Ever had this wild, messy dream you couldn’t shake? That was me, 2021. The world was upside-down, and I had an idea for an EdTech platform buzzing in my head. Not just any idea… the kind that keeps you up at night, sketching screens on scraps of paper while the rain hammers the windows.
The Spark: From Idea to Accelerator
So I ran with it. I pitched my heart out. Somehow, the stars lined up—I got accepted into an accelerator program in the USA right from here in Lagos. There were other smart founders in the cohort, but I was sure my EdTech angle had legs. I could already see the impact: students leveling up, teachers connecting, a real shift in how we learn.
But let’s pause for a second. Ya know that rush when someone says “Congratulations!” and you realize, oh man, now the real work starts? That’s when I hit my first speed bump.
Playing Matchmaker in the Tech Scene
If you’ve ever tried to launch a tech product in Lagos, you know developers are kings and queens. They’ve got options. I started asking around—friends from uni, that guy my cousin knows who codes in Python, a few folks recommended through the accelerator’s Slack group. Everyone was busy, everyone wanted equity, and everyone needed convincing.
Believe it or not, I actually managed to get a developer to sign an agreement. The thrill! The relief! I thought, “Finally, a pro on my side. We’re gonna build this MVP and crush it.” But weeks turned into months. DMs went unanswered. Zoom calls got rescheduled, then ghosted. It was like trying to herd cats—but the cats were also lead singers in seven different bands.
The No-Code Mirage
Here’s where my DIY optimism took a nosedive. People online kept saying “No-code tools are the way forward! You don’t need to be a developer.” Great advice, if you know what those words mean. I’d open Bubble, stare at all those workflows. Tried Adalo, too. Still, nothing “clicked.” No tutorial really felt made for raw beginners, especially in Nigeria where so many tools were blocked or cost a fortune to access.
I was stuck. There was money on the table—real funding from the accelerator! But every deadline felt more like a tsunami crashing over me. I’d read stories about founders building MVPs in a weekend. Meanwhile, my idea was stuck on Post-it notes and half-baked Google Docs.
Losing The Shot
After six months (and a thousand heated WhatsApp chats), it was gone. The accelerator moved on. My shot at funding vanished. I felt like I’d wasted not just an opportunity but all the trust people placed in me. Nothing stings more than being close enough to touch your dream, only to watch it slip away because the one thing you couldn’t get—real dev muscle—just wouldn’t show up.
Lessons I Wish I’d Known
So… why couldn’t I build my MVP alone, even with help lined up?
Developers are swamped, and sometimes equity isn’t enough to get them onboard—especially if you’re a first-time founder with only big ideas and no code chops.
No-code tools sound life-changing. In practice? If you can’t pick them up fast enough, they might just create more headaches for non-tech founders.
Signed agreements don’t mean squat if there’s no trust, shared vision, or urgency. Papers look nice, but momentum gets things shipped.
If You’re Dreaming Big in Lagos…
I’d say: learn just enough tech to ask the smart questions. Start ridiculously small. Build a landing page. Sketch a user flow. Don’t wait for the “perfect” dev—or, at least, don’t bet everything on someone else’s bandwidth.
Opportunities don’t always circle back. Take your shot (even the ugly, unfinished ones). Because the only thing worse than regret is never getting in the ring at all.
Let’s commiserate below—have you struggled to build a tech MVP in Nigeria? Got tips or stories? Drop them in the comments.
That’s the journey. Messy, real, and full of stuff nobody puts in the official how-to guides.