Hi,
Welcome to MWAVC, a newsletter about finance, investing, venture capital and all that jazz. My name is Ato (more about me here) and I try to write every single day. Most of it is stuff I find interesting that I’d like to share and hear your thoughts on. If you’d like to sign up, you can do so here. Or just read on.
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Came across a speech I gave in Kigali in 2018 at a youth conference. I was quite tempted to edit some parts but I didn’t change a thing (transparency and all of that). Parts of it are corny but this is a judgement-free zone so spare me the laughter (laughter). Surprisingly or unsurprisingly not much has changed about me since 2018 but if I were to give another speech, I know I’d do a better putting a speech together. But still salient advice and teachings in the speech. Happy reading
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I’d like to start off by thanking [the organizers] for inviting me to join the conversation at YouthKonverse this week. I actually flew in from Ghana on Sunday night, and it was a good trip. Probably made better by the fact that I wasn’t encumbered by a ton of luggage. I’ve been trying this new minimalist route, and I realized yesterday how easy life gets when you do that. I rolled out of bed a couple hours before my flight and threw 5 kaftans in a suitcase and was done. Even my neighbors kid likes my new style. I was in my office the other day when he called from across the wall, ‘Uncle Ato? Do you always wear pajamas to school?’ I said yes, yes I do.” (laughter)
Well for those of you I haven’t as yet met, my name is Ato, and I’m a world economic forum global shaper and an entrepreneur. I won’t bother you with my title or what I do, I’m sure you’ll find that somewhere in the pamphlet or agenda or whatever and I’m happy to talk to you more about it if you come talk to me later in the day. Just make sure you bring enough money because you’re buying the drinks. What I am going to spend my short time with you today doing is sharing with you five principles that I’ve carried along with me on my journey that I believe have been instrumental in building me into the person i am today.
1. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. - All through my entrepreneurial journey, I’m actually glad to say I’ve never been the smartest person in the room. Now wait…that doesn’t mean i don’t have anything to contribute but i’ve actively sought out partners who’s strengths are my weaknesses and whose weaknesses are my strengths. In starting RevisionPrep, I partnered with one of the smartest people i knew. Ike was one of my first friends and he was the only person who beat me for first position in class. While some people would be taken aback and probably be set with jealousy, I just said to myself, “this is someone i need to keep around me.” And no, i was not using him. He’s good at math and building financial models, and i’m good at networking, building strategy and executing on those plans. We both performed our respective roles and the company progressed. This is a strategy I’ve used even in my more recent businesses. Im always the guy with business strategy, relationship building and execution plans, and my partners are more likely than not well-versed in math and building models etc. Remember this: your purpose lies in your strengths.
2. Take pride in your name. - Now, I learnt this from my grandfather. He always used to say “Even if you don’t come from anything, you have the potential to become something.” That’s what he used to build his legacy. With that, comes the added responsibility of acting ethically and morally in all business dealings. Through everything I have been through and witnessed, i know that your reputation matters. I believe it was Warren Buffet who said this “a good reputation takes 20 years to build and 5 minutes to be ruined. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” As far as I’m concerned, I have a duty to myself and to my family to let my name be synonymous with excellence and maintain the standard my predecessors set. I strive, in everything I do, to leave a good impression on the Bentsi-Enchill name and not bring disgrace to the people i hold dearest to me.
3. Be who you are, where you are. - A lot of people like to think “when i achieve xxx, then I would be able to do xxx”. For example, you often hear people say “When I get rich, then I’d give to charity.” I think that’s the wrong way to approach giving. If you want giving to truly be a part of your being, you will give when you have none, and that attitude will stay with you for the rest of your life. What do you want to become in future? What vision do you have for yourself and for your country? What does “living my best life” mean to you? Why wait? Start to practice the skills, principles and character you want to become in the future. Everything comes full circle, and when you start being the person you want to be today, you’ll find it easier to become that person. If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be the best accountant, start offering your services. If you really see whatever activity you yearn as part of your future, I challenge you make that move today. (talk about Q’ticules and now 8 volta)
4. Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. I’m going to add a caveat to this: and say but remember, not every opportunity is the right opportunity. I know there’s a bunch of us here thinking “Africa is full of problems and unlike everyone complaining about these problems, I view them as opportunities.” And that’s a good mindset to have. But before anything else, I would challenge you to find your purpose and vision. I have been passionate about building businesses since I started selling my lunch at 12, then moved on to designing t shirts, buying and selling concert tickets etc. And throughout my experience, I have come to realize how difficult it is for some of our African founders to find sustainable growth capital to build their businesses. As someone who prefers collective growth rather than individual, I took it upon myself to partner with these companies and act as their fundraising arm. I honestly believe this is my purpose. i had the chance to be exposed to the world in boarding school and university outside the country. I have been able to build valuable connections at every point in my life and now I’m willing to share these connections. With these in my back pocket, now I’m about to figure out which opportunities match my expertise and help accordingly. I have been able to focus my attention on the ones where I can be most impactful. Figure out your purpose and match them with opportunities that come your way.
5. Never stop learning- My mother always says this and my grandfather too in fact, “read read read”. you can never stop learning and you can never know enough. These two individuals are my mentors and the ones I look up to in business and general life skills. So because of this i never stop learning. You’d almost always find me reading, listening to podcasts or in fact discussing ideas with other people! That’s all learning is about! And about two years i read this book, “the startup of you” by Reid Hoffman (he is the founder of LinkedIn), i read about the concept of permanent beta. and this is something that has stayed with me ever since. You know when you’re “beta testing” your product, it means the product is not finished and has several rounds of improvement to make. So “Permanent beta” essentially means you are a work in progress, never finished. You are constantly changing, you are constantly learning. So what does this mean to me? It means I am always ready to adapt to new situations because plans do not always go according to plan, it means you nurture your networks and relationships: always reaching out to people and asking questions. Very important….asking questions. “Why?” is probably my most used question. Ask till you understand. and finally, it means i take intelligent risks. For every action, measure out the positives and negatives, then listen to your gut feeling then execute. This will keep you agile and resilient.
6. Last point I’m going to make is about my faith. Im not sure how many people are practicing Christians here but I’d just say this. Ever since I made God a 51% partner in my businesses, listening to Him drive my thoughts, words and actions, I have felt better with the work I do. The right opportunities (like this one) keep coming my way, I receive calls from people I don’t expect and I am able to communicate the right message at the right time. And even when I feel like I am faltering, I am driven to twist whatever situation into a positive and see “fallbacks” as blessings. Believe in something higher than you. Thank you for coming to my TED talk (laughter).
Sign up to my cousin Yasbo’s newsletter btw. She’s already been dropping some serious gems, including this one on time management.
📱📱Quote of the day
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
Remember: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”
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This was a truly lovely speech. Everything you said still rings true today.