How to Build Your Professional Brand Like a Lagos Tech Founder
Lessons that work for everyone, whether you've written code or not!
Ever noticed how Lagos tech founders seem to have this magnetic presence both online and offline? They've mastered the art of standing out in a crowded marketplace—and guess what? You can borrow their strategies even if you've never written a line of code in your life!
I've been studying these entrepreneurs for years, and I'm excited to share how their branding approaches can work for absolutely anyone looking to advance their career. Let's dive in!
Tell Your Story (The Real One!)
We all love a good story, don't we? Lagos founders like Tayo Oviosu of Paga don't just talk about payment solutions—they share how growing up between Nigeria and America showed them firsthand why financial inclusion matters so deeply.
Grab a notebook and spend 15 minutes writing down the pivotal moments that led you to your career. What challenges did you face? What unexpected turns brought you here? There's gold in those experiences! Work these stories naturally into your LinkedIn profile, interviews, and networking conversations.
Want inspiration? Follow Tayo Oviosu on Twitter—you'll notice how seamlessly he weaves personal stories into business updates. It never feels forced.
Share Your Journey (Bumps and All!)
Here's what most people get wrong about personal branding: they only showcase the highlights. But Lagos founders like Seye Bandele take us behind the scenes—sharing frustrations, unexpected obstacles, and honest reflections.
"The most compelling part of your story isn't the success—it's how you navigated the failures along the way."
Next time you complete a project, don't just share that you did it—talk about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it. Did something take three attempts before it worked? Say so! That's where the real connection happens.
Where to learn more: Tech Cabal regularly features honest founder stories that will show you how powerful vulnerability can be when building your brand.
Embrace Your Authentic Self (The Ezra Olubi Approach)
Ezra Olubi, co-founder of Paystack, stands out not just for his technical brilliance but for his unapologetic self-expression through distinctive fashion choices and his willingness to challenge norms. His authenticity has become as recognizable as his company.
Identify one aspect of your authentic self that you typically hold back in professional settings. Perhaps it's your creative thinking style, your passion for an unusual hobby, or even your unique fashion sense. Start incorporating this element thoughtfully into your professional persona. Remember, what makes you memorable is often what makes you different.
Learn from the master: Watch Ezra's talks on YouTube where his technical expertise and authentic personality shine equally bright—proof that excellence and individuality are perfect partners.
Find Your Platforms (And Ignore the Rest!)
Feel overwhelmed trying to be active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and whatever new platform launched yesterday? Take a breath! Lagos founders don't try to be everywhere—they go deep where their specific audience hangs out.
Pick just TWO platforms where your people actually spend time. Show up consistently there and forget about the rest. For me, that's LinkedIn on Mondays and Twitter on Thursdays. I literally schedule it in my calendar like any other important meeting!
Connect here: Check out Lagos Innovates to see how community building happens in focused spaces.
Create Spaces for Others (Like Ada Nduka of SheCodeAfrica
Ada Nduka Oyom, founder of SheCodeAfrica, built her influential personal brand by creating opportunities for others. By establishing a community that empowers women in technology across Africa, she's become synonymous with inclusion and opportunity in tech.
Identify a gap in your industry where people need connection, knowledge, or opportunities. Start small—create a monthly virtual coffee chat, a resource-sharing email thread, or a mentorship opportunity. When you become known as someone who builds doors rather than just walks through them, your personal brand develops extraordinary depth.
See it in action: Follow SheCodeAfrica's community events and notice how Ada positions herself not as the star, but as the enabler—a powerful branding position that creates lasting impact and genuine goodwill.
Build Value-First Products (The Douglas Kendyson Strategy)
Douglas Kendyson, founder of Selar, built his personal brand by first creating a platform that genuinely served the needs of African creators looking to monetize their digital products. His approach teaches us that sometimes the best personal branding strategy is to build something that solves real problems for others.
Before worrying about how to promote yourself, focus on creating something of genuine value—even if it's small. Perhaps it's a template that saves people time, a process that eliminates confusion, or a resource that answers common questions. When you consistently deliver value first, the need to "sell yourself" diminishes because your work becomes your ambassador.
Learn more: Study Selar's evolution to see how Douglas built his reputation by focusing first on creator needs rather than personal visibility—a strategy that ultimately brought him far more recognition than self-promotion could have.
Become the Problem-Solver
In Lagos, founders who succeed don't just identify problems—they're known for creating practical solutions despite challenging circumstances. This "get it done" reputation becomes their calling card.
Think about the most common headaches in your field. Create a simple one-page guide solving one specific problem, and share it freely. Do this consistently, and people will start coming to you first when issues arise—that's personal brand gold!
See it in action: Co-Creation Hub showcases how solution-focused thinking becomes a powerful reputation builder.
Build Bridges Between Worlds
The most influential Lagos founders aren't just connected locally—they've positioned themselves as bridges between different ecosystems, making them invaluable connectors.
Set up a "connection coffee" every other week where you introduce two people from different parts of your network who should know each other. No agenda beyond making a helpful connection! I started doing this last year, and it's transformed my reputation as someone who adds value even when there's nothing in it for me.
Expand your reach: Africa Fintech Summit events are perfect for seeing how cross-border relationship building works in practice.
Get Out From Behind the Screen!
Digital presence matters, but Lagos founders know something crucial: real-world connections create deeper impact. Your physical presence at events—even small ones—builds authority in ways social media never can.
Find a local meetup in your industry (they're everywhere once you start looking). Attend twice without any agenda except listening. By the third visit, offer to help the organizer or give a short presentation on something useful. This has opened more doors for me than any online strategy!
Find your spot: Eventbrite lists plenty of gatherings where you can start building real-world presence.
Teach What You Know (Especially the Simple Stuff!)
We often discount our everyday knowledge, thinking "everyone must know this already." But Lagos founders like Odunayo Eweniyi of PiggyVest have built massive followings by simply teaching basics in accessible ways.
What's something you do effortlessly that others in your field struggle with? Create a simple guide breaking it down into steps so clear that a beginner could follow them. Don't overthink it—the "obvious" knowledge to you is exactly what someone else is searching for!
Study the master: Watch how Odunayo Eweniyi makes financial concepts approachable on Instagram.
Develop Resilience (And Talk About It!)
Anyone who's spent time in Lagos knows that succeeding there requires extraordinary adaptability. Power outages, infrastructure challenges—Lagos founders turn these obstacles into strength stories that showcase their grit.
Start a weekly "resilience journal" where you document one challenge and how you navigated it. Once a month, share one of these stories (the ones that won't get you fired, of course!). These authentic glimpses into your problem-solving approach build more trust than any polished achievement post.
Stay informed: Business Day Nigeria covers how business leaders navigate challenges in real-time.
Track What Actually Matters
The savviest Lagos founders ignore vanity metrics and focus on meaningful engagement. They'd rather have 10 genuine relationships than 10,000 passive followers.
Create a super simple tracking system for your personal brand. Forget follower counts—track things like: How many people reached out for advice this month? How many meaningful conversations resulted from your content? Did anyone mention your name in a meeting you weren't in? These signals tell you if your brand is actually working.
Get organized: I use a basic Notion template to track these meaningful metrics, and it takes just 5 minutes a week to update.
Want Help Putting This Into Practice?
Listen, I get it—building your professional brand while juggling your actual job feels like trying to paint a house while the roof is on fire! That's exactly why we created our personal branding support packages at The HR Hub Nigeria.
Our team will work with you to implement these exact strategies in ways that feel natural to your personality and industry. No cookie-cutter approaches—just practical support to position you as someone worth knowing in your field.
Special for Our Community: Because you're already part of our HR Hub family, we're offering 15% off any plan from NGN5,000 and above until the end of the month. Think of it as our way of saying thanks for being here!
In today's job market, letting your work "speak for itself" is like whispering in a hurricane. Let's amplify your professional voice together!
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