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On my way to my first startup

zooboole

Published By zooboole

Entrepreneurship is the ultimate destination to apply one's skills for anyone who has acquired a considerable level of experience. This is where you can prove that what you make is useful or not.

I have been creating products for people and businesses for many years now, and I have to say that things are different when you decide to become like these people or businesses.

After few months in working on my MVP, this is what I have to say:

It's just hard to make people pay you in your absence. And people, even close relatives, don't just give you money when you need it for business

To make people pay you for your service even when you are not there is the ultimate goal for most businesses including mine. While this might sound too simple, every setup(offices, websites, employees, etc) of such companies are there to achieve that simple goal. Imagine the whole Google, with trillions in value, is to make that happen.

In my little journey into this new universe of business, I have taken notice of considerable challenges that I have to deal with every day:

1. Building and iterating the product

As a software developer, and graphic designer, with experience working with many people offer many years, I thought this stage would have been a breeze. No, rather, it's an ever-ending task with the same constant needs of hard work, attention, and improvement. The pressure to make an efficient and scalable product is higher.

2. Sharpening the business model and the target customers

I am realizing that no idea is permanently fixed. I remember when I started lancecourse.com, it was to make a Q&A site for my classmates at NIIT. Then I ended up serving people in the USA, UK, India, etc. While with OYakoo stores I started with an African market in mind, I've started to see more and more people outside that context picking interest in the product. This forces me to rethink the business model as well. You need to adapt in business.

3. Getting my early users

So far, this has been the hardest for me. I had no background in sales or marketing. I have never deliberately worked in direct contact with consumers. This time, I have to take my backpack and get into the market and meet people, pitch the product, and receive criticism. But, overall, I think it's the most vital element to the life of a business. It helps us to build the product that people want.

4. Marketing and sales effort

I have realized that to achieve the goal stated earlier, I have to build systems that operate independently, and marketing in the tool. When I use to build products for people, I never thought of that aspect. Sometimes I marvel at how some websites we build are poorly imagined by the owners, and they still succeed with it. They are good at marketing.

5. Honing my fundraising skills

Oh my God! Like I have always been shy in negotiating even as a software developer. Now I am facing a different reality. Even my close relatives will be like "state the exact amount you need and what you want to give me in exchange". I am realizing how important it's to know what you are doing exactly. I am realizing that doing business teaches us to be the best of our versions. Success is not something that happens by chance, they must be some deliberate actions toward a specific goal.

6. Learning to count money

Well, I thought could just use my money like in a music clip or a movie. For the first time, I have learned how important accounting and auditing are and why they even exist. Transparency is important to make the whole system hold together. When I learned the profit formula in primary school, this is how I imagined it: Revenue - Expenses. All in one line. Now this is how I see it:

7. Joining communities and learning from others

In general, being a software developer tends to make you a solo worker. This rule breaks with entrepreneurship. Working and learning with others is mandatory. I recently discover IndieHackers, a cool platform to learn from. I am learning so much from that platform.

Conclusion

The journey is just beginning. Although I have made some considerable progress in the development of OYakoo Stores, with the goals I have, we are just beginning. And I know there is so much ahead to learn. If you find this article interesting, kindly consider sharing it and subscribing to the newsletter for more on my entrepreneurial journey.