Zaid Saad

enter the house →

Growth & product engineer at StoreHub, building AI-native marketing machines — a 500-ad creative-testing grid, ad pipelines, and landing systems shipped with a fleet of agents. Solo-founder experiments on the side. Based in Malaysia.

zstg2000@gmail.com · WhatsApp· Call· Book a chat· GitHub· LinkedIn· Instagram

The Entrance Hall
Start here

The Entrance Hall

Everything opens off this room. Stairs up, an archway either side — and a trap door in the floor that has no business being there.

The Study
Work

The Study

Top of the house, inside the cloud. Two screens, a full mug, a corkboard that won’t sit still. Where the StoreHub work and the serious projects actually get made.

Work — StoreHub

Growth & product engineering at StoreHub. I build the marketing machine: a 500-ad creative-testing grid, AI-native ad pipelines, and the landing systems behind them. It’s the day job — I just treat it like a product.

The other laptop

The one that opens after the day job closes. Side projects, half-built tools, and whatever I’m nerd-sniped by that week. Nothing on it has a deadline, which is exactly why it keeps moving.

Serious projects

The things I put my name on:
  • Cranium — my external-brain / chief-of-staff agent
  • Ad Grid — a 500-ad creative-testing system + pipeline
  • House kit — the design system this site is built on

The mug

Black, no sugar, refilled more often than it’s finished. Half of what’s in this house was built between the first cup and the point where it went cold.
The Studio
Making

The Studio

The studio where side projects take shape — an easel, a floor cushion, and always one thing half-finished.

Experiments in progress

Solo-founder tinkering, mid-flight:
  • Pawket — a small marketplace experiment
  • Toggle — a tool still earning its keep
  • …and whatever nerd-snipes me this week
Most of these die. That’s the point.

The painter

Not me — I can’t paint. She’s the part of the house that makes things without asking whether they’ll be useful. Every room here needed someone like that before it needed a plan.

The oranges

The only finished piece in the room, and I didn’t make it. It hangs here as a reminder of what “done” looks like — the rest of the studio is drafts.

How I build

Claude Code + a fleet of agents, Astro on a shared design kit, ship-fast and verify-by-machine. Small warm software, big machines that make it.
The Library
Writing

The Library

Reading, writing, half-finished notes. The orange chair does the thinking.

Writing & notes

Notes-in-progress on building with agents, cozy software, and the art of killing your own projects. Want the raw version before it’s written up? Ask me.

On the shelf

A rotating stack of what I’m reading right now. Ask me about any of them — I will talk your ear off.
The Living Room
About

The Living Room

The fireplace, the people I love on the mantel, both cats where they always are. Malaysian builder — StoreHub by day, solo-founder experiments by night; small warm software, big machines that make it, heavy things lifted. The three frames are who’s behind all of it — take a look.

My favorite people

My favorite people

My oldest friend

My oldest friend, a cat

My inspiration

My inspiration

The ginger one

Belly up on the rug, in the exact spot the sun lands, every single afternoon. Has never once moved for anybody.

The one on the sofa

Sits on the back of the sofa like a supervisor. Watches me work, judges the output, contributes nothing.
The Lounge
Travels & Archive

The Lounge

A pinned map, shelves of books, a cat tree nobody uses correctly — and a bin for the projects that didn’t make it.

Travels

Pins for where I’ve been and where I’m headed next. Always up for a reason to add one.
  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia lived
  • Lahore, Pakistan lived
  • Karachi, Pakistan lived
  • Everest, Nepal climbed
  • Colombo, Sri Lanka travelled
  • Bangkok, Thailand travelled
  • Hong Kong travelled
  • Singapore travelled

The files

Résumé, links, and the boring-but-useful stuff.
→ ask me for the résumé

Extreme Ownership

The one I don’t lend out. Rule number one came out of this book, and most of the ones after it are arguments with it.

How U.S. Navy SEALs lead and win · Jocko Willink & Leif Babin

Rules for life

Too heavy to actually read in a chair, so it lives open on the table. Rules I keep re-learning — I turn a page most weeks and put it back down.

Zaid Saad

  1. Everything you do matters. You need to take ownership over everything.
  2. Everything you do has a trade-off. Everything. Always.
  3. You are entitled to your labor but not to the fruits of your labor. Similarly — be impatient with actions and patient with results.
  4. Trust is fragile, feeble and tough to cultivate — and the most priceless commodity.
  5. How you do anything is how you do everything.
  6. A bad day does not make a bad life.
  7. If you want something, get out of bed and go get it.
  8. Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards.
  9. Nothing new under the Sun.
  10. You don’t HAVE to do anything. Be mindful of the trade-offs — and don’t overestimate them.
  11. Don’t be complacent.
  12. Nobody has it figured out.
  13. Fun is serious business. Work–work balance?
  14. For peace in life, die before you die.
  15. Don’t look for directions to the town you’re not headed to.
  16. Add and remove resistance to make things easier to do, or easier to leave.
  17. Happiness increases time to exhaustion.
  18. Life is a single player game.
  19. You don’t get to split test life. Choose your regrets.
  20. To make life 7x faster, make decisions by EOD instead of EOW.
  21. Don’t multiply your progress by 0.
  22. You don’t have great days, you make great days.
  23. When things are hard, get a small win. Still working this one out.
  24. The only thing that is doing the thing, is doing the thing.
  25. Chippy chippy.
  26. Choose your hill to die on.

The coffee set

Kettle, grinder, two mugs — one of which never gets used, which tells you how often anyone comes up the hill. Making it is half the point of drinking it.

The graveyard

Projects I killed — and why. Honest post-mortems live here. No project on this site gets a fake “coming soon”; the dead ones get a headstone instead.
The Gym
Fitness

The Gym

Dug into the hilltop, one window at grass level. Barbell, treadmill, a chalkboard full of numbers. Where the discipline that runs everything else gets built.

Competitions

CrossFit and the odd race — medals on the wall, receipts on the board. The competitive streak leaks into everything else I build.

Training now

The block I’m on: a run every day, and a session that has three versions — one for a commercial gym, one for a HYROX gym, one for the days it’s just bodybuilding. Twelve weeks of it.

12 weeks from 27 Jul 2026 · a run every day, and the gym session in three versions: commercial gym, hyrox gym, bodybuilding.

  1. Week 1 — Base · 45 km Mon — Squat: 45 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 6 × 400 m @ 4:30 /km, 90 s jogWed — Engine: 4 × (800 m @ 5:35 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 3 × 8 min @ 5:25 /km, 2 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 40 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 90 min easySun — Shake out: 25 min shakeout, conversational
  2. Week 2 — Base · 50 km Mon — Squat: 50 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 8 × 400 m @ 4:30 /km, 90 s jogWed — Engine: 5 × (800 m @ 5:35 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 4 × 8 min @ 5:25 /km, 2 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 45 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 100 min easySun — Shake out: 25 min shakeout, conversational
  3. Week 3 — Base · 55 km Mon — Squat: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 10 × 400 m @ 4:25 /km, 90 s jogWed — Engine: 5 × (1 km @ 5:30 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 5 × 8 min @ 5:20 /km, 2 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 50 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 110 min easySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  4. Week 4 — Base · 38 km Mon — Squat: 40 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 5 × 400 m @ 4:35 /km, 2 min jog — deloadWed — Engine: 3 × (1 km easy + one station) — deloadThu — Pull from the floor: 20 min steady @ 6:00 /kmFri — Pull + arms: 35 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 70 min easy — deloadSun — Shake out: 20 min shakeout, conversational
  5. Week 5 — Build · 55 km Mon — Squat: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 5 × 1 km @ 5:30 /km, 90 s jogWed — Engine: 5 × (1 km @ 5:30 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 2 × 15 min @ 5:25 /km, 3 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 50 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 2 h easySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  6. Week 6 — Build · 60 km Mon — Squat: 60 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 6 × 1 km @ 5:30 /km, 90 s jogWed — Engine: 6 × (1 km @ 5:25 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 2 × 20 min @ 5:20 /km, 3 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 2 h 10 easySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  7. Week 7 — Build · 65 km Mon — Squat: 65 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 4 × 1.5 km @ 5:35 /km, 2 min jogWed — Engine: HALF SIMULATION — 4 × 1 km + 4 stations, race effortThu — Pull from the floor: 40 min continuous @ 5:30 /kmFri — Pull + arms: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 2 h 20, last 20 min @ steadySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  8. Week 8 — Build · 45 km Mon — Squat: 45 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 6 × 400 m @ 4:30 /km, 90 s jog — deloadWed — Engine: 3 × (1 km easy + one station) — deloadThu — Pull from the floor: 25 min steady @ 6:00 /kmFri — Pull + arms: 40 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 80 min easy — deloadSun — Shake out: 25 min shakeout, conversational
  9. Week 9 — Sharpen · 62 km Mon — Squat: 60 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 8 × 800 m @ 5:00 /km, 2 min jogWed — Engine: 6 × (1 km @ 5:20 + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 3 × 12 min @ 5:20 /km, 2 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 2 h 15 easySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  10. Week 10 — Sharpen · 68 km Mon — Squat: 65 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 5 × 1 km @ 4:55 /km, 2 min jogWed — Engine: FULL SIMULATION — 8 × 1 km + all 8 stationsThu — Pull from the floor: 8 × 1 km @ 5:15 /km, 45 s standing — race rehearsalFri — Pull + arms: 60 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 2 h 30, last 30 min @ steadySun — Shake out: 30 min shakeout, conversational
  11. Week 11 — Sharpen · 58 km Mon — Squat: 55 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 6 × 800 m @ 4:55 /km, 2 min jogWed — Engine: 4 × (1 km @ race pace + one station)Thu — Pull from the floor: 2 × 15 min @ 5:15 /km, 3 min jogFri — Pull + arms: 50 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 110 min easySun — Shake out: 25 min shakeout, conversational
  12. Week 12 — Sharpen, test week · 40 km Mon — Squat: 40 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmTue — Push + speed: 4 × 400 m @ 4:20 /km, 2 min jog — legs open, nothing moreWed — Engine: 5 km time trial. 24:31 is the number to beat.Thu — Pull from the floor: 20 min @ 5:30 /km + 4 stridesFri — Pull + arms: 30 min easy @ 6:30–7:00 /kmSat — Long run: 60 min easy — taperSun — Shake out: 20 min shakeout, conversational

Run in the morning, lift in the evening — same shape as the Bare block. Loads run off a training max of 90% of the tested lift. Paces come from the run PRs on the other board. The workouts are the anchors — if the easy volume is more than you’re running now, cut the easy days, not the Tuesday or the Saturday.

The barbell

The most honest thing in the house. It doesn’t care how the day went, whether the launch worked, or what I told myself this morning — it goes up or it doesn’t.
  • Back Squat , 2,174 reps 79 sessions
  • Shoulder Press , 1,749 reps 71 sessions
  • Deadlift , 1,458 reps 54 sessions
  • Front Squat , 1,231 reps 51 sessions
  • Barbell Bench Press , 993 reps 45 sessions
  • Run , 108,341 m 41 sessions
  • Row , 28,152 m 27 sessions
  • Split Jerk , 211 reps 25 sessions
  • Double-Under , 5,781 reps 20 sessions
  • Handstand Walk , 1,460 m 19 sessions
  • Ski Erg , 22,133 m 19 sessions
  • Strict Pull-Up , 799 reps 17 sessions
  • Squat Snatch , 403 reps 16 sessions
  • Power Clean , 149 reps 15 sessions
  • Squat Clean , 135 reps 15 sessions
  • Power Jerk , 90 reps 15 sessions
  • Power Snatch , 310 reps 14 sessions
  • Push Press , 211 reps 14 sessions
  • Toes to Bar , 807 reps 14 sessions
  • Push Jerk , 318 reps 13 sessions
  • Kipping Handstand Push-Up , 629 reps 13 sessions
  • Strict Handstand Push-Up , 506 reps 13 sessions
  • Hang Power Clean , 356 reps 11 sessions
  • Clean , 127 reps 11 sessions
  • Snatch Balance , 79 reps 10 sessions
  • Wall Ball Shots , 937 reps 9 sessions
  • Barbell Thruster , 327 reps 9 sessions
  • Bar Muscle-Up , 176 reps 9 sessions
  • Clean and Jerk , 90 reps 8 sessions
  • Overhead Squat , 179 reps 8 sessions
  • Snatch , 87 reps 8 sessions
  • Snatch High Pull , 69 reps 8 sessions
  • Burpee , 685 reps 8 sessions
  • Power Clean and Jerk , 206 reps 7 sessions
  • Paused Dip Push Jerk , 66 reps 7 sessions
  • Strict Toes to Bar , 280 reps 7 sessions
  • Clean High Pull , 69 reps 6 sessions
  • Pull-Up , 315 reps 6 sessions
  • Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up , 187 reps 6 sessions
  • Sumo Deadlift , 159 reps 5 sessions
  • Dumbbell Thruster , 302 reps 5 sessions
  • Barbell Curl , 200 reps 5 sessions
  • Band Pull Apart , 344 reps 5 sessions
  • Weighted Strict Pull-Up , 100 reps 5 sessions
  • Tall Power Jerk , 23 reps 5 sessions
  • Muscle-Up , 125 reps 5 sessions
  • Strict Ring Dip , 197 reps 5 sessions
  • Kipping Toes to Bar , 238 reps 5 sessions
  • Alternating One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch , 350 reps 4 sessions
  • Dumbbell Push Press , 262 reps 4 sessions
  • Dual Kettlebell Snatch , 225 reps 4 sessions
  • Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat , 162 reps 4 sessions
  • Hang Power Snatch , 121 reps 4 sessions
  • Hang Squat Clean , 80 reps 4 sessions
  • Jerk Drive , 30 reps 4 sessions
  • Butterfly Pull-Up , 289 reps 4 sessions
  • Dumbbell Facing Burpee , 254 reps 4 sessions
  • Kettlebell Facing Burpee , 192 reps 4 sessions
  • Wall Facing Handstand Push-Up , 189 reps 4 sessions
  • Burpee Over Rower , 118 reps 4 sessions
  • Echo Bike , 15,932 m 4 sessions
  • Dumbbell Floor Press , 217 reps 3 sessions
  • Bent-Over Barbell Row , 164 reps 3 sessions
  • Alternating Dumbbell Bent Over Row , 144 reps 3 sessions
  • Snatch Grip Deadlift , 118 reps 3 sessions
  • Barbell Good Morning , 99 reps 3 sessions
  • Dual Dumbbell Power Clean , 90 reps 3 sessions
  • Close Grip Bench Press , 84 reps 3 sessions
  • Seated Explosive Back Squat , 50 reps 3 sessions
  • 3-Positions Power Clean , 45 reps 3 sessions
  • 3-Position Squat Clean , 42 reps 3 sessions
  • High Hang Clean Panda Pulls , 40 reps 3 sessions
  • Paused Hang Power Snatch (below knees) , 35 reps 3 sessions
  • Tall Clean , 33 reps 3 sessions
  • High Hang Power Clean , 28 reps 3 sessions
  • High Hang Squat Clean , 23 reps 3 sessions
  • Tng Split Jerk , 20 reps 3 sessions
  • 1 Power Snatch + 2 Squat Snatches , 17 reps 3 sessions
  • 2 Jerk Drives + 2 Paused Dip Push Jerks + 2 Tng Split Jerks , 10 reps 3 sessions
  • Air Squat , 550 reps 3 sessions
  • Lying Toes to Bar , 289 reps 3 sessions
  • Handstand Push-Up , 167 reps 3 sessions
  • Lateral Burpee over Dumbbell , 146 reps 3 sessions
  • Reverse Hyperextension on GHD , 141 reps 3 sessions
  • GHD Glute-Ham Raise , 114 reps 3 sessions
  • Burpee Box Jump , 76 reps 3 sessions
  • False Grip Strict Chest-to-Ring Pull-Up , 53 reps 3 sessions
  • Half Front Squat Hold , held 3 sessions
  • Prone Floor Handstand Against Wall , held 3 sessions
  • BikeErg , 16,875 m 3 sessions
  • 224.5 kg, Deadlift
  • 172.4 kg, Back squat
  • 115.7 kg, Squat clean
  • 111.1 kg, Clean & jerk
  • 107.5 kg, Bench press
  • 86.2 kg, Snatch
  • 81.6 kg, Strict press
  • 50, Strict pull-ups
  • 28, Toes to bar
  • 4,245 m, SkiErg, 20 min
  • 4:20, 1 km
  • 7:32, Mile
  • 24:31, 5 km
  • 55:28, 10 km
  • 2:10:13, Half marathon
  • 60 km, Longest run
  • 51,439, Steps in a day
  • 143,357, Steps in a week
  • 495,086, Steps in a month
The Garage
The system

The Garage

Under the entrance hall, down a ladder. No door, no ramp, no explanation for the car. There is a very large chart on the wall.

The fleet

The blue chart is the actual org: me at the top, agents doing the work. Cranium holds the state, subagents run in isolated contexts, and anything load-bearing ships behind a machine check rather than my good judgement.

Most of what you’ve seen in this house was built this way.

How did the car get in?

It didn’t. There’s a ladder and a trap door, and that’s it.

Some things in a house don’t need to survive scrutiny — they just need to be there.

The marker

The chart on the wall is drawn in this. It gets redrawn more often than anything else down here — every time a job I used to do by hand turns into a box with an agent in it.
The Porch
Contact

The Porch

Two lanterns on, a letter on the bench, the path switchbacking down to the mailbox. Come say hi.

Say hi

Every way in, in the order I answer them:
zstg2000@gmail.com
WhatsApp — +60 11 2318 1216
or just call

Building something, hiring, or just want to compare notes on agents? Drop a line.