My Walk with Digital Opportunity Trust Kenya
The process of starting a startup is never natural. It calls for you to be able to identify your assets, skill sets and above all, the attitude needed to get things done. The aspect of running a startup successfully calls for lots of exposure, training on real facts and more so panel beating your beliefs to be like those of the situation on the ground. Skills in entrepreneurship are a rare commodity and they are offered by few individuals and institutions. Digital Opportunity Trust Kenya (DOT Kenya) is such an organization. I joined the organization at the crucial time for me as the business was in the process of launching our trading activities for Mlinzi.co.ke. Frankly, a lot of assumptions had not been validated within the business. We already had the solution in mind, but we were never sure that it was what our customers wanted or needed. The training came in handy, since it was during the learning process that I was able to implement what I had learnt to correctly position our young startup. The instruction on Human Centered Design, Personal Branding, and Articulating Your Vision were the most helpful as they enabled us to rethink and strategize the important aspects for the success of our enterprise and individual lives.
Peterson Macharia, Ann Nderitu and Petronilla Ogola of DOT Kenya have along the way developed my tenacity and power to do more through their grilling. Selling our vision to investors through pitching and gaining negotiation skills are some of the vital skills that I have acquired along the way. I am now able to face potential investors and partners with confidence and convince them to invest in our business. Using this skills more organizations like MercyCorps and The HiiL Justice Accelerator are interested in our work.
I believe that with a strong foundation we can do more as an organization and as individuals. Our goal is to create solutions built on technology, this can only be possible if we agree to become students of life and acquire as many skills as we can along the way. This way, we will become a bulwark of progress and are testimonies of what continuous learning can do.
Lastly, I would encourage youth to embrace entrepreneurship as it is the solution to many challenges our societies face. Let us also purpose to optimize all opportunities that come our way since we cannot afford to pass opportunities over repeatedly.
We are the FUTURE. We are MADE of MORE.
