Jagun Jagun - The Movie

Entrepreneurship excerpt from entertainment #Triple E

Imagine my excitement when Favy, my friend of over 15 years who had always resisted learning Yoruba no matter how intentional I was about speaking it to him, called me with excitement in his voice to say, "Titi, there's this movie on Netflix, it's a Yoruba film, but it's world-class. I recommend that you watch it." Curious, I asked how he understood what they were saying, and he replied that he'd read the subtitles, and the plot, cinematography, and effects had kept him glued to the end. With this glowing review in mind, I made a mental note to watch "Jagun Jagun" as soon as possible.

Immediately, I heard the voice of the narrator, and saw the quality of the camera work; I knew it was going to be a fun ride, and I wasn't disappointed. In a busy week, under a heavy deadline, I watched the movie twice! Now, when I watch movies, one part of my brain is having all the fun, relaxing and letting off steam, while the other part is analyzing, looking for what could have been done better, and, most importantly, distilling lessons that could be adapted into life and entrepreneurship.

"Jagunjagun," in my opinion, is an excellent movie because it entertained me and made me think. Here are a few lessons I learned:

TO BE IMBIBED

1. Have a strong Monitoring and Evaluation System: Ogundiji, the warrior, understood that the effective oversight of his organization fell on his table. Yes, he delegated, as every leader should, however, he took a step further to have a strong M&E system in place. Masala, the monitoring spirit, was able to quickly report to him when a battle was being lost, enabling him to swiftly deploy his joker card, Agemo, and turn the tables around on his enemies. By having a strong M&E system in place, he was able to satisfy his allies and customers, the unlawful kings, and mitigate what would have become a major crisis.
2. Know and communicate the goal clearly: Aside from the fact that the goal was obvious through how Ogundiji ran his empire, his wife clearly articulated it without mincing words. In the final scenes, the goal was to be the greatest warlord and the price: her womb. She paid that price so they could achieve their goal. Same can be said for the other Stakeholders as well, the mission was clear to them. It is easy to rally people when the goal is clear and well-articulated.
3. Esteem Wisdom: Even with Ogundiji's top-notch skills and first-class charms, he was prudent enough to realize the importance of having an advisor who could give him wise and seasoned counsel. It ensured that his empire wasn't run on just brawn but also brain.
4. Be exceptional : . Despite their heavy reliance on charms, it was obvious that to excel in Ogundijis cam, you had to be skilled in your craft and combat?
5. Surround yourself with People who will challenge you to be better : Gbotija against all odds crossed the first huddle, and succeeded in killing the great warrior Gbogunmi. however on hearing the second challenge, he was ready to throw in the towel as he didn't think that he had the fortitude to stay 7 days without food and water in a coffin. However Iroyinogun asked him pertinent questions that made him realize that it was a "no retreat no surrender" situation. She asked “do you think my father would give the hand of his only daughter in marriage to a weak man?"? Gbam!! Her words inspired Gbotija ?and made him realise he had to find a way.
6. The Unseen has a part to play, be a person of strong faith: The mantra at Ogundiji’s school was “we fight with charms and sweat”. They knew that being highly skilled was not enough. There is a place for the unseen. The yearly celebration hosted by Ogundiji to honor his deities testifies to the fact that he knew that after all is said and done, there is the unseen which makes all the difference.

Phil Knight the founder of Nike couldn't have said it better in his book "The Shoedog"

‘Luck plays a big role. Yes, I would like to publicly acknowledge the power of luck. Athletes get lucky, poets get lucky, and businesses get lucky. Hard work is critical, a good team is essential, and brains and determination are invaluable, but luck may decide the outcome. Some people might not call it luck. They might call it Tao, or Logos, or Jnana, or Dharma. Or spirit or God. (I, Titilayo believe it is God showing me mercy through his son Jesus)

Put it this way. The harder you work, the better your Tao. And since no one has ever adequately defined Tao, I now try to go regularly to mass. I would tell them. Have faith in yourself, but also have faith in faith.’

1. Have a strong sense of Identity : Gbotija, Ogundiji and Gbogunmi; men who were worth their weight in gold; understood what defines them and possessed a deep thorough understanding of who they were, their ancestry, the battles they have fought and won, the challenges they have overcome and how far they have come. You would find them eulogizing, calling to mind their strength and victories before they did anything major. Life will always challenge our sense of identity, it is important that we know who we are because our strength lies in how rooted our sense of identity is.

NOT TO BE IMBIBED

1. Inappropriate Reward and punishment system: There must be law and order in any functional system, good deeds must be rewarded and bad deeds punished. However the punishment has to be commensurate with the crime. Burning Weyiwo was uncalled for, sentencing Gbogunmi to death because of a failed assignment was too severe a punishment. This created a discontentment in the mind of his people that was later exploited at the end when Gbotija called them to arms to fight again Ogundiji
2. No competitor analysis : One would have expected Ogundiji to know, or maybe he knew he was just blinded by the thirst of blood. Everybody knows that Gbotija was the son of the trees. He knew them by name and they know him, I mean how else would he have survived the second challenge after being thrown into the bottom of the sea? Ogundiji went to war with his best general right in the enemy's comfort zone without countering the competitive advantage he has . How did he expect to win?Agemo was sent to fight Gbotija in his power house, a forest full of trees, that was a bad call from Ogundiji which eventually cost him his life. A deep knowledge of the competition would make a world of difference.?

1. Feeling like you are invincible : Ogundiji planned with his wife to sacrifice their unborn children by using her womb as sacrifice to the deity. The goal was clear and she was determined to help him achieve this goal, she wanted it as well. If he is powerful then she is also powerful. However Ogundiji played a smart one and he went ahead to have a child from another woman, he betrayed her trust and even when confronted he was not apologetic, he didn't speak to her as an equal he forgot that the people who really can pull down any great person are the people closest to him/her. History has shown that time and time again. It would have been almost impossible? to kill the great warlord but for her it was a walk in the park. Never feel like you are invincible, treat those closest to you with utmost respect for in their hands lies your downfall or your uplifting.

CONCLUSION

I watched the making of 'Jagun Jagun,' and I observed the intentionality that went into creating such a masterpiece. Excellence demands a high level of intentionality. This is not just a movie; it's a tapestry of lessons, it held up a mirror to life and entrepreneurship.

It reaffirmed that great storytelling isn't just for entertainment; it's for?enlightenment.

Kudos to Femi Adebayo for such a masterpiece.

A big thank you to Pelumi, Ayotola and Bunmi for their editorial support on this piece.

I would love to know what lessons you picked up from the movie in the comment section.