The Relentless Journey of an Entrepreneur-Inventor
At Infinite Icons, we believe extraordinary entrepreneurs are not defined by a single breakthrough but by their persistence to keep reinventing themselves. Here’s the story of Aamir Shakir, CEO and co-inventor of Robo Sous Chef.
Based in Princeton, New Jersey, Aamir’s path has spanned from e-commerce booms to failures that became lessons, to now the cutting edge of robotics. His story is proof that persistence, vision, and focus can turn even the simplest of ideas into world-shaping innovations.
Aamir often says his entrepreneurial journey began “the moment I first made money.” Long before robotics, he tried his hand at ventures ranging from an ice cream shop to flea market sales and even a software startup. None of them succeeded, but he never saw those experiences as wasted.
“The businesses I did worst in were the ones I didn’t fully understand. If I ever wanted to open a restaurant, I knew I’d first have to work in one. Education never stops in entrepreneurship.”
Those early experiments gave him some of his greatest lessons: learn deeply, experiment often, and commit fully.
In 2001, while still a senior developer at JP Morgan, Aamir listed a carpet he no longer needed on eBay. It sold almost instantly and something clicked.
“It was the easiest money I ever made. I didn’t even have to talk to a client. They paid, I shipped, they were happy and so was I.”
Within months, he left his stable corporate career to pursue e-commerce full time.
For a decade, eBay was his main playground. But in 2011, Aamir spotted a new frontier: Amazon. Within months of selling there, his business eclipsed everything he had achieved before.
The turning point came on Black Friday of 2014:
“We went from selling 20 – 30 items a day to 900 in a single day. That was the moment I knew Amazon was the future.”
It may sound cliché, but with rapid growth inevitably came competition. By 2018, revenues kept rising while profits shrank under the pressure of price wars. For Aamir, it was both a success and a warning, he needed to pivot before the model collapsed.
If there’s one theme across Aamir’s journey, it’s persistence in the face of setbacks.
“If you’re afraid of failure, entrepreneurship will be very painful. The truth is, you’re going to fail many, many times, even when you’re successful. The key is to learn quickly, keep moving, and never let a failed venture define you.”
To him, ideas only matter when tested against reality. He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to validate ideas with small experiments, write down numbers, and keep their eyes open to what the market says.
“If you don’t put it on paper, you’re not in business. You’re just dreaming.”
By 2016, Aamir was ready to return to his roots in technology. He wanted to build something that could truly impact billions of lives. That search led him to food automation and eventually to what would become Robo Sous Chef, an intelligent, fully automated cooking system designed to support commercial kitchens.
“It’s not a chef, it’s a sous chef, something that helps, not replaces. That’s where we saw the opportunity to truly innovate.”
After years of development and setbacks, including a four-year stall during COVID, the first machines launched at the end of 2023.
One of Aamir’s biggest challenges is balancing the roles of inventor and businessman.
“It’s really, really tough. Balance is one of the hardest parts about being a business owner. When it’s invention time, I focus on invention. But once the product is ready, I have to close the inventor in me and say, ‘Now it’s time to sell.’ Otherwise, you’ll never bring your dream to life.”
Robo Sous Chef is already on version five, but Aamir knows the danger of over-perfecting. At some point, you must stop tinkering and let the market decide.
Every invention faces unexpected hurdles. For Robo Sous Chef, one of the biggest was the pot itself. Early prototypes used coatings that wore out in days, something unacceptable for the U.S. market.
Instead of outsourcing the problem, Aamir became a student again. He researched cookware materials, tested brands, consulted global manufacturers, and ultimately helped design a breakthrough: a sealed nitrated pot with a special oxidized coating built to last.
“As a CEO, you have to become an expert really fast. Sometimes that means getting your hands dirty and solving problems at the grassroots level.”
Aamir is quick to challenge the glamourized image of CEOs. “CEO sounds like a big name, but until you’re a large organization, it’s just you. You’re accounting, HR, janitorial services and everything. And when things go wrong, it’s still your responsibility.”
For him, leadership means owning every outcome, especially the mistakes. It also means the discipline of facing numbers honestly; writing down P&Ls, checking profitability, and never hiding from the truth.
If he could go back, Aamir says he would learn the power of focus sooner. In his younger years, he spread himself across too many ventures, often diluting his impact. “If you try to do 10 things okay, you won’t succeed at any. But if you focus deeply on one thing, you can build something great. That’s what Apple did. One product done incredibly well can change everything.” Today, his focus is absolute: Robo Sous Chef.
Despite the sleepless nights and risks, Aamir is passionate about the entrepreneurial life.
“Business is fire. It’s dangerous, it can burn you, but it also lights your way. If you’re listening to this, you probably already feel that fire inside you. Just know what you’re playing with.”
And his advice to dreamers?
“Try it. Learn about it. Play with it. Don’t be afraid. Your fears are just feelings. That goosebump moment when you get something right is something you’ll never forget. And the best part is, you can create that moment whenever you want, as long as you’re willing to try.”
For Aamir Shakir, the future is clear: to prove that food automation is not science fiction, but an urgent solution for today’s kitchens.
“I believe Robo Sous Chef is close to a billion-dollar idea. I want to see it through. To me, focus is everything. Right now, it’s Robo Sous Chef. That’s my fire.”
From eBay carpets to kitchen robotics, Aamir’s journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is never a straight line. It’s a cycle of dreaming, building, failing, learning, and reinventing, and for those who persist, it can light the way to extraordinary innovation.
