Après TFS - Faiz Chishtie '17
In this edition of Après TFS, we sit down with 2017 grad, Faiz Chishtie, CEO & Co-Founder at Laminar.
TFS: Please describe the path you took after TFS.
Outside of school, a friend of mine—who’s now my business partner—and I built a nonprofit after realizing the gap between our work as software developers and what was happening in the real world. Everyone had these big goals of working at places like Meta for the high salary, but there was a real disconnect between that and the suffering we were seeing, especially at the height of the pandemic.
So we pulled together a group of about 30 to 40 people—some were students I had TA’d, others were friends and colleagues—and launched Software for Love in 2020. The idea was to build projects and donate all the proceeds. Over a couple of years, we raised around $10,000. It was a really fun project, and our first foray into starting a business.
As university was wrapping up, I was planning to do a master’s in computer science, but just before applying, a friend asked me to be the CTO of his furniture and interior décor startup and I said yes on a whim. It was a tough experience, but we learned a lot. After that, I spent about a year and a half working at two other startups, one full-time and one part-time, mostly focused on connecting systems. Then I joined a men’s health startup called Phoenix early on, doing engineering work and helping scale the business. It was a lot of work, but also a fun and valuable learning experience.
Last March, I decided I was ready to jump off and build my second startup, which focuses on connecting systems through our own software, and it’s been about a year and a half now. We raised our pre-seed round in October, and we’re a five-person team based in downtown Toronto and San Francisco. It’s been fun! Definitely the hardest job I’ve ever had, but the team’s great. So that's my story.
Outside of work, I hang out with my German Shepherd—we go to the park a lot. One of my colleagues is a marathon runner, so we’ve been training together and are gearing up for our second marathon. Lately, we’ve been running about 30 km over the weekends. I’m also into MMA. I think it’s really important to have things outside of work that keep you grounded.
Another big part of my experience was the opportunity to try so many different things. The school encouraged me to explore my interests—I ended up playing the French horn in band and getting involved in athletics because of this. While those hobbies don’t directly relate to what I’m doing now, they’ve stuck with me. I still exercise regularly, and I occasionally play music. Those foundations were definitely built at TFS.
FAIZ CHISHTIE: I actually landed a few TA jobs because I was able to speak French! There was a big opportunity to work with the Department of Computer Science if you spoke French as an undergrad. It also came in handy during my first job with the government.
Outside of work, I like listening to the news in French. There are some great people I follow who primarily speak French and it’s a fun way to keep my language skills sharp. Of course, it’s always a plus when it comes to networking as well. Being able to speak someone’s language or relate to them on that level really helps you connect.
I also remember my chemistry teacher talking to us one day about handling mistakes. He told us, it’s okay if you mess up, just press on. And I've carried that with me in my life. Mr Muir’s words about pressing on still ring in my brain sometimes.
TFS: What do you wish you had known while at TFS that could have better prepared you for life after graduation?
Back
FAIZ CHISHTIE: After graduating from TFS, I went to the University of Ottawa, where I studied software engineering in their co-op program. My first internship was with the government as a security analyst, which helped me realize that path wasn’t for me. My second internship was with the RCMP, and after that, I was recruited by Microsoft for my next placement. I ended up working with a team in Seattle, and I really enjoyed the experience. I continued working with Microsoft throughout the rest of my time in school. I also had the chance to be a TA and a research assistant.
Outside of school, a friend of mine—who’s now my business partner—and I built a nonprofit after realizing the gap between our work as software developers and what was happening in the real world. Everyone had these big goals of working at places like Meta for the high salary, but there was a real disconnect between that and the suffering we were seeing, especially at the height of the pandemic.
So we pulled together a group of about 30 to 40 people—some were students I had TA’d, others were friends and colleagues—and launched Software for Love in 2020. The idea was to build projects and donate all the proceeds. Over a couple of years, we raised around $10,000. It was a really fun project, and our first foray into starting a business.
As university was wrapping up, I was planning to do a master’s in computer science, but just before applying, a friend asked me to be the CTO of his furniture and interior décor startup and I said yes on a whim. It was a tough experience, but we learned a lot. After that, I spent about a year and a half working at two other startups, one full-time and one part-time, mostly focused on connecting systems. Then I joined a men’s health startup called Phoenix early on, doing engineering work and helping scale the business. It was a lot of work, but also a fun and valuable learning experience.
Last March, I decided I was ready to jump off and build my second startup, which focuses on connecting systems through our own software, and it’s been about a year and a half now. We raised our pre-seed round in October, and we’re a five-person team based in downtown Toronto and San Francisco. It’s been fun! Definitely the hardest job I’ve ever had, but the team’s great. So that's my story.
TFS: What does a typical day look like for you?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: Normally, I get to the office around 7 or 8 a.m., start my day with a bagel and we typically have team time each morning. Most of my day is spent on sales— lots of customer calls, back to back. I occasionally get pulled into engineering work, but our CTO handles most of that, so my focus is really on sales. I’ll also jump into investor meetings, founder chats, or connect with people in my founder communities. My calendar is pretty much: get in, get on calls, wrap up around 7 or 8 p.m. The good news is, the work’s been paying off. Business is picking up, which has been awesome.
Outside of work, I hang out with my German Shepherd—we go to the park a lot. One of my colleagues is a marathon runner, so we’ve been training together and are gearing up for our second marathon. Lately, we’ve been running about 30 km over the weekends. I’m also into MMA. I think it’s really important to have things outside of work that keep you grounded.
TFS: What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: It's really cool to see our customers, the people who use our services, getting value from it. That feeling dates back to our time working on the nonprofit and delivering software. It’s awesome to see people depending on what we’ve built and being genuinely happy with it. The second most satisfying part is spending time with the team. We have a lot of fun together, and we’ve had some great moments. Especially when we all traveled to San Francisco. Those two things, seeing our impact and enjoying the journey with the team, are definitely the highlights for me.
TFS: How did your experience at TFS help you get to where you are now?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: The teachers at TFS were phenomenal and definitely shaped who I am. I still keep in touch with them, and I talk to my former math teacher, Mr. Price regularly! But, there are so many teachers, I’m still connected with on LinkedIn or through email. What stood out most was how involved the teachers were.
Another big part of my experience was the opportunity to try so many different things. The school encouraged me to explore my interests—I ended up playing the French horn in band and getting involved in athletics because of this. While those hobbies don’t directly relate to what I’m doing now, they’ve stuck with me. I still exercise regularly, and I occasionally play music. Those foundations were definitely built at TFS.
TFS: How has French language and bilingualism impacted your career?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: I actually landed a few TA jobs because I was able to speak French! There was a big opportunity to work with the Department of Computer Science if you spoke French as an undergrad. It also came in handy during my first job with the government.
Outside of work, I like listening to the news in French. There are some great people I follow who primarily speak French and it’s a fun way to keep my language skills sharp. Of course, it’s always a plus when it comes to networking as well. Being able to speak someone’s language or relate to them on that level really helps you connect.
TFS: What skills or lessons from TFS do you find yourself applying most often in your work?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: There was a lot of work to juggle at TFS, so it was a great place to learn how to manage multiple priorities. The IB program especially taught us how to balance competing demands and stay organized under pressure.
I also remember my chemistry teacher talking to us one day about handling mistakes. He told us, it’s okay if you mess up, just press on. And I've carried that with me in my life. Mr Muir’s words about pressing on still ring in my brain sometimes.
TFS: What was your most memorable experience at TFS?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: In my senior year, the school let me take over orientation day, which was a lot of fun. We planned out the whole day and organized a spirit week with all kinds of random but fun activities. One of my favourite memories was hosting a Smash Bros tournament on GameCube—it was such a great time and a really cool way to kick off the year.
TFS: What advice would you give to current students?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: Try as many different things as possible, take advantage of every opportunity.
TFS: What do you wish you had known while at TFS that could have better prepared you for life after graduation?
FAIZ CHISHTIE: I wish I’d understood earlier that grades aren't everything. Of course, they matter in certain contexts—especially if you're planning to pursue academia— but outside of that, they're often not the defining factor of your future. What really makes a difference is how you think, how you handle challenges, and how you connect with others. I think knowing that would have taken a lot of pressure off at the time.
