King Of Konnect

There’s something about innovation; it attracts. And that’s what Konncet did to us. We found an advertising agency that thinks differently. Co-founded and led by Kennedy Amos, Konnect is inspiring young entrepreneurs, helping businesses build their dreams, and setting long-lasting values and systems. Sit back and listen to the inspiring story of Kennedy Amos, Co-founder and CEO, Konnect.

Thank you for honouring our invitation You’re welcome.

Why do you deem it fit to share your story? As an entrepreneur, other people’s stories inspire and encourage me through the process. What if those people hadn’t told their stories? I probably won’t be here today. In the same way, other people’s business ideas, their motivations or turning points could lie in my story. So I must share it.

If you were to explain what Konnect does to a 5-year-old, how will you put it? Konnect tries to ensure that the person who wants sweets, is linked to the person who sells the best sweets.

Wow, great analogy. When did it all begin and what inspired it? I studied Geology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. During my 300 level, I was hit with a new perspective. I realised that Nigeria needs more employers of labour; more problem-solvers, so I decided not to limit myself to Geology. I loved my course, but I wanted to try something new as well. I felt I could go beyond it, to solve more societal problems. That was when the whole “school na scam” thing hit deep. Not that we are not benefitting from school, but what we get is not enough; we need to be taught to be innovative; to have the entrepreneurial spirit.

So during one very boring lecture, my mind drifted to this again. I began to think about students that are doing really great things on campus, but aren’t recognised. Their customers are out there but they haven’t been given enough publicity. So I thought, what if we bring these people to the limelight? I began to imagine a space where adverts are run and information is disseminated. I got so excited at the possibility that I opened an email there and then in class. I got my first customer not long after. We ran her ads and she had a considerable turnover. I ran the business for a while, and we were doing well, but it got to a point where I felt the need to do more. I wanted to create a system where 90% of students, irrespective of department or level, are aware of what shows are happening on campus, what businesses are opening, etc. Not that after a show happens or a business moves, a student begins to wonder how come they never even knew about it in the first place. At that point, God inspired me to have one person from each level to represent Konnect in getting and disseminating information through adverts.

And did it work? Yes, it did. It worked. We grew to about 300 student reps from OAU and other universities. So it did the job, but because we had to pay for manpower and all, it was not so financially rewarding.

Was it frustrating? Not getting a good financial reward? Well initially, getting the reward was not on my mind per se, I just wanted to see if it can work. Through adverts, I wanted to tell the world about people who are doing great jobs.

What is the system like? How does Konnect work?

Konnect was built to take advantage of the WhatsApp status initiative. I remember when Instagram came out. I was still quite young then and a friend was asking if I had heard of Instagram. It sounded so strange to me, and I asked what it was and he explained it to me. Looking back, I realise how ignorant I had been, so I made up my mind that I will always try to keep up with trends. So when I was thinking of Knonnect, I was thinking of WhatsApp stories simultaneously. Konnect was built to make use of it. How it works is that people pay for an advert, and then representatives advertise the client’s products or services on their WhatsApp statuses.

So this is done only on WhatsApp? Yes

So the higher a client pays, the more representatives display their adverts? Yes, the more reps and the longer the duration, depending on the package selected. All reps are required to have a minimum of 100 views per day so that each client gets a good number of views even if they pick a small package. If a package allows for only five reps for 24 hours, for instance, the client will get 500 views for their adverts.

We understand that owning a business in Nigeria is not child’s play. People complain of electricity and water problems, taxes, cheating and so on. How do you deal with these? Since your organisation is largely remote, you may not encounter most of the challenges that come with a physical location, but how do you handle those that come your way? Well like you said, we don’t directly encounter challenges like light, high cost of fuel to run a generator, etc. But we do experience it indirectly. Sometimes a representative is unable to post an ad. Why? No light to charge their devices. Data costs are also high and sometimes we have to adjust our prices to match inflation. But generally, there haven’t been many challenges for us.

I guess we can say that’s your grace. Yes exactly. (laughs).

What are the most important skills an entrepreneur should have? First, problem-solving. That’s even the definition of entrepreneurship. So an entrepreneur must be a problem-solver and must be ready to take the risk that comes with it. Then discipline, because everything about your character will be tested. For us, having people management skills has also been very essential because our representatives are many. It takes wisdom to handle that number. Customer service, speed and implementation are also paramount. Like Mark Zuckerberg said, move fast and break things. Then finally I’ll say financial accounting and management skills; knowing how to build a structure.

What would you say to people who want to start a business, but are driven by the wrong motives?

(sigh) Well, I understand. I know Nigeria is tough and we all need a way out. That’s the most common wrong motive; the drive to make money. For others, the wrong motive maybe peers pressure: everyone is starting a business and you feel like you’re the only one lazing around. But it’s important to know that when we go into anything for the wrong motive, we will eventually get frustrated. Passion is what keeps entrepreneurs. If you have all the skills in the world but you’re not passionate; you’re not committed, not willing to stay no matter what because of the future you see; you will be discouraged. You will be discouraged by the disappointments, weighed down by the stress, surprised by the financial investment and taken aback when you meet different characters. So sit back, relax and think of what you want to do. Not everyone can be an entrepreneur, but everyone can have an entrepreneurial spirit. I have people in my organisation that is so committed to the vision, you’d think they own it. You don’t have to open your own business if you don’t have the right motives. You can work for a company, yet be one of its most priced assets. I didn’t make a career out of geology, even though I still plan to, but right now, some people are using that same geology to solve problems. You can solve problems in your sphere. That’s what Nigeria needs; problem-solving minds.

Has there been any bad experience? If yes, how do you handle such? Yes. If there were no negative stories, that would’ve been a miracle. Sometimes a client is not satisfied with the rate of conversion they get after we display their ads. And sometimes the complaint is from those who make a purchase when we advertise. They may complain that the product or service was bad or delayed, or something. When we receive these negative stories, we always try to make amends. I’m a strong advocate for good customer service, something that we take quite lightly in Nigeria. I believe that we should do unto others what we want them to do to us. If I was offered bad service, I’d like the organisation to make amends, so I do it for others too, even if it means a refund. And then we take caution not to repeat such mistakes. For example, in 2020 some Ponzi schemes came to us for adverts. Unfortunately, we fell into the trap of some, because they weren’t straightforward; they didn’t tell us that this was what they did. So we ran ads for some of those schemes. People began to complain to our representatives that they didn’t get back the money they invested, or the company had shut down or something. Now we know better about Ponzi schemes and we’ve stopped taking such orders.

So there are values and guiding principles governing your operation? Yes, definitely. I’m a Christian and I have values so I try to bring my values into everything I do. Sometimes we can’t take a client’s order because of what their company represents. Recently, my co-founder’s friend reached out for us to run an advert. We had finalised the deal and he had even sent the money before we realised that what he wanted to advertise were sex toys. And we were like whoa, whoa, whoa. Our representatives are young; mostly students so we don’t want to encourage certain ideas. Besides, WhatsApp is very personal. Some people have their uncles and parents viewing their status, watching them in 3D, haha. So they have to be careful not to post what gives the wrong impression. Considering all these, we declined the offer and sent the money back.

Hope he wasn’t offended? No, he understood. I think he had an idea that we might reject the deal because even before he sent the money, we kept asking what his ad was about, and he never said anything. So I guess he thought that if we seal the deal and collect money before knowing what the ad is about, we won’t be able to decline the offer.

Setting values and keeping to them is hard, especially when it costs a young entrepreneur some money. What’s your advice for those struggling to pick between their values and money?

Think about the future, because when you break your values, you will end up feeling bad. Think about people who look up to you and know what you stand for. How will they feel, what will they say? You could appear as a hypocrite. We just pray that we don’t find ourselves in those desperate situations that make us compromise. Because it takes the grace of God to keep our values in those desperate situations.

Who has inspired you the most in this journey?

I would say Elon Musk, as far as business and entrepreneurship is concerned. First, I like the fact that he’s African; yes he was born on this continent and is now the richest person in the world. It inspires me to know that someone of African descent is doing such amazing work. It tells me that I can also excel on a global level, no matter my origin. Secondly, I admire how he dreams beyond human comprehension, and I am trying to build such a mindset. Then I admire how he has been able to push past circumstances to build his dream and future. Lastly-a funny angle- I discovered that Iron Man was modelled after Elon Musk. Iron man is a tech genius, and I love the character, so when I discovered that it was drawn from Elon Musk’s story, I began to admire Musk all the more.

What’s one habit that fuels your success? Observation, evaluation and proffering solutions. I’m always trying to see how we can improve and be better. We keep growing even as the world evolves.

How has the brand inspired others so far? I have seen brands that replicate Konnect. So far, others have been inspired by the innovation and were pushed to start theirs-either something completely different, or something similar. It’s exciting to see more problem-solvers pop up because of Konnect.

What books will you recommend for a budding entrepreneur?

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. That’s like the entry-level book for every entrepreneur. Then Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill also changes one’s mindset. It shows how men from ages past were able to generate insane wealth just by being innovative and resilient. How to Win Customers and Keep them for Life by Micheal LeBeouf is another powerful one. If I could force every Nigerian businessman to read that book, I would. It teaches customer service; how to value and treat people, which is one vital skill that is missing from most Nigerian businesses. Lastly, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and The Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki.

What do you enjoy the most as a business owner? Solving problems. Working with, and connecting with great minds. One day we were having a team meeting, and I was looking at everyone’s faces on the computer and I was like wow. It felt nice to know that one idea led to bringing all these people together. When it started, I was the only one who knew what Konnect was. I and God. But now, so suddenly, these people know it and are so passionate about it. I also enjoy pleasing our clients.

What are you most thankful for? God. God has been faithful. From the day the business began, we don’t put out major adverts. Clients just seem to come our way. Sometimes we have to turn some down when we’re overbooked. I think that happened in 2020. I have also met people of value, I’ve grown and had my self-control tested a lot. God has given me better ideas than I can imagine. So I am most grateful to have God.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in this journey? Business is a living thing; it’s a learning and growing process so we need to keep investing in it. I’ve seen brands go down because they were too quick to eat their returns. Business owners have to be patient; we have to keep investing. As the business flourishes, don’t relax; keep investing in its growth. Also, I have learned that people can either be a liability or an asset, so it’s very important who we start with and how we treat people.

Do you think it’s sustainable? In the next 5 to 10 years, with the rate at which tech is growing, will people still need an advertising agency?

Yes, I believe it is. The model might not be the same, but the idea behind the business will be sustainable. When I was going into this business, I had it in mind that as long as people will buy and sell in this world, they will always need someone to connect the people buying to those selling. Advertising will always be relevant. Tech doesn’t wipe out fundamental systems; it only improves on them. We will just have to find and use modern tools as tech grows.

So where do you see Konnect in 10 years? I see us spreading to every tertiary institution in Nigeria and then Africa. I see us working with major brands and still caring for the little guys. Whether big or small, so long as they are doing a good job, our job is to give them publicity.

Wow. Thank you so much for honouring our invitation My pleasure, thank you for having me.