Why Most Nigerian Startups Die Early & How to Launch Your Business in Just 7 Days

Most Nigerian startups fail before they actually launch. And of course, the reason why Nigerian startup fails are the reasons are varied. There are lots of reasons, but there's one particular reason that I like paying attention to. And for those of you who listen to the podcast, I guess you're not going to be surprised. And that's the reason of analysis paralysis. Basically, people are thinking and thinking and planning and planning and planning to plan.

And so because of that, you have people planning for months at an end, but they don't deploy anything. They don't build anything, they don't ship anything. That's the main reason why startup Nigerian startup ideas are failing, because a lot of you are planning to plan, a lot of you are dreaming to build. You're building nothing, you are deploying nothing. You're wasting weeks. You're wasting months thinking about the brand.

You're wasting all this time thinking, worrying about the website, worrying about tech, worrying about the back end. You should be thinking about how quickly you can build an MVP. That's a minimum viable product. A minimum viable product is just the smallest version of your idea that people can see, that people can interact with, that people can use. So you can get a sense of whether people think this, your software idea, this, your app,

this your enterprise solution, this whatever it is that you're trying to build. So that people can see and judge for themselves whether they like it or not, or whether they're willing to pay for it or not. That is what you should be doing. But even for those of you who think of building an MVP, you fall into the era of wasting too much time on planning or dreaming about building the MVP. You don't go ahead to build the damn thing.

That's the main reason why lots of Nigerian startups fail or rather that is one of the reasons that I want to pay attention to today in the podcast episode. Now, if you'd like to connect with me, you can call me, send me a text message via WhatsApp message on 080646621401 of the reasons why I'm talking about this today is because instead of just talking about it and complaining, I'm actually collaborating with someone who's trying to solve that problem.

And that's what I'm going to talk to you all about today. And there are a couple of podcast episodes that we're going to be talking about these particular issues, how we can solve these sorts of problems in the Nigerian startup space. Now, the average time I went online to go and look for. So excuse me. So I went online to go and look at some figures for the average time that it takes people to deploy world over. And to be honest, the figures that I saw, you know, I don't even trust those figures.

But just for the sake of, well, just for the sake of all I put it now to fulfill all righteousness, let me go ahead and share some of the data that I got now, some of the data that I found online. Oh, please, by the way, go and verify these figures for yourself is that on average, people are taking three to four months before they deploy their their ideas. Three to four months. And honestly, I think this is too, this is too generous because since I started the podcast, I hear from people all the time, especially people in the tech space, they think they have a brilliant idea they want to launch.

I'm currently working with somebody right now, a client of mine. I'm ashamed to say this, but I think it's about four years now. They still haven't launched. So there are people who play this game. They play this game for months, so say 30 to four months. I think it's too generous. Most people are spending more time than that. What I found online is when it comes to a no code product, that is your product idea, your service idea, your website idea,

your app idea. It doesn't require too much sophisticated code. Yeah, that most people take about two to four weeks before they start. There's some business ideas that you can launch just by putting up a landing page or building an online directory, you know, things like that. I think the most famous of these guys that did it is what's his name, this guy, the four week guy. Sorry, 4 hour workweek. Yeah, the four hour workweek.

I can't remember his name, but anyway, there's one of his products. How that is how he he launches product. He basically just, excuse me, basically just created a landing page. And from people placing orders on the landing page, you know, the guy was like, OK, we're good to go. This is a real business. This is a viable business. So the guy didn't waste time. If you just Google the four hour workweek, you know, you, you see the guy, you see the book, you know, he's a successful businessman and investor right now.

And that's how he got one of his ideas started. The guy just created landing page, and then the guy started, which is something I've been recommending for a very long time. For those of you in the tech space now, OK, this idea sounds pretty good. OK, create a landing page. Now push it out. Let's see, do people like this thing? Let's see how many people click. Let's see how many people want to buy. Let's see how many people want to subscribe.

Let's see how many people want to, you know, whatever, put up a landing page. So from what I saw online, it takes people on average 2 to 4 weeks. But man, nothing is too generous in Nigeria. I won't be surprised if you tell somebody in January, create a landing page and then in July, you're still asking the person, oh boy, how far? Where's the landing page? Meanwhile, no landing page, Basha, based on what I saw online, they said that most people are spending two to four weeks.

If the thing that they're trying to design is a simple no code solution, then I also found that for people who are in the SAS space, that is software as a service. They're taking about 8 to 12 weeks to launch. And again, I said that's too generous in Niger. I'm surprised some people are taking like 2 years before they launch if it's a SAS product, software as a service. So those are the kind of solutions that all I describe it now.

OK, Software as a service is when you build software, you deliver it online and you sell it to business businesses. How do I put it? No, let's just say software as a services, when you use software to solve problems, let me put it that way. So like those of us who used to be in the, you know, much more creative spaces, like what's it called? Not, not PowerPoint. What's it called? Photoshop. Yeah. So like Photoshop, for instance.

Yeah. That's software as a service. So in the old days you go buy Photoshop, Photoshop in the market, you install it on your computer. So right now you just download, I don't think it's called Photoshop anymore. My son keeps correcting me every time I say Photoshop. He says Adobe, Adobe, something sweet. So you go, you download Adobe whatever suite and you're using the the software to solve problems. So that's software as a service.

So from what from the information that I found online, most people who are trying to build the software as a service, they take about 8 to 12 weeks before they launch, before they deploy. So before they build a web app, before they build all their dashboards, they build their database. You know, they put payment integration on the website, everything taking them 8 to 12 weeks. But in on on, honestly, I think for Nigerian businesses, it's a lot longer than that.

I'm surprised if they're taking two years before they start. Then for enterprise solutions, people are taking about four to six months, four to six months. Now some of the challenges might be, excuse me, now people are trying to come up with their complex AI models. Of course, they have high security concerns. Then when you're building enterprise solutions, you know, there's also issues of, you know, regulatory issues,

compliant issues. You know, for those of you who want to build fintechs, you know, you need to wait for what this thing called, you know, approvals and licenses from CBN. You know, one of my clients is currently in that space. He's built something that is supposed to tack on to your banking app and then help you review your spending habits and things like that so that you can better budget, you know, prioritize your spending and then get a sense of your financial history.

You know, so over the last week, over the last month, over the last year, this is what I've actually been spending money on. So the guy is currently waiting for my profiles on CBN and, you know, stuff like that. So you know, enterprise solutions now, people who are building those sorts of things, enterprise solution basically just means all I put it now, gosh, all I describe it when you're selling to big businesses, basically big businesses, businesses that have good, good revenue, you know,

like maybe like 100 million and above big, big businesses. Like when this my guy finally gets the approvals, the, well, you know, ultimately he will want people like you and me to be downloading the app. But I think another way to access the market could probably be to approach, you know, banks, access banks, Zenith Bank, you know, all these big, big, big banks, you know, to see how this thing can be integrated. So you see, that's what we're talking about when we see enterprise level software, you know, selling to the big boys and the big girls, all those big, big companies now.

And of course they have big, big needs that go along with it. So from what I saw online, it says that people are launching in four to six months. And I say error, I'm saying is a lie. In Niger, I don't think anybody's building enterprise solution company are launching in six months. Now ourself, I'll say three years, four years before people even start. Now there's a problem when you're taking so much time to plan, when you're dreaming to plan, when you're dreaming of executing, every time people ask your boy, how far would this your idea?

Say I'm on it, I'm on the ground, I'm on the grind, I'm on the hustle. You don't have any specific updates that you have to give people. There's a problem. One problem is sometimes market needs change, consumer trends change, Consumers feel like they need something else. You know, competition comes in. You never know because you're wasting time. You are wasting too much time. My recommendation on the podcast has always been that you should try and talk to a couple of people before you start building.

That's what I talked about Discovery, I know in the last broadcast episode I spoke about it even though it was not related to software, but I figured, you know, talk to a couple of people, you know, maybe 5-10 people. If you figure out what people are interested in, what problems that they have, things like that, it will give you a sense on the kind thing where you go design or the kind of software, the kind of app that you would design.

Then the next stage you should go quickly into your whole UIUX design. You know, you where people, you know, you like your acronyms, UIUX, the user interface, the user experience. You start designing everything. But don't just be designing without talking to people. Talk to people first so they get all the data that you need to actually start designing something. Then after that you go into your core and feature development and then, you know, you roll it out,

people test it. You have to start debugging. Like one of my clients who they're creating an app, but the app, his own particular app is for tailors and fashion designers in Nigeria. So they're currently at this stage. So they've gone through all this. They spoke to a couple of people that determined the kind of app that they designed made it available for iOS and for Android. So we've gone through feature development and currently testing out the the app with a few.

I would have loved if they got up to 100, but they've not gotten up to 100 or sharp testing it now, you know, wrote it up, testing it a bugs coming up. How do you squash the bugs? You know, how do you fix the problems? You know, things like that. That's what they're doing. So you've been listening to my podcast for the length of time. You will know that that is my own recommendation. I've always said, look, you're spending too much time thinking just launch, get this thing moving, time is going.

People are not going to be sitting and waiting for you forever. Somebody else will start and say, oh, I had that idea before. And so I had that idea before. Does not pay the bills. It doesn't move anything forward. I hear that a lot. Oh, I had that idea before. Nothing new. And so, and quite frankly, before Uber became a thing internationally, I know one guy in Abuja, their office was not far from living faith in Durumi.

So that building that complex that is there that is made with K bricks, that's where the office used to be, I'm telling you was uncanny. I was was hearing the guy talking about this idea, talking about this idea. And I thought this idea will never work, never. Then, lo and behold, months after I started hearing this thing, Uber, Uber, Uber from Uber, he began to hear boats. And then now all these things all over the place.

Now, of course, I know that you'll be going around. OK, Well, he's a nice guy, so you probably won't say that. But if you tell somebody that I had this idea before Uber, you'll be justified by the end of the day. And so you had the idea before Uber. Did you build? Did you launch? No, you just had a good idea. So let us learn to ship. Let us learn to build. Let us learn to get things moving now. I told you guys that I'm collaborating with someone to solve this problem.

The company that they have come up with is called Ekanga Software Factory. Ekanga is IKENGA. For those of you who are a bit older, you know, those of you who are in, you know, like let me say 4045, maybe 50. You remember the books that we read in school, There was a book called Ekanga. Ekanga is like a anyway, let me not go into it. I'm not sure if the owners of the company want want me to talk about that aspect but ekanga software factory IKENGA if you want to find out about them online, just go to the website.

The website is very simple, 4 letters only. Listen, ekanga software factory, the website is IKSF dot Ng very simple. Ikanga software factory Nigeria IKSF dot Ng. That is what we've come up with. The whole point of coming up with Ikanga Software Factory again, IKSF dot Ng is #1 speed to market. In line with my own personal philosophy, boys and girls, you know, tech bro, tech sister, whatever it is you call yourself. Move speed to market.

Move. Take this your idea and go live. The idea behind Ikanga Software Factory is that no matter your idea, so long as you can describe your idea in plain English. Once you go to IKSF dot Ng, we'll deliver you a product within seven days. So long as you can describe your idea in plain English that all of us can understand. Remember, IKSF dot Ng Ikanga Software Factory, sorry if all you speak is house and then OK, we're going to have a problem.

You might need to find somebody you know, who can talk English and type English and all that, but so long as you can talk or type in ordinary English on IK SF dot Ng ekenga software factory, your product will be ready 7 days. Another problem that we're trying to solve is people are trying to launch products. And honestly, this is one of the reasons why, you know, you kind of take time, you talk to a software developer, you know,

today, in January, the guy will tell you, say, you know what, being like 5 M, no problem. But maybe you can't raise that five M. By the time you raise 5 M in three or four months and you come back, the guy was, you know, you know it in the airport. I know this economy now you know how things they'd be now you supposed to bring 15 M, you say 15 M, you now have to start looking for money again. So the prices, they go up, the price they come down.

OK, well, in Nigeria, nothing comes down. The price they go up based on inflation, based on dollar, based on these, based on all kind of things. And then again, sometimes you raise the money, you give the software developer, the software developer starts to work. But then you'll now say, oh, Bros, you know, yeah, I do. This problem here, this problem here is supposed to bring 100K extra, 200 K extra, 500K extra. I can't think they cause serious confusion.

And that's one problem that Ekenga software Factory wants to get rid of. Remember Ekenga software factory IKSF dot Ng Ekenga software factory Nigeria So the boys behind the Kanga, they've come up with this thing so that trying to get your product to go live, trying to get your software to go live. Once you describe it in simple English from the beginning, they give you a price and that price is valid. Bam, If they have given you the price, that is the price.

There will be no extra. There'll be no based on, say, inflation don't rise. I'll be inflation don't fall. Or tenable economy this, tenable economy that. No, the price will be the price. Apart from the fact that you now know what the price is. They're going to bring things into different chunks. OK, Look, boss, Madam, for this, your idea to develop it, to build this website, to build this, to build that will break it into different chunks, even different trenches.

Stage A like this, Stage B like this. Stage C like this. And then they'll tell you exactly how much for stage A, this is how much you pay for stage B, this is how much for stage C, this is how much no surprises. The idea is when you're talking to normal, you know, software development boys, web development boys, app developer boys, and you know, surprises, the price will change. This, that, that, that, that. No, none of that, no surprises.

Before you start, there will be a price. How we will break this project up, It will be there. What will be the price for each stage of developing this, your idea, it will be there. Another problem that the boys are the Kanga software factory want to solve is this. No locking. If you start and you don't like the way things they progress and you find somebody else who you think is better, no problem. Carry your code, carry your property, you have paid, we go migrate time for you.

Carry it is your own, you paid for it won't tie you down. This is something I appreciate because I know that Nigerian web developer boys that I to play this game a lot. You tell them build website for me to say no problem, they will build it. The website is working no problem. You now discover one day that if you want to change anything or you want to move anything you want to do anything, you don't have to go back to them.

They're holding a website around some to say no. If you want to do this, you pay extra. If not to do that, you pay extra. You say huh, no, be my website. You find out that yes, they designed it for you, but they're the ones that are holding the they're holding the team under lock and key. If you don't pay them, Wahala, the Kanga software factory is not going to play those games, is your idea be you're the one that described it, Abby.

You're the one that said is how you wanted to be built. You're not happy again, no problem. Carry your code. Where do you want us to migrate the thing to the Kanga Software factory? Nigeria, again, IKSF dot Ng isn't this simple? Isn't this easy? Isn't this the sort of thing that allow you to launch quick, quick, quick? So if you want is a simple landing page, for instance, you know, window complicated, not too much code.

Instead of taking three to four months, you'll be ready to launch in seven days. Well, I forgot to mention you can go software factory. They're also offering free, free domain, free hosting costs. There's a bunch of other stuff that we can talk about, but let me just stop here and stay relevant to the topic that is on hand. Lots of Nigerian startup founders. The reason why we're not moving, the reason why you are feeling,

the reason why you're not making progress, the reason why you're not taking off is because you are spending too much time planning to plan, dreaming to develop, taking too much time. Just launch. Do you understand your idea enough to describe it in simple English? I repeat to in simple English. This thing does not require you to know any amount of code so long as you can describe this idea in simple English. If you go to IK SF dot Ng again,

Ikanga software factory Nigeria IKSF dot Ng, so long as you you can type or describe in simple English, we can get your product. We can get your software up and running in seven days. So reach out to them. It will ask you for code type in Ayede AYEDE or you can type in Tav TAV. Either way, if you talk to anyone, let them know that I'm the one that sent you. If they mess you up, come and tell me please. So I can go and tell them that look, you guys are not treating my people right.

So whether you check this out, you can go software factory Nigeria IK SF dot Ng whether you check them out or not, because nobody by force. Honestly speaking, stop wasting time. Talk to a couple of people. Find 10 people 10/20/30 who you think of a problem that you think your idea for software or your idea for an app can solve. Go and talk to them. Figure out what their problems are. Figure out what their challenges are.

Figure out what their needs are, figure out what their visions are. Figure talk to them. That is what will determine what you will design when it comes to UI and UX, user interface and the user experience. Remember I told you I've walked through one of my clients with this from I think November, December into January this year. They spoke to a couple of tailors and fashion designers first. What are the problems that fashion designers and tailors?

What problems are they suffering? What vision are they moving towards? What problems are they trying to solve in their business based on that? That is what informed the thing that the web developer now designed and the app that they now designed made it available for Android and for iOS for Apple. So was the conversation with people that determined what it is that they designed and all the features that they put in it.

So whether you check out Ikenga software Nigeria, software factory Nigeria or not, again, IKSF dot Ng go through the simple process, talk to 10/20/30 people based on that insight, design something then excuse me, create an MVP minimum viable product, the smallest version of that software or that app that people can engage with. Let them start using it as they're using it. If there's problem, they will tell you, oh boy, problem D,

when we click on this, this one did not work, or when we clicked on this, this one worked too much, or whatever, whatever kind of problems come up with these things. Then you go to Patcham, you go to debug, you go to mend, you go to squash the box from this process. You will now know when, OK, we're ready. We can now go live. We can now start shipping this to the general public and we can start charging money. Basha, whether you go with Ikanga Software Factory Nigeria IKSF dot Ng, whether you go with us or not, this is the process that you need to go through because honestly, it frustrates me.

Then I'm still talking to somebody. The current client, it's been 4 years, they never sheep. Four years a child that was born four years ago is in primary school now when I never sheep or people will be talking months. You guys remember when I spoke about the lady who this one was not software related. She wanted to be in the jewelry business. How was I think was like entry in five months like how far she says she's still a brand.

She said a plan. She's still thinking about the website five months. Please don't let this be you anyway, so that's it. I remember you would love to connect with me or if you get any issues because you've been dealing with them, you can't go software factory numbers me, call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If they're not taking good care of you, let me know so I can go and knock them on the head and say, look, this is not we agreed.

All right. So thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you all at the next episode.