Engineer and Product People founder Farouk Ibrahim advocates a problem-first approach to product development, a philosophy shaped by lessons from his early career.
Through Product People, based in Berlin, Germany, Ibrahim helps organisations refine their product development strategies. Ibrahim’s approach challenges the tendency of some product teams to prioritise features before validating the problems they are intended to solve. He argues that validating user needs early helps teams build more relevant products and reduce the risk of investing in features customers do not need.
Early lessons in Farouk Ibrahim product development for impact
Ibrahim’s interest in engineering began with making and repairing physical objects rather than writing software. Growing up in Ibadan, Nigeria, he repaired broken toys and made paper replacements, which he sometimes sold to schoolmates for ₦5. His paper laptop, which included a stick-fighting game, became popular among his peers and gave him an early taste of the satisfaction of creating something others enjoyed.
His introduction to computing came at the age of 10, when his mother acquired a Dell desktop for a distance-learning course. Although he was initially not allowed to use the computer, it eventually opened the door to a new world of digital experimentation. He moved from playing games to modifying titles such as Wolfenstein, sparking a lasting interest in coding.
After completing Cambridge A-levels, Ibrahim studied computer science. He explored approximately 12 programming languages, including C++, Java and C#. He also built an operating system and kernel to deepen his understanding of how computers work. His academic rigour laid a strong foundation for his future endeavours in software and AI.
A pivotal moment came while Ibrahim was studying at the University of Ibadan, when he attempted to sell Peernet, a software application he had developed. The application allowed lecturers to share learning materials. However, despite offering users 20 free trials, Ibrahim struggled to persuade students to pay the ₦100 fee. This experience solidified his understanding that engineering a product is only half the battle; convincing people of its value is the true challenge.
From solo ventures to collaborative engineering
By his final year, Ibrahim had refined Peernet and developed other software products, which he listed on platforms such as CodeCanyon. He earned his first dollar online, a milestone that encouraged him to continue developing and selling software. Another product, RapidBazz, a platform built on PostgreSQL, attracted about 10 purchases. One transaction led to discussions with a UK-based buyer, John, about potentially launching a startup together.
After graduating in 2019, Ibrahim initially focused on launching his own software products rather than pursuing conventional employment. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, intensified the need for a more financially sustainable approach. This period forced him to reconsider his approach and the commercial viability of his projects.
His National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) placement in 2021 marked a turning point. At ICMA Professional Services in Asaba, Delta State, Ibrahim developed an application to automate the reconciliation of government revenue payments. The system used text-processing techniques to classify payments, reducing the amount of manual work required from accountants.
The company offered him a permanent position at a monthly salary of ₦200,000, but he declined in pursuit of what he described as more challenging ‘real tech’ opportunities. This experience, he says, cemented the value of his engineering skills in solving tangible problems.
In 2022, Ibrahim joined Crop2Cash, an agritech company, as a full-time employee. There, he developed backend analytics and a farmer-targeting engine for a financial platform designed to serve smallholder farmers. Working alongside project managers and DevOps engineers, he came to appreciate the importance of collaboration.
He came to recognise that collaboration could produce better outcomes than working alone.
Navigating the AI frontier and entrepreneurial challenges
The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 changed Ibrahim’s perspective on software development and prompted him to explore artificial intelligence more deeply. He began publishing AI prototypes on his website, fibdev.com, demonstrating how emerging technologies could be applied to practical problems.
In 2023, a prototype attracted the attention of a UK cybersecurity firm. The firm wanted a system that could simulate phone calls to train financial-sector employees to recognise social-engineering attacks. Ibrahim demonstrated a conversational AI agent connected to a telephone line, which led to a job offer from Bilic UK.
He joined the company as an AI engineer in October 2023 and later served as interim chief technology officer. This role expanded his thinking beyond pure engineering to encompass broader product strategy.
Ibrahim left Bilic in March 2024 to establish Mock0.com. The platform was designed to give e-commerce businesses access to product recommendations and AI-powered search without requiring them to build their own models. Although Ibrahim believed in the idea, Mock0 did not secure funding from Y Combinator and eventually ceased operations.
The failure of Mock0 did not deter him. He continued developing AI prototypes, which led to consulting opportunities for other founders. His consulting work, for which he charged between $50 and $200 per hour, provided an income while expanding his network of AI entrepreneurs and innovators. These connections proved vital for his next career moves.
Redefining success in complex data environments
One connection he made through consulting was Jide Ogunjobi, formerly chief technology officer at mobility startup Moove. Ogunjobi, who was building Context Data in the United States, was looking for an AI engineer. Ibrahim joined as a consulting AI engineer in September 2024, later transitioning to a full-time role after three months.
At Context Data, Ibrahim focused on developing infrastructure that made company data accessible to generative AI systems. His work focused on helping generative AI systems interpret complex company data. He developed context-engineering techniques that were well received by his team. This deepened his expertise in preparing and structuring data for advanced AI applications.
Ibrahim left Context Data in October 2025. In January 2026, a recommendation from his former colleague and mentor, Julia Kingsley, led to an opportunity with OpenInsured. OpenInsured founder Zach Schofel asked Ibrahim to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) to demonstrate the platform’s potential to investors. The project involved building an AI platform to analyse real estate data.
The task was incredibly demanding due to the notoriously complex and unstructured nature of real estate information.
Ibrahim negotiated equity and salary increases linked to specific milestones. Although OpenInsured preferred its team to work in person in New York, Schofel agreed to let him work remotely. He said he often worked 13 to 15 hours a day, organising and interpreting complex real estate data.
This project, he describes, was his hardest yet, pushing his engineering capabilities to their limits.
According to the account, OpenInsured raised $5 million four months after Ibrahim joined, followed by a further $3 million six weeks later. The funding provided additional resources for the company’s development, although the fundraising alone does not establish how much of the outcome was attributable to Ibrahim’s work.
His contract ended in August 2026 after he was unable to secure the visa required to relocate to New York, according to his account. He said the company gave him gifts and that he sold his equity before the engagement ended on good terms.
Future focus: empowering the next generation of engineers
The demanding work schedule, which he said often involved 12- to 13-hour days and six-day working weeks, took a physical toll on Ibrahim. He said he experienced severe headaches that were, at times, temporarily incapacitating and frightening. The experience made him more conscious of the importance of protecting his health and maintaining a sustainable working schedule.
Despite these challenges, Ibrahim remains interested in the complex problems involved in AI development. He views these challenges as opportunities to strengthen his skills as an engineer and product builder. His current work involves assisting startups and organisations in integrating AI, leveraging his extensive experience to navigate sophisticated technical landscapes.
Alongside his consulting work, Ibrahim is developing a platform to identify and train what he calls ‘10x plus one engineers’. He describes these engineers as people who can do more than prompt AI tools: they can turn founders’ ideas into practical products that address customer needs and have the potential to gain market traction.
This initiative reflects his core philosophy that engineering talent must extend beyond pure coding to include a deep understanding of user value.
Ibrahim argues that as AI tools automate more coding tasks, engineers will need to focus increasingly on understanding user needs, defining problems and translating them into useful products.
He argues that companies increasingly need people who can turn ideas into products grounded in customer needs. He hopes to become a founder himself but is still developing his next business idea. For now, he remains dedicated to empowering other founders and building the next generation of impact-driven engineers.
The enduring impact of user-centric engineering
Ibrahim’s career illustrates why technical expertise alone is not always enough to build a successful product. Understanding user needs, testing assumptions and working with others can be just as important. His early failures, like Peernet, served as crucial laboratories for understanding market dynamics and human behaviour, lessons that many technically brilliant individuals often overlook.
The shift from simply “building features” to “solving real problems” is not just a slogan for Ibrahim; it’s a principle forged through direct experience and applied across diverse industries, from agritech to cybersecurity and real estate.
His experiences across ICMA Professional Services, Crop2Cash, Bilic UK, Context Data and OpenInsured illustrate how engineering can support business objectives when it is guided by clearly defined problems.
Ibrahim’s ability to identify the “so what” behind a technical challenge and translate it into a valuable solution is a testament to his evolving expertise. He exemplifies the modern engineer who connects technological capability with market demand, turning ideas into viable, impactful products.
Looking ahead, Ibrahim’s focus on cultivating “10x plus one engineers” reflects a broader industry need for talent that bridges the gap between pure technical skill and commercial acumen. As AI continues to democratise coding, the premium on engineers who can truly understand and address human needs will only grow.
Through Product People and his planned engineering-development platform, Ibrahim hopes to encourage a more problem-led approach to product development in Africa and beyond.
