As the owner of Opti Syn, Fahim Moledina spearheads projects for small, mid-sized and massive companies. A lean and agile project management consultant, he finds and bolsters the weak areas within organizations and helps them meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. He is adept at creating a collaborative environment and explaining the processes and technology required to be competitive.
A member of Project Management Institute, Fahim earned the credentials of Project Management Professional, Professional Business Analyst and Agile Certified Practitioner.
In the span of his consulting career, he has helped a variety of clients across numerous industries to scale-up production, transition to the Cloud, improve processes, strategize, and improve operational support.
Fahim Moledina recently spoke with YoungUpstarts and shared insights on the importance of technology and the ability to facilitate positive change within organizations.
Q: Please describe your professional background and how it led to your current role.
Fahim Moledina: I developed a keen understanding of all areas of business after serving in senior leadership for 13 years. Business is a classroom and you have to be willing to learn to become proficient. Now, I get to take those years of education, hard work and experience and apply them to help companies embrace change, introduce and accept new technologies and ways of doing business, and become the finely-tuned, highly functioning organizations they were always capable of becoming. My work has meaning because of the value I can bring to companies. We are all learning when I go into an organization.
Q: You’ve worked with companies that have a variety of needs and budgets. How do you best determine your approach and how to help such different companies with such varied budgets?
Fahim Moledina: Create an attack plan early and then be ready to pivot. Being agile in this work is essential. There is no other way to be. When I look back at my life, I realize I’ve always had a high level of adaptability. I really don’t see roadblocks. I see opportunities that demand creativity.
Q: A large part of your job seems to be facilitating change, bringing people within corporations together around a concept, typically technological advancement of some sort. Why is the adoption of technology so important in today’s business environment?
Fahim Moledina: There is no doubt that innovation is now coming at us at lightning speed. Between artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, the Cloud – it’s hard for most people to keep up. Businesses, however, need to make a point of understanding the opportunities that tech is bringing to the table. If they don’t have people on their teams that have a complete understanding of how these advancements can help them, then they need to bring in someone from the outside to ensure they aren’t missing opportunities.
Q: What unique challenges did Covid-19 bring to the companies you help? How did you assist them?
Fahim Moledina: Well, COVID forced a migration from the office to remote work. That is the most notable business shift from the pandemic. Some companies were already prepared and had some programs in place to ease that transition. Others didn’t. This is a classic example of how embracing technology can prepare you for unforeseen challenges. Obviously, I helped companies find the right platforms for things like communication and document sharing.
Q: What were the challenges your company faced in light of the pandemic? How did you navigate them?
Fahim Moledina: Things slowed down quite a lot just as I was getting my company off the ground. The timing really couldn’t have been worse. So, I opted to take my skills to another company and continue to learn by building relationships for them, all while still pursuing my dreams.
Q: What is your best piece of advice for entrepreneurs getting ready to take the leap to business ownership?
Fahim Moledina: I don’t like to pull that cliche “calling” card, but in this case it really does apply. You have to love it. It has to feel like your calling. You have to find purpose in what you are doing. You have to have the kind of passion for it that your eyes light up when you talk about it. If any of that is lacking then the long days and nights of building will become intolerable and you will scrap it. While it won’t be a total wash and you will have learned a lot from the process, wouldn’t it be better to be so excited about it that the long days don’t hurt so bad?
