Another week and before we know it, June's over and with it the first half of the year. *sigh* it's amazing how time seems to be moving at sonic speed. Week in week out, time's gaining fast on my goals, projections and deadlines assuming the three words don't all imply the same things :-). Seriously though, I shut my laptop lid after finally working my way round a technical challenge with the NICO project, stared at the calendar and it jus sorta evoked a concern. Yesterday, I got around to implement a few of the feedback I received from asa's initial test. There's more to implement and then, even more technical development to go for at least the BB platform which also has a learning curve to it. On top of that, I have to devise a way to keep atop of the analytics/stats/feedback from the distributed version(s). You know, just last 2 weeks during my retreat here in B-town, I reached out to Ebra to come onboard to lend a helping hand and like the kinda partner my heart seeks, his response was bingo. Nothing beats the excitement of having someone else who believes and owns an idea with you especially at this crucial stage. The last week saw us meet first and then together with Zoe, draw up a structure with which to go forward. It's still unraveling for now but at least, I finally am not alone inthe real sense of it in getting stuffs done. Bit of intro, Zoe Lu's the intern from Georgetown university who's been specifically assigned to me courtesy of the CChub in partnership with the TEF. She'll be directly working with me on business development till August. Okay, maybe biz development's not the appropriate phrase as the goal's to help me deliver on what my PIP states in a manner that's geared towards having a presentation deck with which to measure growth, traction and attract more investment. It's amazing the insight she's already brought on given how she's sorta tranasformed my deck which I handed to her. Keeping faith with the process as best as I can though I must admit to my chaotic handling of a number of tasks on me hand. I try to stick to a timeline and even more one thing before the other but challenge so far has been how lengthy that one thing can be too. If what I'd set out with a few months ago are anything to go by, shoulda delivered on a number of stuvs by now and moved on to others. But then, I know that flexibility's the order of this game too. Can't beat the forgoing sometimes. Life's just what it is. The all too known reason I get a bit concerned is itself owing to 'impatience' with the process. I have to admit the truth to myself. A part of me yearns to be done with this phase and on to the next one. But hey, I've learnt to keep the faith as I mentioned earlier. Knowing who I am, no competition can put a stop to my putting my products which by extension is putting myself out there so it's really not an issue of first mover advantage whatever that means. Then what's the issue Bayo? It's more structure now I guess. I've been playing some cards over the course of the year and even now, works in progress are cards I wanna toss. I know now that I need a platform on which to play those cards. That platfrom is in form of a team. Not just any team for the sake of it as recent experience has demonstratedbut rather, one with the same drive and focus as I have. Put it simply, I need someone to breathe, eat, sleep what this whole GETTO's about. I think I've found it in HIM (that's as far as I can reveal). Anyways, moving on, I finally decided to own what's mine in the past week after some consultations. Besides, been mulling the idea for sometime. The truth that was said to me when I met Aminat was that I couldn't force anyone to own anything I believed in myself. Rather, I was made to understand the need to see partnerships or team formation as an unraveling development. And so, I was relieved afterwards especially given the clarifications of my obligations towards the organization. Well, I'm taking flight with a fellow believer in whom I hope to add a proper structure to these major thing. It's kinda like the case of a single parent seeking a partner to help raise his baby. Yeah, that's what it is. For long, I've tried to do so much and yeah, I did while holding out for a true partner who's ready to own this thing especially at this crucial yet uncertain stage of its development. From one meeting to the other as I see in the coming days or weeks, I hope to finally lay it to rest as we both seek a synchronisation of our not so different goals. I'm pretty optimistic for the reason that prick my interest in any partnership: focus on the vision over immediate gratification. While it's easy to point out the delay in finally leaving the lab and getting returns in exchange for what I see become value, I find it self-encouraging to point out some major gains as follows: working on the minimum viable product though still a work in progress has helped me in mocking up a team of designers whose competence in different areas I now know thus enabling me know who, when and where to settle for; time duration to complete a project of this magnitude or nature; budgetary allocation for this sorta project. The following woulda never been practically posssible if I hadn't gotten right and dirty with the MVP. You gotta be constantly reminded how all of these adds up, you know. For, if I can place all of my present engagements such that there's an obvious connection to the BIG PICTURE then it's safe to say I'm on the right track. Financial gratification just isn't a measure at this point. True, I could do with more in cash to handle a good number of personal stuvs too. But then, to recap a piece I'd written and sent out to the IVD recently, it's a process that goes from creating value, building customers, credibility, systems and then lastly raking in money. You just can't wish one over the other nor can you simply jump over the intermediates to the last which understandably is society's stereotypic measure of success. I know different man! I gotta know else I go off to buying and selling which is the longheld notion of a business in this part of the world. Not everyone will understand even for all the explanations in the world. In my case, even if I were to share this epistle with some, it'd do little. Interestingly, the ones who matter, I'm glad I have their support. My fam's who I'm talking 'bout here. Just last week, I pitched my progress report together with the BIG PICTURE to ol' boy who in the end further encouraged me. If any, I have an obligations to him for the lifelines without which my seed funds woulda been history by now:-). Anyways, these epistles by way of my blog come in to serve my happiness given how much joy I gain from writing and even reading my own works. It's not really for anyone other than me or at best, anyone who can relate to me in any sense. Hence, I don't read about how to make money with blogs, bla bla bla. Rather, I find that keeping a blog online helps me have unlimited access to it anytime than I would the one on my laptop. Even more, this here serves the same purpose as all the beautiful and uplifting write-ups on tinybuddha.com. Nuff said already I guess. Time to take a break.
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