I have been involved in some start-ups before I went back into corporate employment :). While some failed, I experienced some form of success in others.
- Secondary School Days: As most children do, I caught the entrepreneurship bug. I was selling groundnuts, bread, drinks and ice blocks to university students. It was an interesting adventure. And yes, I made some cool cash too.
- Got involved in setting up another startup in my 2nd year in the university – Obafemi Awolowo University. We were writing codes for fellow students. I still remember when I had to write different versions of a program that can aid in the posting of potential corps members to different states in Nigeria based on sex, state of origin and marital status. The codes were written in Fortran.
- Studio247: This was a business I started with 3 friends while on campus for the sole aim of delivering year books to final year students. We were able to deliver year books to 7 departments and fellowships. Did we make money? I think YES. I later went ahead to found e-nnova media with two of the friends immediately after school.
- Student Konsult: This was a business arm of my fellowship – Student Christian Movement – that I helped to run. We started the first home delivery photocopying business on campus and at cheaper rates. Students just needed to drop the documents they wanted to photocopy and we would handle the rest.
- In 2002, I started e-nnova media with two friends (Seun Olajide and Abimbola Fashua of blessed memory). We focused on delivering high quality web design services, value added services (mainly SMS-based services), flash animations, CD productions and even graphic works. Our clients were individuals, private and government institutions. Some of our clients were multi-nationals and government universities. I still believe this company would have gone ahead to deliver great services if Bimbo is still alive. I have vowed to revisit this dream one day.
- In 2004, I started Nairahost with a e-friend – Kayode Muyibi – that I met online. The interesting thing is that both of us are still yet to meet face-2-face till today. I later brought in Seun Olajide from e-nnova media on-board. This web hosting company being run by e-nnova media, started out of the need to provide affordable and reliable hosting solution for Nigerians, became the leading web hosting provider in Nigeria within 3 years. The company was eventually sold to Web4Africa.
- I was also involved in helping to setup Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PINigeria). See http://www.pin.itgo.com/Team.html