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-Gmvw

00:00 Intro

01:03 Why he became an engineer

06:53 File Sharing Software - His first successful product “exit”

12:58 Good Products VS Good Markets

15:33 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 opportunity

26:08 HNG Internship - When a problem creates opportunities

38:00 How AI will change the future of work

42:00 Crypto / CBDC’s and currencies in Nigeria

49:00 Counting voting sheets in National Elections: Is there a better way?

56:49 Lessons learned from the counting voting sheets initiative

1:00:46 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/markessien

Mark's other Links and initiatives

https://hotels.ng/

https://www.instagram.com/hotelsng/

https://twitter.com/hotelsng

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