Karim El Deeb, chief operating officer at Bosta: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Karim El Deeb (LinkedIn), chief operating officer of logistics startup Bosta. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Karim El Deeb, and I am the COO of Bosta. I'm a telecom engineer, so I graduated and started working in telecoms immediately in the technology department. Then I joined Huawei in Dubai. Over time, I realized that tech isn't my thing and that I'm better at operations, commercial, and other areas that require business skills.

I wanted to try a different field, which is tricky when your entire experience has been in a single specialization. You're not a junior because you have nine years of experience, but companies won’t hire you as a senior because you lack relevant experience. So I was fortunate when Careem decided to hire me in 2017.

Startups are a new experience for everyone, and you end up working with a diverse group of people who may have little in common. I started working at Careem and advanced through the ranks, eventually becoming the director of operations for Egypt. That's when I went from being a telecom engineer to a business guy. Then, in July 2020, I joined Bosta.

Bosta's goal is to empower e-commerce players. While a traditional courier company is looking to serve the big players, there are many smaller players. According to research, Egypt has between 300k-600k e-commerce sellers. So who looks after these people? Not only as a courier service but also in all other capacities — creating their websites, handling their payments, tracking deliveries, storing their products, getting products from abroad, inventory management, and other services. We help smaller sellers with technology and also offer courier services to the big players. We currently operate in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

My job is to ensure the implementation of this vision through the team. My targets are revenue and bottom lines. But my main responsibility is ensuring everyone does their part to meet these targets by giving directions and making decisions. I lead the commercial and operational aspects, as well as the customer service and data teams. I couldn't function without the data team; I speak with them every morning.

I wake up around 7.30-8am, have a small snack, and then head to the gym next to my house. I work out for 45 minutes, and then I start work immediately. I work from home on Sundays and Thursdays and in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays — that's when we have face-to-face meetings and brainstorming sessions. Sunday and Thursday are reserved for Zoom meetings with the team abroad.

I don't drive to work; I take Careem — out of loyalty to my former company [laughs]. If I don't have morning calls or emails to address, I read Enterprise or catch up on the previous day's Bloomberg Technology, which gives you a market brief and always has an interesting interview.

At startups, no two days are alike. The company grows and changes every year, with new problems and a new team structure. During the initial growth stage we needed teams focused on new products. Now the focus is on profitability, so we need a structure focused on efficiency. It varies depending on the priorities at the time.

The one constant in my day is that I have to look at a snapshot of how the previous day closed in terms of volumes, active merchants, leads, signups, pickups, and KPIs in Egypt and Saudi.

Writing helps me stay focused and organized. I'm old school, and I keep a notebook. I used to write my tasks daily, but I found out that weekly lists are more efficient. I prepare it every Sunday morning or Saturday night, and whenever a new action point arises, I add it to the list. I then review my tasks daily to see what has been accomplished and is yet to be done.

On a professional level, I want to see Bosta become a recognized regional brand. You know how certain brands come to mind when you think of shipping or e-commerce? I want Bosta to be the first thing people think of if they want to start an e-commerce business.

On a personal level, all I want is for my son, Ali, to be happy and healthy. If he's good, I'm good.

I had a bad work-life balance experience until I realized its importance. People believe balance is beneficial only for their quality of life, but it is also essential for their quality of work. If you don't disconnect, you won't be able to function at your best. I divide my time into slots. Specific slots are reserved for my son when I leave work no matter what's going on — unless there's a crisis. For example, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I switch off from work at around 5-6pm, and spend time with Ali. We watch movies or play video games together. On other days like Sundays, I can work until 8-9pm.

It's also crucial for me to catch up with my friends. I need a slot on Thursday or Friday to meet up with friends. If I miss this one day, the entire following week will be miserable. On Saturday mornings, for example, we have to go outdoors and get some sun.

I don't turn on my laptop during the weekend. I work out daily on weekdays, track my calories on my watch, and try to eat healthy. Then, at midnight on Thursday, I set a weekly alarm to turn off my watch for the weekend — no notifications, no calorie-tracking, and no exercise. Fridays and Saturdays are my rest days.

When I'm done with work, I go out or watch shows on Netflix. I've started listening to a new podcast called You Are Not So Smart, and I love the documentary series The Last Dance — I’ve watched it three times. I really enjoy documentaries, but I only watch them in the morning. At night, I like to watch simple shows that require no thinking, so I can truly disconnect.

Nothing is permanent, good or bad. I believe it was my grandmother who gave me this advice. Don't take your current health for granted; it may not last forever. If you're down or something isn't working, don't worry, it won't last forever, and things will get better soon. In the end, nothing is permanent.