DIYlaw’s paper anniversary, and some 9 things

Since they say co-founder relationships are like marriages, I guess we deserve a Happy Paper Anniversary greeting.

Thank you, you are far too kind :)

Some have sister-friends, I have sister-co-founder-friends. We work, laugh, play, fight, argue, but most importantly we create, we build and are committed to making impact and causing a dent in the world. No, we don’t want to take over the world -___-.

They indulge all my bad behaviour including taking poor selfies :)

We must have done something right in our former lives because not only have we been blessed with ourselves, we have also been blessed with a team that is committed to creating magic.

We need to Photoshop Bola into this picture.

Our (acceptable looking front-end, incomplete and in disarray back-end) website was launched late hours of September 17, 2015. We were hopeful but didn’t know what to expect. We were not sure anyone was going to buy anything. Not like we were selling consumables like food or clothes that we could just go begging our family and friends to just buy for the sake of supporting us.

It is funny so laugh!

You cannot imagine our wild ecstasy that filled our hearts when Customer Zero who was in no way affiliated to three of us came knocking on our doors the very next day, September 18. Emmanuel Oluwatosin, thank you for believing in us and taking a chance on three girls who just want to build and make a difference.

That first order was the start of a huge learning experience. We thought we had most things on lock-down, but I can tell you categorically that those who came up with the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) are not liars! All the things we did before launch are what Nigerians call “theory”. If you’re not selling, you are not learning all there is to learn, your customers are your best teachers.

Since that time, our team has doubled, technology improved, products increased, processes better and even though there are still a million and one things to learn, and improve on, we are counting-down to exiting beta. A baby has to grow up at start crawling at some point. *sigh*.

So a few random thoughts, lessons, experiences over this 1 year:

1. A company can only go as far as its people are willing to go. I don’t mean to brag, but we have a pretty awesome team.
2. This country has little love for small businesses. So here are the federal mandated deductions,contributions, remittances we make, VAT, PFA, NSITF, ITF, NHF, PAYE and because we think working at a startup should not deprive you of the benefits of working in a “corporation”, we pay HMO too. We’ll also have to pay CIT, ET etc. at the end of the year. Tell me why I will want to increase my staff strength and increase my bukata? (If you want to know the meaning of those abbreviations or bukata, Google is your friend.)
3. Yorubas say “Eyan ni aso ibora eyan”. Google translates it as “One blanket persons” so I’ll help here. It could be interpreted as “relationships are your greatest assets”. We have been beneficiaries of immense kindness from friends and family. I considered mentioning a few here but because we have been shown so much love, I am sure I will miss out some people. So to every single person out there - gosh! our parents are amazing! (I have to make an exception there and give them a special shout-out) - we (Bola, Funkola and I) are deeply, deeply grateful. We know we cannot repay you but our hearts pray for you.
4. In your early days, do whatever you need to do to stay lean and liquid. With Funkola in our team, we have no problem there. I tell you it is easier to get water out of a rock, than to get Funkola approve a spend. She’s skillful like that!
5. Fire bad employees and consultants early. You will be glad you did so. The pleasures and peace of a better option after such an experience is like the first rays of sunshine that came out yesterday after this unending Lagos rain, not the scorching sunlight ooo, first rays, that sweet part.
6. Be open to ideas and criticism, you will be surprised at how many donkeys are able to speak out there. There are lessons to be learnt from everyone. Even when you push back or argue, in your alone moment, reflect over what was said and imbibe what is important.
7. Always, always separate the wheat from the chaff. I am not contradicting #6. Stay open to ideas and criticism but do not swallow everything hook, line and sinker. If you do, you are on your own because you will go mad and not make progress.
8. Create a goal extremely bigger than yourself, then keep expanding it. This is no motivational talk but you are only as driven as what is in front of you. Sometimes, actually many times, our dream scares me.
9. Just because I don’t want to end with an even number, there has to be a number 9 so the lesson in number 9 is do things #JustBecause :).

I am full of gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey, some supporting us even before the journey began or was birthed. Please do not leave us just yet, because this is the first step of our thousand miles journey.

With much love and gratitude,

Odun