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Shaheen K. Farjo
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Shaheen K. Farjo · hello@shaheenfarjo.com · +964 771 170 5222 · shaheenfarjo.com

Shaheen
K. Farjo

Entrepreneur — Business developer — Consultant

Creating the things I wish existed in Baghdad.

I run a businessSee what I build

Global standards, local roots

I'm Shaheen, an entrepreneur, business developer, and consultant in Baghdad. I build the products and platforms I wish my city already had, and I help other founders build theirs.

My work sits where business and technology meet. I can negotiate the partnership, shape the business model, and then sit down and write the code that ships it. That lets me take an idea from a conversation to a live product without losing anything in translation.

Before working independently, I was a business developer and lead project consultant at Morshed BDC, where I led projects for Tqnyat al Hayat and Morabaa Software. Today I'm the founder and CEO of The IDEA, and I consult for a small number of businesses at a time.

I'm also a BBA student in Entrepreneurship at the American University of Iraq – Baghdad (AUIB), where I founded the Society of Arts and Letters and lead it as president.

Based in
Baghdad, Iraq
Currently
Building The IDEA · Consulting
Focus
Ventures · Business development · Product
Previously
Morshed BDC, May – November 2024
Studying
BBA in Entrepreneurship, AUIB
Languages
Arabic · English · French

Things I wish existed

  • 2018 — Now

    The IDEA

    Founder & CEO

    One Pass to buy, rent, bid, and share games, music, books, films, and gear in Iraq, from The IDEA and from shops, delivered to your door.

    theideaiq.com
    Details: The IDEA
    Role and dates
    Founder & CEO, 2018 to now.
    Context
    Young Iraqis want the world's best games, music, books, films, and gear, without the hassle. Buying them often means uncertain prices, dates, and condition.
    Constraints
    Every seller has to keep the same promises, and shops shouldn't need their own payment and delivery setup. It has to work in Arabic first and on phones.
    What I did
    I shaped the business model and brand, and built the platform: the website, Store, Plus, Club, Pass, Partners for shops, Staff for the team, and Droid on Telegram.
    What's true so far
    theideaiq.com is live. Plus is not open yet.

    The decisions that shaped it

    • Five promises: the price you see is the price you pay; we tell you when; the condition we describe, or your money back; leave any time; and a human answers.
    • Honest prices: a struck-through “was” price appears only when that offer really sold at that price.
    • Plain conditions: four labels: New, Open box, Refurbished, and Used.
    • Shops in their own name: they sell under their own names, while The IDEA collects as their agent and pays out weekly.
    • One Pass: one identity across Store, Plus, Club, and Partners.
    • Arabic first: Iraqi Arabic on social media and in the Club, starting with the brand line itself.

    What's still unproven: whether customers and shops will choose it at scale.

  • 2019

    Merchania

    Cofounder & CEO

    An e-commerce startup that grew to about $2,000 in monthly revenue and 20,000 monthly visitors, working with more than 80 Instagram influencers and more than 50 manufacturers.

    Details: Merchania
    Role and dates
    Cofounder & CEO, 2019.
    Context
    An e-commerce startup that worked with product and accessory manufacturers around the world.
    What I did
    I signed partnerships with more than 50 product and accessory manufacturers, and brought more than 80 Instagram influencers into the project.
    What's true so far
    It reached up to about $2,000 in monthly revenue and about 20,000 monthly visitors. It ran in 2019.

  • 2022 — Now

    Droid

    Product & build

    A Telegram assistant powered by Google Gemini, part of The IDEA ecosystem. It meets people where they already are.

    Details: Droid
    Role and dates
    Product and build, 2022 to now.
    Context
    The IDEA's Club lives on Telegram, so help should be there too.
    Constraints
    It speaks Iraqi Arabic first. It helps and never sells, and it stays out of checkout, payments, invoices, legal pages, and serious messages.
    What I did
    I built a Telegram bot for order updates, Bulbs, common questions, and help.
    What's true so far
    It runs as @theideaiq_bot.

  • 2026 — Now

    The Iraqi Curator

    Technology partner

    A Baghdad-born, bilingual archive of Iraqi art, essays, workshops, and exhibitions, built and hosted by The IDEA as its technology partner.

    theiraqicurator.org
    Details: The Iraqi Curator
    Role and dates
    Technology partner through The IDEA, 2026 to now.
    Context
    “The art class we didn't take at school”: a Baghdad-born, bilingual archive of Iraqi art, essays, workshops, and exhibitions.
    Constraints
    Everything has to work in two languages.
    What I did
    Through The IDEA as technology partner, I built and host the public site and the Teachers' Lounge, its staff area.
    What's true so far
    It's live at theiraqicurator.org, with a 3D museum room, audio guides, and calendar export.

  • 2026 — Now

    AUIB Society of Arts and Letters

    Founder & president

    A student society for the arts and letters at the American University of Iraq – Baghdad. I founded it and lead it as president.

    auibsal.org
    Details: AUIB Society of Arts and Letters
    Role and dates
    Founder and president, 2026 to now.
    Context
    A society to cultivate a culture of literature and creative expression across AUIB.
    Constraints
    Student time, no money of its own, and it must outlast its founder.
    What I did
    I founded it, led its governance documents, and led the build of its platform at auibsal.org.
    What's true so far
    Its Constitution was ratified on October 13, 2026. It has six programs, a theater company, and a paper, Qirtas, launched on October 14, 2026.

    The timeline

    • February 2026

      What happened
      First brief, guidelines, and rubric for a campus literary journal

    • Spring 2026

      What happened
      The Typewriter Tour takes a typewriter around campus, collecting six-word stories

    • September 2026

      What happened
      Program proposals

    • October 13, 2026

      What happened
      Charter Day: the Constitution is ratified

    • October 14, 2026

      What happened
      Qirtas launches

    The decisions that shaped it

    • No money: the Society holds no budget or account. Programs keep needs lists, and the Office of Student Life provides what it can.
    • One platform: the public site, members' area, and officers' administration are one app in English and Arabic.
    • Editorial independence: members' work is read blind, and I don't select work as Publisher.
    • Built to outlast me: every Council seat exists, procedures are written down, and I decide the handover before I leave for a semester abroad.

    What's still unproven: whether it runs well without me. My semester abroad will be the first real test.

I help small businesses grow on purpose.

For owners of small businesses and Instagram and WhatsApp brands in Iraq: a clear diagnosis, a practical plan, and hands-on help putting it to work.

Book a free callPick a time on my calendar

The method

  1. Build

    2–3 weeks from receiving your data

    Know exactly what's holding the business back, and what to fix first.

    How this stage works
    What we look at
    Your data, sales channels, operations, and finances, plus interviews with you, your team, 5–10 customers, and 1–3 suppliers.
    What you get
    An 8–12 page report with a health scorecard, the top problems, 1–3 quick wins, and a 12-month roadmap, presented in a 60-minute meeting.
    How it's measured
    We record your starting numbers in each area. Every later change is measured against them.
    Your part
    Share the data on time, make people available for interviews, and give feedback on the draft within 7 days.

  2. Prove

    Set in your proposal, stage by stage

    Put the plan to work with your team, and show with real numbers that it's working.

    How this stage works
    What we look at
    The changes from the roadmap, in the order we agreed.
    What you get
    Changes put in place with your team. These can include order, stock, and cash systems, pricing and offers, shop setup, campaign launches, and SOPs, training, and hiring. Each stage ends with your sign-off. At handover, you get a results report against your starting point, plus check-ins at 30 and 90 days.
    How it's measured
    Every change against your starting point. Every number has a source, and I'm clear about what the work did and didn't cause.
    Your part
    One decision-maker, your team's time, access through roles you grant and can withdraw at any time, and combined comments within 7 days. You pay ad budgets, platforms, and suppliers directly.

  3. Grow

    Month after month

    Keep what works, scale it, and keep the momentum.

    How this stage works
    What we look at
    Your key numbers each month.
    What you get
    A weekly 45-minute check-in and a monthly KPI review, with 6 hands-on days a month if you choose the part-time growth lead.
    How it's measured
    Monthly KPI reviews against your starting point.
    Your part
    Payment monthly in advance, with a 3-month minimum.

Services

How it works

  1. Free call

    30 minutes to understand your business and what you want from it.

  2. Proposal

    Within 5 working days: three options built from these packages, each with a fixed fee, so you choose the scope.

  3. Work in stages

    Each stage ends with your sign-off before the next begins. No surprises.

  4. Handover and results

    A results report against your starting point, plus check-ins at 30 and 90 days.

Common questions

Who do you work with?

Small and early-stage businesses in Iraq with 1–20 people, especially brands that sell through Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp.

How much does it cost?

The Diagnostic is 1,000,000 IQD. Credited in full toward any package signed within 30 days of the Diagnostic's acceptance. Larger packages have fixed fees that depend on scope; you get three options in writing after the free call.

Do you only give advice, or do you help implement?

Both. Many clients start with a plan and then ask me to help put it in place with their team.

Do you work in Arabic?

Yes. Documents, contracts, and meetings can be in Arabic, English or both.

What do you need from me?

One decision-maker, access to your numbers (rough is fine), and a weekly 45-minute check-in.

Can we work together remotely?

Yes. Advice and the Diagnostic can be done fully remotely. From January 24 to May 15, 2027, I'm taking remote work only.

How soon can we start?

Book the free call; you'll get three written options within 5 working days, and work starts once you choose one and the fee is agreed in writing.

I only sell on Instagram or WhatsApp. Is that a fit?

Yes. Brands that sell through Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp are a main focus.

How do payments work?

Fees are in IQD. The Diagnostic is paid in full on signing. The Growth Sprint is paid 40% on signing, 30% at the first review, and 30% on final acceptance. Launch Ready and the Full Business Plan are paid 30%, 25%, 25%, and 20% across their stages. Monthly support is paid monthly in advance, with a 3-month minimum. Paying in full up front takes 10% off. You pay ad budgets, platforms, and suppliers directly.

Will you sign an NDA?

Yes. I use a short mutual NDA in Arabic and English that can be signed the same day. Under my engagement terms, your information stays confidential during the work and for 2 years after.

Notes for owners

The numbers in these notes are examples, not client data.

Before you pay for an ad, know what one order earns

Many small sellers set an ad budget before they know their profit per order. Do it the other way around.

Say you sell something for 25,000 IQD. The product costs 15,000, and packaging and delivery cost 3,000. Each order leaves 7,000. A 350,000 IQD campaign then needs 50 extra orders just to break even.

Now ask whether that's realistic. If you normally sell 40 orders a month, 50 extra is a big claim for one campaign. You may need a better price, a higher order value, or a smaller test.

This takes five minutes, and it can save you a whole campaign budget.

Get your orders out of the chat

If your orders live only in WhatsApp and Instagram chats, you can't easily answer simple questions: How many orders came last month? Which product sold most? Who hasn't paid?

You don't need software to start. Open one sheet with these columns: date, customer, phone, product, price, area, status, and notes.

Add every order, the same day. Within a month, you'll start to see your best sellers and the areas that refuse delivery most. That's your first real business data.

Your business's money isn't your pocket

When you take cash from the till for lunch or pay a supplier from your own card, you lose the ability to know whether the business makes money.

You can fix most of this with three steps. Keep a separate place for business money. Write down every amount in and out. Pay yourself a set amount, on a set day, instead of taking cash when you need it.

It won't feel exciting. But at the end of the month, you'll have an honest answer to the most important question in your business: did we make a profit?

Let's build something.

A free 30-minute call is the easiest way to start, whether it's your business or a partnership.

Message me on WhatsAppPick a time on my calendar