Shoaib Makani

Commander
DISC Type : D

Co-founder and CEO at Motive

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Shoaib Makani is the Co-founder and CEO of Motive, an AI-powered platform that improves the safety and productivity of businesses in the physical economy. A graduate of The London School of Economics, his prior experience includes roles at Khosla Ventures, Google, and AdMob. He founded Motive, formerly KeepTruckin, to digitize the trucking industry.

Originally from Texas, Shoaib’s parents immigrated from Pakistan. His early interest in technology was fostered at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. He is driven by the idea of not being limited by current circumstances and is passionate about solving real-world problems through technology, a journey that started with spending time at truck stops with his co-founder.

Shoaib was fascinated by transportation and logistics long before starting Motive, having been a seed investor in Instacart while working in venture capital.

Personality Overview

Very Quick

Impact-Driven

Risk-Taker

They are not focused on building rapport and relationships.  More than the product, they care about the effectiveness of the product. They are very proud of what they do.

Topics They Care About

AI in Physical Economy
He emphasizes using AI-powered automation and computer vision to solve safety and productivity challenges in industries like trucking, construction, and energy.
Driver Safety
A core focus of Motive's platform is its AI-powered dash cam, which detects unsafe driving behaviors to reduce accidents and save lives.
Founder Journey
Frequently speaks about his 12-year journey as a co-founder, including early-stage challenges, a near-death company moment, and the pivot from KeepTruckin to Motive.

Media Appearances

138 CEO Motive, Shoaib Makani w/ Ilya Fushman. Featured in Spotify

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Shoaib Makani, Motive CEO: A Fortt Knox Conversation. Featured in YouTube

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Motive raises $150M – CEO Shoaib Makani in .... Featured in YouTube

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Work History

6-2013
Co-founder and CEO at Motive
6-2011 - 6-2013
Investor at Khosla Ventures
9-2008 - 6-2011
Growth at AdMob
12-2006 - 9-2008
APMM at Google Inc.
7-2005 - 10-2005
Analytics Intern at Yahoo

Education

2003 - 2006
BSc from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Education details unavailable from Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 19 Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-founder and CEO at Motive
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Insights For Selling To Shoaib

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • When negotiating terms, help them build an impression that they are the ones calling the shots
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.
  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical

DONT's

  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet
  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Shoaib is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Shoaib

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no without any hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Shoaib move?

  • They can take decisions very fast if you manage to convince them.
  • Can Shoaib take some risk or not?

  • The risks don’t matter much to them.

You And Shoaib

Personality Compatibility


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