storytelling with data podcast: #87: the founder’s journey: From Lagos to Zurich to AI-Powered Insights
Apr 10, 2025
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Odun Odubanjo, CEO and founder of Insight7, shares his inspiring journey from Lagos to Zurich and beyond. He reveals how a Google internship catalyzed his entrepreneurial path. Odun discusses the lessons learned while building startups in Africa and how storytelling is vital in connecting with customers. He delves into the transformative power of AI for businesses and the democratization of technology, emphasizing now is the best time to innovate. Ultimately, his passion for turning qualitative data into actionable insights shines through.
Odun Odubanjo's journey illustrates the importance of networking, which significantly influenced his career development and collaborative opportunities.
His experiences in founding startups like Twin Pine and Insight7 showcase his resilience and creativity in overcoming market challenges in Africa.
Odun highlights the transformative impact of AI technologies, emphasizing their role in streamlining workflows and democratizing data access globally.
Deep dives
Odun's Journey from Lagos to Zurich
Odun Odubanjo, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, experienced a significant cultural shift when he moved to Zurich, Switzerland, for an internship at Google. Upon arriving, he was struck by the difference in population density, finding the quieter streets of Zurich a stark contrast to the bustling life of Lagos. During his internship, he contributed to building data platforms aimed at invoking localized content for Sub-Saharan Africa. This initial exposure to different global markets and technological challenges sparked his interest in understanding and overcoming barriers in data accessibility.
The Importance of Networking
Throughout his internship experience, Odun learned the critical value of networking from his encounter with Randy, who advised the interns to maintain relationships with their peers and mentors. Odun took this advice to heart, staying in touch and sharing updates on his career journey, which ultimately paved the way for ongoing collaborative opportunities. By nurturing these relationships, he ensured that he remained visible within his network, gaining support and guidance even as he transitioned into his career outside of Google. This focus on maintaining connections has been fundamental to his professional growth and success as a founder.
Entrepreneurial Ventures and Challenges
After completing his education, Odun co-founded Twin Pine, a mobile advertising network aiming to monetize the increasing mobile usage in Africa. His experience led to the eventual transformation of Twin Pine into Terragon, a customer data platform, showcasing his ability to develop scalable solutions in challenging markets. Odun highlighted the significance of creativity and resilience in navigating the competitive landscape against bigger players like Google and Facebook. This entrepreneurial venture set the groundwork for him to further explore opportunities on a global scale.
Launching Insight7
Odun's career path eventually led him to found Insight7, a business intelligence tool designed to extract meaningful insights from conversations and qualitative data. He recognized a gap in the market for efficient analysis of qualitative data and sought to create a platform accessible to both data analysts and business decision-makers. The development of Insight7 was influenced by evolving technology such as LLMs, allowing for efficient data processing and insights generation. He emphasized the importance of user experience and continuous feedback to refine the product, making it immediately operational for clients.
The Role of AI in Modern Business
Odun discussed the transformative potential of AI technologies, emphasizing their ability to streamline workflows and democratize data access globally. He reflected on how AI helps save time and increases productivity, making it easier for individuals and companies to innovate. He believes that while AI won’t replace all manual roles, it will significantly alter how tasks are completed, leading to flatter organizational structures and enhanced collaboration. Odun encourages entrepreneurs to leverage these advancements, as they provide unprecedented opportunities to build successful ventures irrespective of geographical constraints.
In this second installment of our new podcast series, The Founder’s Journey, we sit down with Odun Odubanjo, CEO and founder ofInsight7, a platform making qualitative data instantly actionable.
Odun’s story starts in Lagos, Nigeria, where a chance internship at Google Zurich opened a door that would eventually lead to founding multiple startups, scaling a business across Africa, working at Shopify in Canada, and launching Insight7 in the U.S. Today, Odun helps organizations turn qualitative data—from customer calls to interviews—into meaningful business insights.
In this episode, Randy and Odun talk about:
The surprising power of staying in touch
Lessons learned building startups in Africa and breaking into new markets
How Insight7 helps teams unlock the hidden value in their qualitative data
The power of storytelling as a founder, including a “holy moly” moment with a new customer
Navigating the AI revolution and how tools like ChatGPT and Claude are reshaping the way we build, communicate, and lead
Odun also shares his perspective on why now is the best time to be alive—and to start something new. Tune in and be inspired by the story of a founder who’s innovating across continents and categories.
