Zofi Cash: 1st Year Anniversary…Its Been Going From Hard To?Harder

Exactly 365 days ago, I went full-time into my startup company Zofi Cash, leaving behind a 10-year life with a stable well paying job in the city of angels, living just 4 miles from the famous Santa Monica Beach, where I kinda had terrific achievements as a person, but also lots of failures in the institute of life. To my Barkley Court Reporters Family, it wasn’t choosing Zofi Cash over you, fate was called, and I had to answer. It was one of those jumps you have to make, regardless of the comfort of the landing spot. On the one hand, it feels like just yesterday that I hopped on a plane to with a one-way ticket. But on the other hand, it feels like a lifetime ago since onboarding Munch Meals (August 80) as our first client. I’ve grown so much in the last year?:-) I have gray hair strands & as a team, we’ve achieved more than I ever thought imaginable.

Here’s a peek into the controlled roll coaster that was this year.

From Idea to Platform to Company

I remember first stumbling into the problem — I was adulting & dealing with life (a story for another day)…then came an aha moment:

Some nights since then have been really long, and heart-beating fast because I was excited but also very scared because I was lost; I didn’t know the starting point, so I called Gordon Turibamwe, and I sold him the idea…he was kind of sold. Islam, aka Don (he's trying to learn & understand how LinkedIn works), was sold — no questions asked. You need some of those believers at all times. As we built the product, I started scratching my head thinking about the dream team; I had never interviewed a person for a job or later on hired one….where are the star HRs when you need them most? I called Patricia Mugula Nakiwunga… she was sold, but she said, Paul, this has to be your last try, and boooommm BENARD SSAABWE was our first hire. He heads our operations. Over time we assembled the team that has built the solution that would ultimately break the traditional 30-day-pay cycles on this continent called Africa for the past 365 days. Proud to say that we have created an enabling environment for smart minds like Musimenta Diana , who walked in as an intern, and today she's trailblazing in the marketing department. I have to admit we had a few false starts and hard lessons learned in the beginning.

The decision to double down and go full-time with loads of uncertainties has been our vital cornerstone. There’s nothing like betting your livelihood on your startup’s success to light a fire under anyone.

<>We launched our Zofi Cash on Oct 11, 2021, Amid COVID.

<>We won Startup Africa Roadshow 2022 as the best Fintech

<>We have partnered with over 600 Employers, with an estimated 13000 employees using our service to-date

<>We raised Euro 85,000 from investors to grow & scale Zofi Cash in the past 12 Months.

<>We now measure over a Billion Shillings processed in salary advances in the past 365 days.

<>Our small but mighty team has grown from just me last June to now 12 of the most talented individuals I’ve had the privilege of working with

Life

As a founder, you don’t always have the luxury of being able to unplug and be present when you want --Nooooooo. There’s always a fire to put out. You do everything to land that following big account, close a round of investment, or your competition kicking your butt; For the most part, you will be rejected, we have been ALOT. When you’re building up people, products, and processes from scratch, it’s a 24-7 calling with lots of uncertainties, trying and hoping that it will somehow work out, and in the end --it works. While not perfect, I’ve tried to balance company-building and life-building.

Getting Zofi Cash to where it is today has only been going from hard to harder and has been a continual drag on my relationships with family and friends and my health. I still haven’t figured out the magic formula, but I certainly have been making a more conscious effort this time around.

Zofi Cash’s Future

The future is terrifying, exciting, and inevitable — so buckle up.

How awesome is it to play a small role in building the future? Emergencies happen every second that passes; our salaries only come at the end of the month; how are we supposed to take care of them? Savings are not even in the Fast world, do people. In my world…. let’s say America, the savings rate has stood at 8.96% since 1959. Ask google if you don’t believe me. That is why our conviction is to have everyone paid today and not at the end of the month… one client at a time. That’s the future of payroll.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. To Zofi Cash’s unsung heroes, you have, The Innovation Village , CK Japheth Asa Niwamanya , Cristobal Alonso Startup Africa Roadtrip Startup Wise Guys Hannington Segirinya ?? Franziska Kolk Juliet Josephine Nabadda ?? Petra Wolkenstein Eliud Mungai Ed Levinson CoCREATE Cornelia M. thank you

Cheers, let’s see where we go from here!