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Entrepreneurs have to master the art of rejection, internal and external. But let me tell you, it [censored] hurts.
We never talk about failures, yet they are more than the wins. So let me share just a bit about the tough side of my work.
Thread.
We never talk about failures, yet they are more than the wins. So let me share just a bit about the tough side of my work.
Thread.
1. In 2016 and 2017, I got rejected for ALL the grants and fellowships I applied for. ALL. And those were the years I applied EVERYWHERE. Because we needed money, fast.
1.a [ The only win in 2017 was one fellowship, The African Visionary Fellowship, which I didn't even apply for but it changed me and @FundiBots . Basically one of our funders saw how much African founders were struggling to raise money and decided to do something about it. ]
2. In 2017, I also had to shut down @elementaledge. That [censored] broke me. It was a necessary business decision (industry changes, poor cash flow, rising debt, etc). But it was incredibly painful. I was physically and emotionally drained for months. See https://medium.com/@solomonking/on-pain-failure-stutters-and-perspective-d06f132a6347
3. But, I digress. Fundraising is tough. Especially when your skin is as dark as mine is. Especially when you absolutely refuse to show pictures of poverty porn to appeal to certain donor mindsets. And especially when everyone is telling you robotics has no place in Africa.
4. I discovered that there are funders who are excited by the sexy side of our work (robotics, advanced STEM, etc) and there are funders who want to see the sober impact of our work (systems change in education, more schools, increased science performance, etc).
5. Some funders/ partners wanted to dictate how we did our work. Telling us to move faster, reach more numbers, create new programs, etc. Others wanted us to straight up become subsidiaries of their projects.
My job is to filter and find the right partners. It comes at a cost.
My job is to filter and find the right partners. It comes at a cost.
6. We need the money, God knows we do, but sometimes finding the right partner means saying no. A lot. And it also means sleepless nights wondering where the money to pay your staff will come from.
7. But I have learnt over the years, many painful lessons. And one of those is that my ideas will always be crazy and too early and that either I wait for the right time, or find the right partners who see the big picture and the long-term vision.
8. I have also been broke for the entire 16-odd years of my entrepreneurship career, because I know that none of what I do is about me, but about doing what I can to help move the world and other people forward.
Compassion. Empathy. Humanity. Stewardship.
Compassion. Empathy. Humanity. Stewardship.
9. And what brokeness teaches you is patience, razor-sharp focus and the refusal to conform to society's expectations. Especially Ugandans and their very visual idea of "success."
Sigh.
Sigh.
What matters is the work, the people who do the work, and the people who need the work, because the win is not now, but 20 years from now.
10. It also teaches you to say no to money; good money that can take care of your team and run your programs for years. But you are able to say no because it doesn't fit with your vision, your values or your conscience.
11. As I failed more and more, I also realized that a) the fundraising process I was trying wasn't working for me. I'm an introvert. I hate disturbing people and b) I valued a few personal connections towards shared goals as opposed to hundreds of faceless applications.
12. So I took a step back and focused on people, teams and systems. Because I also know that Fundi Bots needs to be able to run without me. I may have started it, but at some point, soon, it will need better-qualified leaders.
13. And that's another pain point. Leadership through change and growth is very hard. People get frustrated and leave because they prefer the old simple ways. Culture changes in unexpected ways, especially with sudden team growth. Maybe you hire someone who isn't a good fit. etc.
14. But your job as a leader is to get great people, give them the right tools and resources and get out of their way so that they can do fulfilling, meaningful and purposeful work.
15. And the last lesson I learned was that no matter how much my introverted self dislikes public speaking, being on camera or large networking crowds, I still have to do it, because a) the founder's purpose is clear and b) millions of African kids are depending on us.
16. And so I found a way to make it work by "gamifying" my fundraising strategy. Which means I follow a process that allows the strengths of my introversion to thrive, eliminates the communication pain points and builds stronger, long-term connections with great partners.
17. So through all the rejections, failures and tough times, I follow the process and it brings a certain sanity, unwavering focus and stoicism to my fundraising work and partnership development.
And each day, I know three affirmations i) I have done my best, ii) I have a wonderful and supportive team whose work amazes and humbles me each day and iii) tomorrow is another chance to improve learning Africa.
Onwards & upwards!
#WeAreFundi
Onwards & upwards!
#WeAreFundi
