Novustack: raising innovators through one month IFA program

"You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out." Steve Jobs

Innovate for Africa by Novustack was a timely answer to the greatest desire of my heart since the new reality of how we live, love, and work dawned on all humans due to COVID-19.

I love the idea of building products that can solve the problem for humanity especially the kind of problems that addresses the reality we face in Africa. I believe strongly that I belong to the group of few people who have made up their minds and taken responsibility for big ideas that would address some of the challenges and the reality of Africans. But interest, passion and enthusiasm without the ability and tools to solve the problems will just end in mere wishes.

Innovate for Africa by Novustack gave me the opportunity to learn and relearn and more importantly, put to use the skills TAUGHT by DOING.

We were exposed to the very key things that would help us in our journey of innovation as we find meaning and fulfilment in our different paths to create and co-create to solve challenges in Africa and even extend that to the world.

We were stretched to the limit and compelled to learn by doing. The program was also designed to ensure that fellows collaborate and in collaboration, I saw genius, it was clear how collective intelligence can morph into a solution hitherto unimagined.

There was no part of the IFA program that was a waste of time. The curriculum was designed thoughtfully so it’s really hard to pick out the best part of the program I would like to mention 3 that really forced me out of my comfort zone, challenged my thinking, and gave me a paradigm shift:

Personal branding

“It's not enough to be good. In order to be found, you have to be findable.” _ Austin Kleon

One of the greatest struggles that the IFA helped me overcome is putting myself out there. I have been postponing putting my portfolio together. Typically I just struggle with showing what I am creating as long as I feel it is not great enough by the standard others have set and I always fall for it.

I was very worried initially about how the personal branding class would force me to put myself out there and quite discomforting given my person. But I am super grateful that I was able to stretch beyond my limit and overcame the fear of “imperfection” and being judged having realized that even the masters of the crafts today were once amateurs.

“No one really gets good from the get-go”

Design Thinking

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”― Aristotle

IFA made it stick in my head that head knowledge alone can only take one so far. What gets the job done is putting to practice what one has learned.

I have taken a couple of courses in design thinking but for the first time, I was forced to take in the knowledge and put to use the knowledge in a very practical way to solve real human problems. I couldn’t think of a way better way to learn going forward other than “learning through use”

Design thinking is truly a practice thing and not just a theory thing. We did this by participating in a hackathon.

I quickly jumped on the opportunity to share an idea we would want to have listed as a potential hackathon project that fellows would work on in just two weeks. I couldn’t be happier when my idea was selected and we used the design thinking problem-solving methodology to create a solution for the problem.

I had a fantastic and challenging time all the same with the team I worked with. Again I had to collaborate which is alien to me.

Hard Skills Lab

Doing! Doing!! Doing!!!

I love this about the IFA. You really are forced to get your hands dirty_ there is no IFA without the doing part. The hard skill I was part of was Product management. We were yet again made to work on a consultancy project for a real client and real project so it was SERIOUS and INTENSE.

We were pushed beyond our limits, I and my two teammates had to really stretch to research for hours because our project is something relatively new (NFT, Tokens and Blockchain tech)

We had to learn so much in little time to be able to deliver on the consultancy project.

The IFA by Novustack has set me on a path and equipped me with the tools to conquer in 2022 and even beyond.

The values that the one-month fellowship has built into me are:

Collaboration - seek collective agreement and hear other people’s input.

Grit - think big, persevere and execute

Growth mindset - mistakes are opportunities to learn

Being innovative - re-imagine a better tomorrow through creative ideas.

What do I say to the entire team of the Novustack and partners?

The truth is I cannot find the words sufficient enough to say thank you to everyone that participated in whatever capacity in raising innovators who will bring about the change we want to see in Africa and even the world solving problems for humanity.

The best way I will say my thank you is through the great works I will do and other fellows as well as a testimony that Novustack is doing well!