Podcasts · Thought Behind Things

483| Khazanay Founder: I Met Sam Altman & He Loved Our Startup | TBT

13 Nov 2025 · 1 h 28 min · S5 E75

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Usman Saleem, Co-Founder & CEO of Khazanay, Pakistan’s biggest used sneaker and thrift brand.

Usman shares his journey from losing his father at an early age, working graphic design jobs for just ₨8,000 a month, to building one of Pakistan’s most disruptive retail startups.

We talk about:

• How Khazanay sold its first pair of shoes • Meeting Sam Altman at Y Combinator • How they refurbish branded sneakers • Tapping into leftover clothing • Khazanay’s scale & Growth • Long-term growth, Islamic finance, and Pakistan’s 2050 outlook

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/

TBT’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil

TBT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings

TBT Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips

Muzamil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/

Muzamil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/

Usman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhdusmansaleem/

Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.

You can find out more about them at: https://kickstart.pk/

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

Links in the notes 8

• https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil
• https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings
• https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips
• https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhdusmansaleem/
• https://kickstart.pk/

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)