ted fellows friday - meet walid al-saqaf

by admin on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 10:00

Fellows Friday is a weekly series on the TED Blog that profiles one TED Fellow each week. We have asked the Fellows to answer our question below to share their knowledge and advice with other social entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers who are coming up with big ideas that can change the world. Read past Fellows' answers here.

Walid Al-Saqaf developed alkasir, software to circumvent Internet censorship. In this interview, Walid tells us why he’s vowed never to succumb to authoritarian regimes.

Question: There are many aspiring social entrepreneurs out there who are trying to take their passion and ideas to the next level. What is one piece of advice you would give to them based on your own experiences and successes?

Answer: Focus on helping others before helping yourself. That’s what’s rewarding in the long run.

I had occasions where I was invited to form a company, and turn alkasir into a commercial product. However, I felt that my obligation to helping people get the product was more important than my own commercial success. Not that commercial success is a bad thing, however.

I feel that focusing on helping improve services for others directly, and ensuring that you’re not tied to any commercial aspirations, yields unexpected benefits.

Read the rest of Walid's interview here.

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