About Me
Welcome to my personal platform, a space where I share insights on product management, design, leadership, and my ongoing exploration of technology, books, music, creativity, and internet culture. Driven by a deep curiosity about these subjects, I hope the content here resonates with your interests as well.
My journey as a designer profoundly shapes my perspectives, emphasizing how our creations tell stories about our identities and hint at our future direction. Through my writing, I aim to inform, inspire, and illuminate my professional journey.
My Professional Journey
As a dedicated business and product leader with a background in user experience design and sociology, I specialize in creating software solutions that resonate with users and drive sustainable growth. My journey began in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, where I earned a degree in Science Laboratory Technology. This seemingly unrelated field highlights my adaptability and eagerness to learn.
My passion for order and design, driven by my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, emerged during university. Recognizing the need to enhance digital communication through better design, I taught myself the necessary skills, which soon evolved into a fulfilling career.
After university, I relocated to Lagos, Nigeria, and joined Infomall Nigeria Ltd, an IT firm. Starting as a Graphic Designer, I quickly progressed to the User Experience Design team. My role expanded to encompass all aspects of design, culminating in a position in Product Strategy. As a team leader, I facilitated the development of product roadmaps and requirements tailored to user needs.
Following my tenure at Infomall, I joined Vpay Africa as a Senior Product Manager. My responsibilities included product vision, strategy, design, and development, with a strong focus on user experience. Concurrently, I worked on freelance projects for notable startup clients such as Thspan, Finvault, and Artsplit, creating user-centric designs across various industries.
In late 2020, amidst the global pandemic, I joined Aku Microfinance Bank as a Lead Product Manager and Designer. Here, I have worked on remarkable products, including our flagship credit card aimed at improving the financial situations of the unbanked population. As the Lead Product Manager, I oversee the daily operations and outcomes of the team.
Product management and people leadership are my professional passions. The future in these areas holds immense potential, and I regularly share my thoughts on these and related topics through blog posts and tweets. If you're interested in learning more or collaborating, feel free to reach out. Let's explore this exciting space together!
What I do for a living
I'm an accomplished product manager and designer with over 9 years of dynamic experience in both B2C and B2B industries. I excel at guiding teams to develop innovative, user-centric products that not only meet customer needs but also drive substantial business growth.
With a people-centric approach, I thrive in coaching and empowering teams, shaping product and business strategies, and executing Go-To-Market plans that foster consistent and healthy business growth. I am passionate about building a culture that promotes a safe and fulfilling work environment, enabling teams to perform at their best.
In my current role as the Product Lead at AKU MFB, a microfinance bank in Nigeria focused on financial inclusion, I have been instrumental in transforming the organization's product offerings. Since joining, I have significantly expanded the customer base, launched a flagship credit card product that has improved the financial situations of the unbanked populace, and led the team to secure substantial funding.
Here's a glimpse into my work methodology:
- Development Process Design: I understand the needs of developers and business stakeholders, and collaborate with engineering leaders to design a development process that fits the organization's culture.
- Product and Business Leadership: I specialize in building and coaching teams in environments that encourage innovation and efficiency. I believe in providing strategic context to enable teams to own decision-making processes and swiftly meet customer and business needs.
- Product Management: I am adept at developing product vision and strategies, ensuring that teams are aligned with the right problems for customers and the business, and designing systems to ensure excellent execution and delivery.
- Product Discovery: I utilize design thinking to solve user and business problems and improve product/market fit.
- User Experience Research & Design: I have a broad range of experience in this field, including ethnography, usability testing, participatory design, concept testing, and surveys. I also have hands-on experience with content audits, flow diagrams, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.