I adore entrepreneurs in the tech industry because they are very collaborative.Whiles growing up as soon as i could think for myself i knew i wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have read a lot of literature on entrepreneurship and how it is good for every economy especially third world economies. Most times, i google the phrase "young entrepreneurs" for motivation and inspiration. This is how i found about tech entrepreneurs and silicon valley. I became really amazed at how young people were using technology to build products and have real influence in the world. I also liked how the tech sector allowed young ones to experiment with their idea. I bet you if i had not read about technology and entrepreneurship, i still would not have known what angel investing and venture capital is. One thing i found out was if you got it right in the tech sector, entrepreneurship can be very rewarding financially.
The most important lesson i have learned whiles reading about technology as an African is the power of collaboration. How people came together usually friends, university roommates or individuals with a common interest, share ideas and build products. Anytime i think of tech greats, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates easily come to mind. But these people didn't achieve it alone. Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak. Bill gates had Paul Allen. Now take a look at some of the most popular tech companies Google, Yahoo. Paypal,Cisco you realize that they were all not founded by a single individual.
What of social media? The same goes for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest all have more than one founder. What this tell me is that there is real strength in collaboration and the ability to find someone who is strong where you fall short is key for succeeding in business. Finding someone who you share the same goals, objective and world view to partner is sometimes better than going in alone. Entrepreneurship is not easy, 'being your own boss' is not easy and exceptionally hard in Africa. But it is a major way of reducing the teeming unemployment rates and the hopelessness surrounding us.Therefore the best advice Silicon Valley entrepreneurs can give to young African entrepreneurs is "You don't have to do it alone"...
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