MY DREAM VC EXPERIENCE —The path that led me here

When I got that message from Dream VC on the 1st of June, I knew it was finally happening; I was on my way to becoming a Venture Capitalist. I have always believed in the power of the universe aligning your imagination with opportunities in reality. For the most part, I spoke often about how I wanted to own a conglomerate of businesses, fund and scale struggling businesses around me. When this thought first crossed my mind, it was because I was concerned that some of the small businesses I had seen in Aba and Onitsha, could probably do better if they had the resources to scale. I didn’t know what Venture Capital was at the time, I just liked the idea of helping businesses attain their full potential through funding. Few years down the line, I am having this same discussion with someone and they mention Venture Capital. It sounded interesting, like a polished version of what I had in mind. I knew I had a lot of reading to do.?

I signed up to newsletters and followed a few people online who showed a strong passion for Venture Capital in Africa. It became a morning ritual for me to start my day reading these newsletters, it was on one of those occasions that I saw the Dream VC fellowship opportunity. It was timely. I was having a hard time figuring out how to transition into VC. The advertised roles I saw were for experienced level, I didn’t have the requisite experience yet. There had to be another way and that way showed up right when I needed it — the Launch into Venture Capital program organized by Dream VC. I remember the interview I had with Cindy, co-founder at Dream VC after I got admitted into the program. I said I was here to learn and would give what it takes to make the most of the opportunity. I meant that.?

I doubted myself a few?times.?

I had a presentation at work some months back and my colleagues said it was great but deep down?, I thought it was one of my worst outings. I was perplexed for days thinking how I probably was not great at making killer presentations. This is not the only time I have felt this way. I started the Dream VC fellowship application fueled with energy and enthusiasm but there were days I asked myself if my application was good enough to be considered for the program. The waiting process didn’t help my anxiety either. I was worried sick after every stage of the application. I had also read that the previous admission rate was about 3%. While it was daunting to know that many of the applications would not make it through, I was also encouraged to put my best foot forward — at least if I didn’t eventually get into the program, it wouldn’t be because I didn’t fight hard for it.?

First couple of weeks in the?program

I got into the program ready to learn but what I didn’t know was that it was going to stretch every fibre of my being. I have casually signed up for some programs in the past but this was not the case, you are either here putting in the hours or you are choosing not to be a part of the program. The program structure was to maintain a level of excellence from start to finish. It dawned on me that this was not a joke when I failed my first test, the scores were published and those who fell below the acceptable standard were asked to redo it. That weekend was sour for me. I had to prioritize what was really important to me. I wanted to be in this program. This was my shot at becoming a venture capitalist. It wasn’t just enough being a part of the program, I wanted to finish well. What it took going forward was devoting more hours to study and ensuring that I was turning in quality level assignments. Having to combine the program with a 9–5 job was hard, the expectations were high on both ends. My sleep suffered a lot. As Nigerians would say ‘A lot was going through me and I was going through a lot.’ I’m glad I made the sacrifices.?

It gets better with practice and?support

Every week in the Launch into VC fellowship was a new experience. It started off with learning about the basics in Venture Capital in a bid to lay the foundation for as many of us who had little to no prior knowledge about the ecosystem and relevant terms used to communicate in the space. Then the teachings advanced to investment vehicles, market research and sizing, deal sourcing, conducting due diligence, preparing investment scorecards and memos, financial statements and valuations amongst other topics. My toughest block in the program was the financial valuations. With zero experience in finance, there was no way I was going to survive the four classes without seeking assistance. All thanks to Olubukola Jongbo (ACA-in-View) , Chidi Amadi and colleagues in the program who scheduled extra hours with me to help me navigate this front.?

What next?

It’s probably cliche but I believe everything I have done up to this point has prepared me for this journey. From my days in pharmacy school figuring out if I should practice or not, to my first job in customer service after graduation down to when I launched full fledged into marketing, all of those experiences taught me to be fluid and be the best version of myself at every phase. It’s time to be a venture capitalist and I am more than excited at what the future holds.?

Whatever risk I have taken so far to get here, it’s because I have people who also believe in me. They say it, they mean it and they go out of their way to support me when I need it most. Thank you my friends Tobi Adeoye , Oluwabukunmi Familoye and my priceless mentors from the program Kenechi Eze , Cindy Ai and Mark Kleyner . I met hardworking, intelligent and remarkable fellows through this program. I know we will continually cross paths as we devote ourselves to building the African continent that we will all be proud of.?

If the African VC ecosystem excites you enough to want to get involved, you can register your interest for the next cohort of the DreamVC Fellowship here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7DdeNefdYPIyKaSeNN7RwmjHdCga9kqd15CB2pabIN1S0cw/viewform

While you are at it, learn more about DreamVC https://www.dream-vc.com/