Travelogue: Landing in Brazil in 'Agbada' ~ Hamza Yunusa
The 2018 (Class8) MIT
bootcamp in Rio, had such a profound effect on all of us. We came with different
expectations, learned similar things, and perhaps understood them in different
ways. It was a gathering of 123 people from 40 different countries. I’ve never
been in a group so relentlessly diverse and replete with so much genius and curiosity.
Instituto Europeo di design, the bootcamp venue, was greeted by many different
faces and accents during that period, the atmosphere was saturated by the
fragrance of passion and great expectation. I came with nothing but the will to
learn, network and learn some more. I noticed on the first day that every word
spoken got a reply in a different accent. It was a carnival of diversity. The fantastic
views and orientation of my fellow bootcampers bewildered me with excitement
and immense fascination.
Following is a summary of the
6 lessons I learned from the bootcamp.
1.
TO
ATTEND THE MIT BOOTCAMP, ONE DOESN’T NEED TO HAVE A RICH FATHER OR A RICH
UNCLE;
I was very excited when I got the mail that I’ve
won a place at the bootcamp. I was super excited; not only because it was you
know, the “MIT BOOTCAMP” but because it was a validation in itself, that your
idea, passion and motivation are world class, that answers you provided during
the 9 video interviews are actually “MIT standard”. It’s a huge validation, it
is for me. But raising the funds for tuition, accommodation, flights and other
expenses is no piece of cake. For someone like myself, it was almost
impossible. But really, what one needs is an “IDEA”, then motivation and
passion to become a change maker. If you have these features, there is no limit
to what you can achieve. There are bodies, companies, corporations, governments
willing to sponsor you. So long as you have an incredible idea, and you show
great passion and deep understanding for what you want to do, many would
sponsor you to other planets if necessary, just so you can achieve your dreams.
You only need to leave your comfort zone and go searching. In my own case, I
got sponsored by the first two places I went to. A company sponsored my tuition
and an individual sponsored other expenses. Never give up on your dreams just
because of your financial situation, dare to aspire to lofty heights no matter
whose son you are. At the bootcamp, I met people who raised their own funds
through online crowd funding. Many had inspiring stories to tell about how they
raised the funds to attend the bootcamp.
2.
BELIEVE
IN YOURSELF AND BE PROUD OF YOUR IDENTITY;
The
first class of bootcamp was a particularly spectacular day. It was basically a
day of introductions, pleasantries and familiarization. But the most
spectacular part of it I guess, was the fact that a young man came to class
dressed in his native attire; An Agbada (popularly known as “babbar riga” in
Northern Nigeria) and a cap. That young man was me. It felt very nice to do
that because it attracted a lot of attention to me. Different nationals flocked
to me, asking to take pictures together, they were also curious as to how that
elegant kind of outfit was made. One of my team mates Vlad, from Russia even
asked permission to try on the cap. It was a marvelous feeling.
My
Nigerian attire got me interacting with a lot of people. Many asked about my
background, education, interests and so on, which created an opportunity to
learn and understand the passion and motivations of many who were at the
bootcamp. They shared their experiences in business, in travels across the
world. We are all the same as human beings alright, but it pays to portray your
identity wherever you go, with confidence and gentle pride. Some of my fellow
bootcampers were so thrilled by my unique dressing style that they invited me
to their various countries.
INTERACT
WITH PEOPLE, LEARN FROM EVERYONE;
“It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is among such individuals that all human failures spring”
Above is
a quote from a book written by a Viennese psychologist, Alfred Adler. I have
known this quote for quite a while and it might have been my motivation to
vigorously interact and engage fellow bootcampers in conversations, be it
during lunch or dinner, or in the hallway, or on the beach behind the lecture venue,
anywhere. I found that habit an immensely profitable one. For example, from my
Russian friend, Dima Albot, I learnt about aquaponics, an agricultural crop
production procedure which doesn’t require soil to grow food, it allows you to
grow food on water injected with certain nutrients. That, I immediately
conceived to be a solution for the Niger Delta region of Nigeria where it is
difficult to grow food because the land has been degraded by oil exploration.
Food in the Niger Delta is perhaps the most expensive anywhere in Nigeria. From
Krishna, my Indian friend I learnt about design thinking, industrial design and
product fabrication. In fact, we eventually struck a partnership deal with
Krishna and we are planning an ambitious project very soon. I learnt and gained
so much just by being interested in other people and learning from their
experiences.
My most
profound encounter however was an interaction I had with a young lady from
Greece, Katerina Roubi. We were strolling in the forests of the sugar loaf
mountain when I threw a casual question to her, I asked if she had ever been to
Macedonia. She answered in the negative. Then I started on about Alexander the
great and his dominion over a vast segment of the world. I reveled in the
glories of conquest, bravery, adventure and what not. “Alexander is an
inspiration to every young man in the world today who has lofty dreams” I said.
She
looked at me for a few seconds and then remarked “But do you realize Hamza that
Alexander had to kill so many people to achieve all the things he achieved that
have got you all fascinated about him”?
I paused, and gazed into vacancy for a little
while. I would never forget the chill which settled upon my nerves as she said
those words. I did give a reply, after an unusually long period had elapsed. I
argued that the way of the world at the time was to show superiority and
dominance. It’s pretty much what happens even today, just in a different form.
The reply was weak of course, but that’s not what mattered to me the most. Her
words had such a profound effect upon my fancy that it positively re-enforced
Bill Aulet’s lesson two days before. He stressed the need to alter our points
of view if indeed we wished to become successful entrepreneurs, “You need to
look at things from a slightly different angle” he said. I realized that being
different is the most potent recipe for innovation. Katerina taught me a great
lesson that day I’ve never actually viewed the story of Alexander from such an
angle. She probably doesn’t realize it, but I would appreciate every day, the
privilege of meeting that subtle and sublime young lady from Athens.
THE
MIT BOOTCAMP IS A CALL TO ACTION;
The Bootcamp is saturated with a
lot of materials on entrepreneurship, decent ones. There are exciting lectures
every day, and the lectures continue after every meal, after team discussions
and other short breaks. Besides deeply insightful lectures from MIT professors
and the bootcamp alumni, we had some powerful guests deliver talks on their
various fields of endeavors; we had Dr. Mauricio Antonio Lopes, the President
of Embrapa, The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (I was privileged
to have a few minutes of interaction with him after his lecture). We also had
the pleasure of hearing from Vitor, a partner at Nubank, a FinTech company which
has achieved unicorn status. Nubank acts as a digital bank and credit card
operator. We were all fascinated to hear about their turbulent start, and how
with dedication and stern commitment they were able to safely cruise the
company to success. We thought we had seen it all, when one afternoon Stephen
Wolfram stepped on to the stage. We were all chaotic with excitement. For the
thinkers, dreamers and entrepreneurs that we were, Stephen Wolfram was an
auspicious guest, his presence alone was inspiration in itself. He took us
through his journey with his inventions; Mathematica,
Wolfram Alpha and the Wolfram language, even giving us a short
demonstration. It was an unforgettable moment.
Despite all the materials and
lectures however, I found something within myself telling me that the MIT
Bootcamp transcended the notes and talks and guests, it is a call to action, it
has been designed to urge you to think, stand up, get out and make change;
create a business through making the world a better place. At the bootcamp you
gain practical experience as to how to grow an idea into a business, the
materials for me are not the same as reading to pass an exam, they are a guide
to help you navigate the process after you’ve received the right doses of
inspiration and motivation.
 |
| I was all ears listening to Dr. Mauricio Antonio Lopes |
TRY OUT OLD THINGS IN NEW PLACES;
On the 3rd
day of bootcamp, we were all incredibly sleep deprived, irritable and
exhausted. Virtually every team had at the time undergone the “quarrel phase”.
Some had already reconciled and some were still at loggerheads with one
another. It was a chaotic moment. The beauty of it all however, was the fact
that every team which had friction eventually reconciled. All teams turned in
amazing products or service on pitch day. The quarrels were expected, It was
obvious that some people didn’t come to be team players, they came to lead,
others were there just to criticize and exhibit every kind of pessimism
conceivable. This is expected when different individual with diverse personalities are brought together to
work on a project. Erdin Beshimov, the founder of MIT Bootcamps kept warning us
that that would happen, but we thought it was a joke. We eventually went
through the painful but necessary experience. We all eventually recalled that and said it, Erdin always spoke like an
oracle, and when he explains a concept, he does it looking towards the skies
like he was receiving some divine inspiration, and he follows his words with
profound gestures with his hands as if he was painting the words into something
you could see and touch. Erdin is a gifted speaker, you cannot not pay
attention when he addresses you. I would like to command such attention some
day!
It was during that turbulent
period, on the 3rd day that I met Erdin after dinner, I proposed to
him that I was going to recite a poem to the class, “perhaps it would help lift
our spirits a bit” I added. Erdin agreed and promised to call me on stage at
the right time. He fulfilled his promise and before long I was on stage. I
recited a romantic poem to the class titled “Indescribable”. It is a poem
describing the physical features of what I considered the perfect feminine
specie. A divine silence and submission descended upon the class while I
recited. I took them through the lines of my poem with the most exotic
rendition style I could muster. I was greeted with a standing ovation after
that. Erdin confessed to me that it was the first poetry recitation in an MIT
bootcamp, no one had ever done it. And to see that it created so much
excitement and energy, I felt deeply satisfied. That moment redefined my views
about life; I realized right there and then that it is possible for me to do
just anything, anywhere!
SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISES ARE
PRODUCTS OF ROBUST AND DEDICATED TEAMS;
The bootcamp made me realize
that teams are much more valuable than one man’s grand idea. Teams give an idea
the privilege of a diversity of views and the meticulous finishing of
collective thinking. Teams help build a small idea into a great product, but one
man, most times, only succeeds in dwarfing a grand idea. At the bootcamp, I
learned and understood the value of team work, I learnt how to immerse myself
into the vision and goal of the project. I learnt to unlearn and relearn.
Functioning teams teaches one to drop his ego and offer nothing but his skill
and experience for the betterment of the project. I was able to realize through
the program that we were also guilty of the things we criticized in other
people; as human beings we perpetually struggle either openly or in secret to
shove our views and opinions down people’s throats, not because it is the most
relevant, but because we want to be accepted no matter what. Some times, we are
critical of the brightest ideas simply because they weren't our own contribution. Those
habits are a huge drag on the success of any team that aims to do great things.
On the other hand, when team
members drop their egos and insecurities and focus on building the team and
achieving set goals, then there’s no limit to what they can achieve, they are
on a path to extraordinary success.
*******
Hamza Yunusa, Poet and Tech Startup Co-founder is the CEO of Nazarion Technologies based in Abuja. He tweets @HamxaYunusa
Comments
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you, share your comment/views. Thanks