Start-up hustle: Comparing notes!

I went from the guy with almost 10 years’ experience working in various capacities for some of the biggest, and powerful companies in the world, to forming a Start-up with two of my friends, aimed at tackling the issue of Access to Quality Education in Africa due to lack of funds and capacity, which happens to be UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4.

Personally, I had no set expectation on what the experience will be like, but I was sure of ONE thing: the road to success will be tough, but we will ultimately build a strong and viable business. And yes, the journey has been indeed rough, though very rewarding, and as far as building a viable business, I’d like to think we are on the right path with some well documented traction. Only just recently, ScholarX was nominated in the Best App category in the West Africa Mobile Awards (WAMAS), launched in Ghana and, have begun to generate some revenue.

Through this whole experience, I have been well exposed to the Start-up “game”, yes, it is a game, and I believe there are no losers, only that outcomes and expectations may be different than forecasted. However, the experience and network gained is of upmost value that helps shapes one’s entrepreneurial trajectory. At least this is my perspective as a start-up founder; an Angel Investor/Venture Capitalist will most likely have a different opinion. They are in the business of putting in X amount of money in a start-up, and expect at least a 10X return.

What I’d like to do to conclude my thoughts on the journey so far; is to share a few insights on what the Start-up “Hustle” is, and is not.

The Hustle is…