EP #10 - BUILDING ONE OF NIGERIA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL ONLINE MARKETPLACES (w/ Mark Essien)

Today on our podcast, we're excited to welcome Mark Essien, a standout figure in the Nigerian tech scene. 🎬 Full video: https://youtu.be/lZyEcz-Gmvw00:00 Intro 01:03 Why he became an engineer06:53 File Sharing Software - His first successful product “exit”12:58 Good Products VS Good Markets15:33 Test your idea (market fit) based on real time world data (eg.: Google Keywords)26:08 HNG Internship - No coders available, how to turn a problem into an opportunity26:08 HNG Internship - When a problem creates opportunities38:00 How AI will change the future of work42:00 Crypto / CBDC’s and currencies in Nigeria49:00 Counting voting sheets in National Elections: Is there a better way?56:49 Lessons learned from the counting voting sheets initiative1:00:46 Mark's plans for the future? (Pivoting to Europe and India, cars.ng, travel.ng, etc.)🗣️More about our guest:Mark is the brains behind Hotels.ng, Nigeria's trailblazing online hotel booking platform. Born in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, on December 18, 1980, he's a successful entrepreneur, software developer, and startup investor. His work, particularly with Hotels.ng, has significantly advanced Africa's travel and hospitality sectors. Join us as we delve into Mark's journey and the impact of his innovations.Follow Mark Essien on social media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/markessien/https://twitter.com/markessienMark's other Links and initiativeshttps://hotels.ng/https://www.instagram.com/hotelsng/https://twitter.com/hotelsngFollow us on:https://www.africatechtalks.com/https://twitter.com/afri_techtalkshttps://www.instagram.com/africatechtalks/https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-tech-talks This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit africatechtalks.substack.com