Omar Waseem

Three years ago, I started Alif.

Today, I'm sharing the story behind why we're building it.

The World is Changing Hands.

alif.build/manifesto

Abdul El-Sayed’s victory is historic.

I was in Detroit on Tuesday night celebrating alongside a community that worked for years to make this moment possible.

It was a remarkable achievement for Abdul and for everyone who believed in what he was building.

There is something powerful about watching an ambition that once seemed out of reach become reality. Tuesday was a reminder of what people can accomplish when they commit themselves to a shared purpose and see it through.

The night after the election, I sat down with Sumaiya Balbale, fmr COO and CMO of Sequoia Capital, at the Alif office for my first public conversation about The World Is Changing Hands.

The timing could hardly have been more fitting.

I’ve been thinking about what it takes to turn moments of possibility into lasting progress. That requires engaging seriously with the institutions that shape our world, while taking responsibility for building new ones that expand what our communities can accomplish.

The opportunity before us is to carry the conviction we witnessed on Tuesday into the institutions we serve and those we build, creating something that will endure long after the celebration ends.

I’m grateful to Sumaiya for joining me for this first conversation, and to everyone who came to Alif to engage with the ideas behind the manifesto.

The world is changing hands. What we build next is up to us.

Tonight expanded a generation’s sense of what’s possible.

Congratulations @AbdulElSayed, and to everyone who kept working toward this night when it felt a long way off.

This is what happens when enough people believe the future is theirs to build.

The world is changing hands.

A few days ago I released “The World Is Changing Hands.”

Since then, it’s been read by over 100,000 people.

So we’re hosting a series of events around the themes behind the essay: what makes an ambition worth pursuing, what our abilities should serve, and what it takes to build something that outlasts us.

Hosting the first one this Wednesday in San Francisco with Sumaiya Balbale, former CMO and COO of Sequoia Capital.

Reach out if you’re in the Bay Area for details.

Farza and team are always cooking