Layla Shaikley's resume reflects her dynamic personality -- she was a NASA intern, the co-producer of the viral YouTube video "Muslim Hipsters: #mipsterz," cofounder of TedxBaghdad, and an entrepreneur -- and she's only 30. While pursuing a masters degree at MIT, Shaikley founded her first startup, which combined development and data to better protect those in conflict zones like Iraq. It was thwarted by the rise of ISIS. Shaikley has since cofounded a software company called Wise Systems, which helps companies make real-time delivery decisions. The company just graduated from TechStars Mobility accelerator in Detroit.
What do you actually do all day in your job?
Every day is different. Some days, product design. Other days, biz dev. These days, fundraising and answering many emails from 30,000 feet above ground.
How many hours do you sleep?
6
What do you eat for breakfast?
Usually a latte + steel cut oats. I like food a lot more on weekends when I have more time. I am giving Soylent a shot -- it almost seems too good to be true. Circle back for results.
If you could pitch to one person, who would it be?
Probably Beyonce, the queen herself. She's a creative, sales and marketing genius.
What’s on your home screen?
I was trained in architecture -- space matters. So does my nephew
How often do you exercise?
I bike to work daily, something like 10 miles. I am also really into surfing and snowboarding.
What app can’t you live without?
Slack, Mail, Snapchat -- in order of importance.
What's your favorite city?
LA is my jungle and my muse. It's also home.
What’s the most important company we’ve never heard of?
This is the best website on the Internet: http://www.goodui.org. If every website satisfied GoodUI's recs, the Internet would be a better place.
Are there any social platforms you refuse to participate in?
Not by principle, only by discipline.
What are you reading right now?
Right now it's Venture Deals (a must for anyone building or financing a company) and Thinking, Fast and Slow. Recent recommendations: Extreme Productivity, Social Physics, A Short Guide to a Long Life.
Do you think there’s a tech bubble?
I think the world is at yet another inflection point. Smartphones have been around for less than a decade. Large but granular data sets are providing insights that can transform businesses and change lives. Devices are getting cheaper. The Internet is spreading wider. Objects are getting smarter. And we are just scratching the surface of extraterrestrial, drone and VR tech.
I think capital is flowing easily -- but more as the result of a high in an economic cycle rather than a bubble. I suspect a correction before a crash.
Best piece of advice you've been given?
My dad told me a story of his med school professor in Baghdad who said, "So you want to be a doctor, huh? You're a student now and you'll be a student for the rest of your life." That's how I feel every day.
What keeps you up at night?
Oh man, I wish I could still say hanging with friends like I used to. I am laser-focused all day, which has me sleeping pretty well at night. That said, there are plenty of things that get me up every morning. Like my team -- building a business with them is a blast. And design. I love design.
If you could tell your 18-year-old self one thing, what would it be?
Overreach. Always. In architecture school, I spent a semester designing habitats for Mars. I was a Zaha Hadid #fangirl and it was much easier to emulate Zaha without gravity to consider. A mentor urged me to apply to an internship at NASA. He urged me to overreach, though I was at a huge disadvantage without an aero/astro background. I got the internship -- and it was the experience that pivoted my career and future toward tech.
