Know the People Behind Great Products?
Submit the creators, founders, and builders linked to your favourite products.
Submit SomeoneSubmit the creators, founders, and builders linked to your favourite products.
Submit Someone
NeedleXNeedleX“"Small gradual actions and decisions someday lead to greater outcomes" and "If you drean it, you can do it"”
I studied Software Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). University became more than a place to earn a degree; it was where I started exploring how technology could be used to solve everyday problems.
I started working on practical projects, including the my final year project FUTO Virtual Farmers Marketplace, where I worked with React, Node.js and MongoDB in a team using the Scrum methodology. This helped me understand what it takes to turn an idea into a working product. But my journey didn't start here, in my sophmore year in uni I realized that if I truly wanted to excel in my course of study have to get "down and dirty" meaning I have to take what I have theoritically learnt in the class room and practicalise it. That led me to assembling a team of 5, comprising of my fellow classmates across the different departments in my faculty, and that was my first push towards building products. In the course of our early years in uni we built a lot of tech products from websites, SaaS products to mobile apps. Which led me to my first startup experience at Dispa8ch and my then good friend and hostle mate, and now co-founder Daniel.
During my industrial training at PHRC/NNPC, I gained practical exposure to IT operations, networking and troubleshooting, including working with network simulations using Cisco Packet Tracer.
Daniel and I spent our entire course programme (5 years) in the same hostel. We met inn my sophormore year in uni, connect by a mutual friend of ours and then Daniel's coursemate Ifeanyi. I can remeber walking into his dorm or room seeing this "nerdy" guy with glasses typing aggressively on his laptop facing the wall, from the beginning baba was "Locked-in", and he turning to face me and after a few conversations that evening finding out that he was somewhat of a tech prodigy havingstarted coding since his secondary school days, and now building tools for his clients via Upwork. We shared this deep connection and shared understaing about each other, what our values were and where we were heading in life. We always knew we wabted to build something of our own, so in the second sememster of sophomore year we started build products together, many of which have contributed to our coined "Graveyard of Failed Startups", none of which stppoed us. We kept building relentlessly, in hindight I would say we kept bulding looking to stumble upon the right idea that would really kickoff and that we did with "NeedleAfrica".
I volunteered at DevFest Owerri and TEFEM, contributing to tech and community initiatives while learning from other people building in the ecosystem.
In my third year of uni, I served as a Technical Project Manager with Google Developers Community Owerri for a year, working with people, coordinating technical projects and developing a stronger understanding of how teams turn ideas into solutions.
I began collaborating on startup ideas and products, including my journey with Dispa8ch, Scoope, Swiftree. Not every idea worked out as planned, but the experience taught me about teamwork, product decisions, execution and the realities of building a business.
After uni I took on roles across product design and software, including UI/UX Lead at Codebytes and product design work at Swiftree and BunchB. I worked on products across fintech, e-commerce and other digital services, learning to connect user needs with practical business solutions.
I became COO and Product Manager at Dispa8ch, taking on broader responsibilities across product development, operations and execution as we worked on building solutions for businesses and logistics operations.
Alongside my co-founder, Daniel Odii, I started building NeedleX to solve everyday business challenges faced by fashion designers and tailors. It has involved pivots, rebuilding, failed ideas, late nights and plenty of learning, but most importantly, building with real users in mind.
Within approximately five months of building, we reached over 2,000 users, recorded 2,000+ customers, tracked 1,000+ orders, saved 1,000+ measurements and recorded over ₦340 million in order value. We were building with a team of six and learning directly from the people using our product.
I joined the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as an NYSC member, where I've had the opportunity to contribute to technology initiatives and teach IT students practical topics, combining my technical background with my interest in helping others learn.
Your brand here — This spot is lonely. Your brand would look great here. What do you think?
