This isn’t a success story- it’s a survival story. Its an honest account of how a young founder rose Quickly, betrayed by people, failed dramatically,, and offers critical startup failure lessons on how to rebuild with clarit rather than prophecy.
I’m sharing it because silence breeds Shame, and shame breeds Isolation, and I’ve lived in Both. What follows is a roadmap- not to success, but to survival, self awareness, and starting again.
Section I: The day Everything Changed- How Losing your Home shapes Resilience.
September 29th, 2015– That’s a date etched into my memory. It was a Lovely Tuesday Morning… Until it became very Ugly.This Minute my family and I had a home, the next Minute we were Homeless- Pushed out into the cold with empty Pockets.
That was the first time I tasted Shame.
And also the first time I turned that Shame into Hunger- the Kind that forces you to fight for a life and a mission that doesn’t exist yet.
This write – up isn’t a fulfilment of that Mission, Nor a quench of that Hunger. Its Simply an Invitation to walk through the Journey with me— the Journey that shaped me, broke me, rebuilt me and continues to redefine me.
Lesson Learned:
Shame can become fuel and Survival Precedes Growth.
Section II. Early Success and the Illusion of Invincibility – Why Awareness Beats Overconfidence
At 17, I was one of the youngest and top Economics Student in College and also the founder of a small clothing brand that I built to Survive.
The brand taught me something Priceless: survival may spark action, but relevance is what fuels ambition and sustainability. And so it pushed me to dream further, to build wide, and to create Value beyond Myself.
And so by 18 and over the next 3 years, I led a community of 3,000 young adults, running programs and projects that impacted Millions across the world; starting from Africa.
That experience and achievement birthed something new in me— a sense of calling, wrapped tightly around the threads of religion and purpose. It gave me strength, confidence and Honour. It made me feel Unstoppable.
I wasn’t Unstoppable though. Life would prove that soon enough.
Lesson Learned:
Confidence without Caution is Risky: Early Success can create a false sense of Invulnerability
Section III. The voice, the promise, and the fall
That Consciousness birthed a Blind Intuition that I followed relentlessly. I enlarged my tent, stretched my curtains wide and lengthened my cords.
I believed— deeply— that if I stepped out, I would spread to the right and the left, rebuild desolate cities and Never fail. Well that was what I thought.
Reality was Colder— brutal, factual and Unforgiving.
Reality shattered me in ways that altered the Course of my story.
The Blind Intuition Never warned me that people could be cruel— even the ones I thought were my closest friends/allies. Or Maybe it did; and I just didn’t listen well enough.
Section IV: Startup Failure –Why Blind Trust and Lack of Structure Sink Ventures.
At 21, I co-founded Voltac Global, an asset management company, with three peers who believed as fiercely as I did.
Or so I thought.
We grew it to a Multi Million Dollar start up within the first 18 months.
We were Young, Fearless and Fuelled by Blind Optimism and Stupidity.
Holding on to the promise of the Blind Intuition, We pushed even further; ignoring all glaring signals and Counsel. My Intentions were honest, my purpose wasn’t self driven at this point.
And so I thought; what could possibly go wrong?
I learned the Answer the Hard Way.
The Truth is, I failed. Not because the Idea was in itself weak, but because I was so unprepared for the weight of success and the cost of Blindness.
I was carried away by the wights success brought- the attention, the praise, the illusion of Momentum.
The harsh reality of start up failure struck me like a thunderbolt, leaving me grappling with the aftermath of my choices. Dapo Abiola’s journey serves as a poignant reminder that ambition, when untethered from preparation and foresight, can lead to devastating consequences.
In the end, the weight of my aspirations proved too heavy to bear, revealing that without a solid foundation, dreams can quickly turn into despair.
And when the ship began sinking, I didn’t Leave.
I still held on. I believed—in prophecy, in momentum, in hope—long after logic had left the room.
My ultimate flaw was not malice—it was blind trust in a personal relationship over verifiable data. We made the catastrophic decision to invest 90% of the company’s capital with a third party, Joshua, who was a close friend.
He promised everything was secure and fine. I believed him, even when the glaring signals screamed that the reality was far colder and brutally factual. My loyalty kept me holding on, attempting to float a sinking partner, and in the end, his failure made me sink even further.
And when VGC Collapsed, people got hurt. Investors. Partners. People who trusted me. People who believed I saw what they couldn’t. That part still haunts me and I am still deeply sorry for the startup failure.
But this isn’t a sob story.
It’s a blueprint— a map of what not to do
A confession from someone who didn’t fail quietly—but publicly, painfully, and completely.
And if someone reads this and learns from the mistakes that cost me everything, then the failure wasn’t wasted.
Lesson Learned:
Blind Trust Is Costly: Always Verify Intentions and work with Factual Data.
Structure beats Momentum: A strong Team and Clear system prevent Collapse
Section V: Rising from Ashes – How Rebuilding Shapes Lasting Resilience
The story didn’t end with Voltac Global (VGC)— although it still climbs into my thoughts and shakes me.
I survived. Barely, But I survived.
I stayed in my “cave” for years- rebuilding my Mind first, then my body, then my sense of Self.
Eventually, I Built again:
A fintech Venture (which has since done tremendously well). And Edu-tech Startup (successfully exited) and a Mobility startup (which Failed- but taught invaluable lessons).
But each one has sharpened me; Not just as a founder, but as a Human Being.
I have now chosen to Move on. And just like the very beginning; I have once again turned shame into hunger. This Isn’t a Comeback Story. It’s a documentation- a record of a roap-map still unfolding.
I share this story not to boast, but to offer startup failure Lessons from Experience. To help someone avoid a pitfall, find courage or realize they are not alone.
The Hunger didn’t die- It learned how to breathe.
Lesson Learned:
Recovery takes time and structure: Rebuilding starts with mind and self before ventures.
Every experience teaches: Both successes and startup failures provide critical growth.
Data and reason over emotion: Decision-making grounded in evidence prevents repeating past mistakes.
Build teams intentionally: The right people amplify your mission; wrong ones amplify risk.
Documenting your journey helps others: Sharing raw truth inspires, guides, and reassures those facing similar challenges.
In the relentless pursuit of dreams, the journey of startup failure often reveals profound truths. Embracing the Startup Failure Lessons, we discover that recovery is not merely a destination but a transformative process that begins within us, where every setback becomes a stepping stone towards resilience and renewed purpose.
