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Firdosh Sheikh, founder and CEO of Drife: 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 Firdosh Sheikh (LinkedIn), founder and CEO of Drife, a decentralized mobility platform that uses blockchain technology to connect drivers with riders at market-determined prices, according to its website. The company operates on a zero commission model, allowing drivers to keep 100% of their earnings. Edited excerpts from our conversation:
I’m the founder and CEO of Drife. I come from a finance background and worked with Microsoft and a hedge fund before starting Drife, which is a very personal story for me. I’ve used ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem extensively — ever since Uber launched in India when I moved to New Delhi. As a user, I was aware of problems like fluctuating prices, but I valued the convenience of getting a cab at my doorstep. One night, a cab driver asked me to cancel the trip and pay him less directly. That alarmed me. I realized cab drivers were paying Uber a 45% commission, which got me thinking about how this system affects drivers.
My father started his career as a taxi driver. I saw firsthand the struggles — the long hours and lack of family time. Despite technological advancements, drivers today are still making the same money but working much harder. I felt that if I didn’t address this issue, I wasn’t sure who else could. That’s how Drife came about. I had no idea how to do it initially, but I knew I wanted to create something better for drivers and their families.
I typically start my day by catching up with my core team. I have four or five people who directly report to me, and I speak with them first thing in the morning to understand their plans for the day, address any blockers, and provide support with anything they need. After this, my tasks vary depending on the phase the company is in — whether it’s fundraising or launching operations in a new city.
Every day is very different. As an entrepreneur, you can end up in a very different place than what you had decided for yourself. You have to be ready for a very dynamic day, and I think that’s what the life of a founder is all about — jumping from one place to another.
Most of the time, my day involves disaster management, and people call me a “war room CEO.” Whenever anything goes wrong, they say, “She’s going to solve it for us.”
The first hour of my day is crucial because I work between India and the West. I make sure both operations can function independently of me. It’s very important that the team can carry on without having to come back to me throughout the day.
I’ve worked hard to bring discipline into my life, and I like to stay disciplined throughout my day. I’m a religious and spiritual person, so I make sure to offer all my prayers no matter where I am or what I’m doing and reconnect with God as much as possible.
I wake up at 4:30am and dedicate time to myself until 8am, avoiding distractions and not speaking at all. It’s important to reflect, reconnect, and stay grounded, and that’s only possible when there is no noise. I also meditate and exercise, and by 7:30am, I’m at my desk putting together a list of my tasks for the day. At night, I meditate again and read at least 10 pages of any book.
I wouldn’t say I’m great at balancing work and personal life, but I prioritize relationships with the people who matter. I have a small group of close friends and family, and I make a conscious effort to stay connected with them daily. Building a company is a rollercoaster, and when everything goes down, the support of loved ones means the world.
For Drife, we’re working on expanding to new countries. We’re live in India and Dubai, and we’re working on entering London and Morocco. We also have major goals to enter Saudi Arabia in 2025 — the place everybody wants to be.
On a personal level, my goal is to find peace. I want to be more spiritually awakened because it brings clarity. If you have a chaotic mind, then everything around you is also chaotic, and that will reflect in every aspect of your life. I’m trying to be more at peace and have more clarity in life, and that’s only possible with more spiritual awakening in place.
A book I recommend is Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. It’s about negotiation skills, which are important for every entrepreneur, specifically because of the different kinds of people that you meet in your day-to-day life. Whether you’re dealing with investors, partners, or vendors, it teaches you how to achieve your goals while negotiating with others.
My father once told me, “In wrestling, you don’t lose when you fall; you lose when you don’t get up.” Life will fail you many times, but the key is to have the courage to get up tomorrow and fight again. Nine out of ten founders also give up at one point, but the ones who don’t give up are the people who make history.
