Firstly, shoutout to every kid without siblings or parents. I understand your loneliness and how much you desire to trust and be in an enabling environment that fosters your growth. I never had my mom or dad, and neither did I have siblings, but I am here to tell you it is not the end of the world. Your dreams are valid.
"Mbelede ka eji ama Dike" — Ndidi Nwuneli
Translation: disasters help to sift out the brave, resilient, and resourceful.
Throughout the course of my life, I have experienced God's grace in every facet of my life. In this article, I am writing about His grace over my professional life and how one thing happened fast on the heels of the other, as promised in Amos 9:13-15 MSG.
Catalyst
It was 2019 and I had a burning desire to be the greatest at everything I did. The problem was that I was not doing much. So I knew I had to start doing more to enable me achieve my dream of being the greatest at whatever I did. Essentially, I had to solve problems.
Connecting the dots: Traveler, there is no road; you make your own path as you walk. As you walk, you make your own road, and when you look back, you see the path. — Antonio Machado
Enablers
As they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. For me, that first step was applying to a digital technology company for an unpaid intern position. I got the role and was offered a NGN 50,000 salary. Three months later, I was offered a permanent role as an Analyst and doubled my first salary. Till today, I remain thankful to Esigie Aguele and Angie for taking a chance on me.
Giving a product demo at TechCabal's mobility event
Those early rooms taught me the value of preparation, confidence, and putting myself forward even when the path was still forming.
My vision was more significant than this, so I did not stop there. I searched for more knowledge and found Edubridge Academy. I joined a cohort and learned a lot from the incredible minds there. Shoutout to Funmi, who taught me a bit of consulting, and Samuel for being dogged about my use of Excel.
Faith is the engine room of dreams.
One of my many attributes is my desire and hunger to build technology that works and improves our way of life. This led me to seek more knowledge and do more work. I took a six-week course on Product Management at ProductDive, where I met Tobi Otokiti, who is now a mentor.
Curiosity is a strong counterpoint to fear. Fear impedes your drive or desire to try. Curiosity releases it.
My newly attained knowledge in product management and leadership capacity impacted my work, and within the year I got a second promotion with double my previous salary.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." — Jeremiah 29:11
The impact of some of my work led to one of Africa's major fintech acquisitions: MFS Africa's acquisition of Capricorn Digital. I built Baxibox 2.0 with the Capricorn Digital team as a product consultant between August 2020 and November 2020. Following this success, I was offered the role of Product Owner at Interswitch on October 20, 2020. Like almost every other Nigerian youth, that day is etched in my memory because it marked such a grim landmark in our recent history.
I officially commenced my role in November, joining as a Product Owner. Six months later, I was promoted to lead API products across the entire organization. Interswitch is Nigeria's first digital technology unicorn and paved the way for many others. Special shoutout to Moe for helping negotiate the first offer, Nnanna for being a big brother, and Debbie for holding it down whenever we needed each other.
Above all things, seek ye first the kingdom and all things will be added to you. — Matthew 6:33
Our God the Enabler of Destinies
God's best is never in the past but always in the future.
I was progressing in leaps, but I still wanted more for myself. I prayed about it as I typically do, and opportunities abounded. Ultimately, I chose the UK Global Talent route.
I moved to London on April 7, 2022, as a Global Talent in digital technology. Shortly after, I joined RedCloud Technology as a Product Owner for API products.
RedCloud Technologies' vision is to enable Open Commerce. In simple terms, this means restructuring the supply chain to democratize the way business is conducted today.
At the time of writing, I was Head of Platform Services & Integrations at RedCloud. In simpler terms, I described my role as a hybrid between core technology and technical product management. I enjoyed the work and the impact I was able to make across integrations, architecture designs, patterns, and structures. Operating in a role where I could apply my core strengths gave me great joy.
When you do, no contrary label will fit you: know thyself.
When I look back on my journey over those four years, I am astounded by how much and how quickly things happened. I am blessed to have had people placed on my path who have held my hands and made the journey smoother and less lonely.
To every dreamer, know that your dreams are valid and God, the maker of all good things, will guide you. As Psalm 32:8 says: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."
Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success. — Kobe Bryant
There is more work to be done, and it is only day one.
