching for some material on “Adnvanced means of educations’ and I just got some documents from the page http://web.mit.edu/bilal/www/.,.,.,.,etc and it just flashed in my mind oh it is the same dmoain of Bilal bhai . So I jumped to your page.
All my prayers to you and your family.
Muhammad Iqbal Anwer
HES Specialist
Chevron Pakistan Ltd
March 1, 2009 at 4:19 pm |
Please read this article:
http://www.aina.org/news/20090228185011.htm
And let me know what you think.
April 11, 2009 at 7:32 am |
Dear Bilal Zubari,
Indeed its a plesure to visit your blog.
We need thought provoking discussion for young generation and generations yet to come, so spare some time for them and enlighten them with word of wisdom and practical experience.
Do keep me posted on your on clean Energy updates regularly.
God bless you and your family.
Regrds,
Yahya Barry
June 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm |
Hi Bilal,
Good to know we share same interest. Well, i just took a course for summer called “Energy Options” and would recommend you a book named “Profiting from Clean Energy”. the starting chapters gives you an outlook from investment standpoint and the rest is filled with other topics pertinent to Renewable Energy.
I was wondering if you could send me some information on Nuclear Energy Plants….
hard pressed for time i wanted to write more but c u later with more comments and possible discussion topics
Hammad Toor
IIT- Industrial Technology and Operations Management
September 2, 2009 at 8:24 pm |
Nice Blog. I’ll be back.
September 10, 2009 at 10:14 am |
Salaam Bilal. We must chat sometime about cleantech, its an area I’m actively following. I’d be interested in your perspectives. Your blog is really interesting. Hope the family is well. Faraz