In a meeting earlier today, this young buck couldn’t resist spilling his visionary beans. His idea? A piece of cake and a fantasy all rolled into one. But oh, the naysayers pounced like hungry hounds, howling about the ludicrousness and impossibility, especially given Nigeria’s notorious quirks.
Well, let me tell you, I was boiling. My displeasure practically radiated through my expressions and words. Seriously, folks, could we just quit it? Geez! Instead of shooting the idea down like it’s a clay pigeon, how about we throw a few mind-bending questions at him? You know, spark his mental engines, push him to dive into research, and hunt down that elusive “make it work” treasure.
And let’s flashback, shall we? A few moons ago, I was about ready to pull out all my hair while wrestling with cabbies en route to the airport. Next meeting, I’m all about this grand notion to automate the cab chaos in Lagos. What did I get? The grand ol’ verdict that my idea was impossible, pure and simple. Apparently, a nutty notion in the chaotic circus we call Lagos or Nigeria.
Fast forward a spell, and poof, Uber appears, trailing others in its wake. Talk about feeling a tad foolish. But hold your horses, we’re not done yet. The same old story played out with eCommerce in Africa. I whipped up a digital marketplace back in ’04, and boy, did I catch the “it’ll-never-work-here” bug again. It’s like a broken record, “This is Africa, not America!” I definitely couldn’t raise investment to scale.
Then, guess what strolls in? Jumia, strutting its stuff like it owns the place. And the history books have been updating themselves ever since.
So, here’s the deal, even if your notion looks nuttier than a fruitcake, go on and dream it. I’m talking dream big, dream wild, dream like it’s nobody’s business. And then, you haul your dream-chasing self to work. If it’s got a shot at making the world a better place and it’s bigger than your morning coffee, chances are the God slipped it into your noggin for a reason. So take a breather, sit back, and trust the process. Your patience just might turn that crazy idea into the next best thing since sliced bread.
Cheers! ❤️