Navigating the data-driven future with Jadd Elliot Dib

Can you share some background infor­mation about your data journey? Where did it all start for you?

At university I studied computer science and software engineering, building software from websites to motion detection systems. This was my first contact with techno­logical data. Early in my career, I worked in cyber­se­curity auditing, but decided to specialize in data and consulting because I believed data was critical to future business decisions.

I enjoyed analyzing data because it allows you to predict trends and make informed decisions instead of relying on gut feeling. I realized the immense value of using data to forecast business perfor­mance and allocate budgets effec­tively. For me, data has always been the answer.

I recently had an entre­preneur with AI companies on the podcast. We discussed the future of education and its short­comings. He argued that educa­tional decisions should be based on AI skills and suggested that learning computer programming is pointless now because AI can replace it. Do you agree (with this?

Yes, I agree. Many jobs have become meaningless over the years, and not just because of AI. The world has evolved and tradi­tional educa­tional paths such as studying geography, history or journalism do not always lead to careers in these fields. Statis­ti­cally speaking, only a few people work in the field in which they studied. Education systems will eventually be forced to adapt to these changes or become obsolete.

When a business owner or manager works with a data scientist, who typically decides the specific data points to collect – the data scien­tists or the business owners themselves?

Well, it is a new era where data collection has become extensive without strict justi­fi­cation. Companies today collect large amounts of data, often even more than they immedi­ately need. They may only be using a fraction of it now, but expect to use the rest in the future. Companies seize every oppor­tunity to collect additional data, often without any clear benefit to the customer. For example, when customers are asked for personal infor­mation such as phone numbers in retail stores, they often receive little in return other than potential spam. This asymmetry raises privacy and fair exchange concerns, partic­u­larly when consumers may unwit­tingly provide data under unclear terms and condi­tions.

Let’s dive into your business trip and the creation of Pangea. What sparked the idea for Pangea and was it something you had been planning for some time or was it born out of disil­lu­sionment with big corporate life?

I wasn’t keen on corporate life. I didn’t like office politics and blindly following orders without questioning them. I believe in standing by what I believe is best for the customer, even if that means challenging the norm. In companies, I often felt like I had to nod my head at decisions I didn’t agree with, which hindered my personal growth. Moving to a boutique firm allowed me to specialize in data, which was more fulfilling for me. However, even there it was often about promising the world to customers without always having the necessary internal expertise to deliver.

Can you tell us more about the platform? How did the idea come about?

Just before Covid, I decided to quit my job and explore new oppor­tu­nities. During this time, consulting work slowed down signif­i­cantly as most assign­ments required face-to-face meetings, which became incon­ve­nient as people stopped going to offices and meeting clients. Never­theless, digital companies continued to operate and adapt to changing circum­stances. We saw the need to prepare for the eventual reopening of the world and believed that Covid would eventually subside and we would return to a new normal.

For us, this time was about innovation and devel­opment. Through extensive brain­storming and discus­sions, the idea of ​​creating something that could connect people worldwide emerged. This concept led to the birth of Pangea. The name itself is inspired by the ancient super­con­tinent Pangea, which existed billions of years ago when all the world’s conti­nents were connected into one landmass before drifting apart due to tectonic movements.

Our vision for Pangea is to be a unified platform, similar to the ancient super­con­tinent, but for the digital age and data-centric community. In today’s world where data is ubiquitous and essential to every business, our goal is to bring together data specialists, data scien­tists, artificial intel­li­gence experts and everyone concerned with data on a single platform. It’s where customers and businesses find the expertise and solutions they need, fostering a connected community where data drives innovation and growth.

Did you fully launch the business without raising external funds?

We haven’t raised any funds yet. I’ll wait until we’ve created enough value. At the moment, the offers we have received to give up 10 to 20% of the company for six months of financing are not convincing enough. The first 24 months were about testing and optimizing our approach to prove that our formula works. Now that we’ve achieved that, let’s focus on expansion. Once we reach the level that I think deserves the market’s attention, either to attract a large investor or to sell based on our value, we will think about looking for outside investment.

Could you please explain what the platform is?

Essen­tially, we are a platform that exclu­sively connects freelancers in the niche data market. We not only accom­modate individual freelancers, but also service providers. Our vision is that eventually companies like Deloitte and boutique firms will come to Pangea to bid on projects, as relying solely on individual freelancers has its limita­tions.

Another feature we developed allows freelancers to form virtual teams on our platform. This allows them to work together as a cohesive unit and use their combined expertise to tackle complex projects. They can negotiate and agree project splits based on their contri­bu­tions, ensuring fair compen­sation and effective project delivery.

How did you manage to attract and integrate so many freelancers? What strategies have you used to market your platform to them?

Unfor­tu­nately, the number of freelancers we have attracted is lower than I had hoped. As a startup and personally as a new business owner, we have made some mistakes. Officially we launched in January 2020, but unoffi­cially we launched in October 2020. These mistakes were valuable lessons for us and we have learned from them as we move forward. Had we not made these mistakes – largely due to immaturity and inexpe­rience – we might have progressed more smoothly.

What would you consider one of your most costly mistakes?

It was a big mistake for me to trust my outsourcing partners. I won’t go into details, but the assumption that a contract carries weight in today’s profes­sional world should mean something. When you sign a contract, you assume that you will pay X amount for X services. If these are not met, there must be a valid reason. Unfor­tu­nately, my lack of experience led me to accept excuses and hope for improvement month after month.

And what would you do differ­ently next time?

Estab­lishing more check­points and holding them accountable to those check­points would have been critical. I learned that it’s important to set clear milestones and expec­ta­tions when hiring or working with someone who will be an expert in areas where you lack expertise. Although I under­stand technical terms and concepts well, I am not an expert in every­thing, especially the ever-evolving algorithms and best practices for starting a business, designing a website, SEO, Google ads, and more.

In retro­spect, I should have questioned assump­tions more and not taken every­thing at face value. I initially trusted that their success would align with mine, assuming that they wanted me to succeed so they could continue to benefit from our partnership. Unfor­tu­nately, that trust was misplaced and it became apparent that they were more focused on exploiting the situation than truly supporting my growth.

Let’s take another look at these 20,000 freelancers. Can you outline a marketing strategy bootcamp for an estab­lished technology company? How did you manage to attract so many freelancers to your platform?

Trust your marketing team’s design expertise, which is critical to effective ads. First, focus on a specific geographic area. Conquering the entire world from the start is imprac­tical. Identify a location and dominate it before expanding elsewhere.

Where did you start your marketing efforts? We didn’t conquer any particular place at first. We exper­i­mented with different approaches until we found what worked. The UAE and the Gulf region did not deliver the results we needed because they also source talent from other regions. Our original goal was to build a large database to ensure that each project received multiple proposals — preferably 10 to 20.

Our strategy took us to India, where the sheer volume of talent validated our approach. Indian profes­sionals demon­strate a compet­itive spirit and work ethic that benefits both sides of the client-freelancer equation. After attracting thousands of freelancers, we continued to nurture this base while exploring other regions.

However, we never neglect our original geographical focus. India remains criti­cally important due to its evolving talent pool, which is constantly being replen­ished with new graduates and skilled profes­sionals. As we expand, we prior­itize regions where we want to build a strong presence and reputation. Our adver­tising budgets are split: 60% are aimed at freelancers and 40% are aimed at potential customers.

So you specialize in data and AI. Do you expect this niche to grow in the future?

It is a combi­nation of both aspects. While other platforms offer these experts, they typically cover broader categories. For example, they might list a data analytics expert without speci­fying their expertise in specific tools such as Excel, Tableau, or Power BI, or knowledge of specific programming languages. At Pangea, we delve deeper into these special­iza­tions and offer more detailed profiles that address specific software and language skills that may not be as detailed on other platforms.

Can you explain to a business owner why not using AI carries a signif­icant risk of failure?

It’s not pleasant to say, but there are effective ways to save money. Instead of maintaining a workforce of 100 employees, consider downsizing to 10, 15, or 20 employees. These people can then further their training to serve in other roles within your company. For example, you could focus on sales, which can directly increase your sales. If not for internal use, lever­aging targeted sales data is critical to addressing growth challenges. In a compet­itive environment where many companies offer similar products or services, strategic alignment through data-driven decisions can give you a signif­icant advantage.