Here’s what we found:

1) Could you please walk us through the entire ordeal, from you first knowing about the Telenor Youth Forum to being the only Bangladeshi member of the team winning it this year?

Sameen: I was first introduced to Telenor Youth Forum in my first year of university, when one of my friends participated and won the chance to go to Oslo and attend the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. I was amazed that a competition could have a prize so great. In my final year, I decided to seriously try my chances at the competition. I was required to put forward an idea addressing SDG (Sustainable Development Goad) 10: Reducing Inequalities. I proposed a whistle blowing platform for workplace sexual harassment. Through multiple rounds of pitching, 1400 hundred applicants, 8 finalists and a spectacular grand finale, I came out as one of the two winners from Bangladesh to be a delegate for this year’s Telenor Youth Forum. Once I got to Oslo, the game changed. 16 delegates from 8 different countries were split up into groups of 4, with 4 different nationalities in each group. My team consisting of Loh Rachel, Emilie Udnaes and Ingrid Hogh Rasmussen, who were from Malaysia, Norway and Denmark respectively. We were given the challenge of “Optimising Agriculture” with mentorship from Telenor Research VP, Ieva Martinkenaite. We brainstormed intensely for 4 days in Oslo and came up with AgriMatch, a connectivity platform for farmers to connect to middlemen and other farmers. We worked remotely for 6 months after the Oslo round, and did preliminary fieldwork in Myanmar and Kenya. With all the research and work behind us, we arrived in Bangkok for the final pitch. We put forward all the work we did and all the ideas we had in a 5-minute pitch in front of 6 esteemed judges. After all the hours of work and deliberation, we were crowned as the champions of Telenor Youth Forum 2018/19.

As for being the only Bangladeshi member to win this year, a lot of it is by design as no team had two of the same nationalities. Of course, it’s still great that a Bangladeshi was part of the winning team. However, I think the greater virtue of the competition was the cross-nationality collaboration. We were 4 people from 4 different parts of the world who never had a chance of meeting any other way. We worked extremely well as a team, and more importantly, as friends.

2) What are some of your personal habits (productivity hacks) that you feel helped you prepare better for the entire competition?

Sameen: Honestly, I can be very unproductive as a person. I try to assign small daily goals which are achievable and ultimately adds to a greater goal. I think the greatest strength I have while preparing is managing pressure. I can usually remain calm when faced with nerve-wracking situations. I relish a presentation in front of a crowd, at least when I know what I’m saying. I think the greatest productivity hack that works for me is not stressing. The more I put pressure on myself, the harder it gets for me to achieve my goals.  I relax, enjoy and believe that whatever it is, there’s always going to be something bigger in life.

3) What are you holistic goals as of now? (personal and for the community)

Sameen: Difficult one to say really. I tend to always define my goals very loosely. Mainly so I can give myself room to change and grow and have different ambitions at different times. I want to be largely successful. How? That’s something I don’t know yet because I personally have too many definitions of success. Making an impact to the community would be the dream, because I can’t think of anything more fulfilling really. Personally, I want to live a life of modest luxury with lots and lots of travel and purpose. Vague? Exactly.

4) What does your dream-job look like?

Sameen: Another difficult question really. There are so many amazing jobs out there. Growing up, my dream job was to be football manager. I liked the idea of being the brains behind something. Honestly, I’m only 23 and at the beginning of my career. It’ll take me a while to really find my dream job mockup. I can tell you what I want in a job. Purpose, learning and money. The first two being incredibly hard to find while the last quite a bit easier.

5) Best advice you ever got, and how you chose to incorporate it in getting yourself where you are now.

Sameen: I’ve received a lot of great advice over the years, but if I had to pick one, it was when someone told me that no one has anything figured out. The person who seems to have it the most figured out is probably dealing with the biggest mess. I think I found a lot of comfort in that. I feel we compare ourselves to people around us too often, not really knowing much about the people we end up comparing ourselves with. Which puts pressure on us to do and be more. But honestly, I do believe everyone at some level is figuring things out. The only person you can accurately and fairly compare yourself to is, yourself.