Think First, Prompt Second.

Who he is.

Alex started out in Silicon Valley at the dawn of the web — design, then digital, then product — and has spent the last 15 years building across the GCC. Over 25+ years he's been a VP of Product, a Chief Product Officer and a growth lead behind platforms the region actually uses — JustClean, Zyda and Darisni — and a hands-on product partner to founders at Tenmeya, Floward and beyond.

Today he advises and builds through Ajwa Strategy and Taken Cake, helping organisations move from old, hierarchy-first habits to genuinely product- and AI-enabled ones. He's an expert in Rivet's MENA SaaS network and a long-time mentor to founders through Zain Great Idea and Coded.

His take on AI is blunt: most people don't have an AI problem — they have a thinking problem, and AI just makes it harder to hide. The ones getting real value aren't the ones with the slickest prompts; they're the ones who think clearly first. Expect a candid Q&A where we challenge a few assumptions — and hear from you, too.