Glass Half Full is Such a Fallacy
How I Learned This Harsh Lesson After My Startup Lost Out on An Incubation Program By Two Points
Hello rafiki 😊
Welcome to the Not an Afterthought newsletter, where we lead the conversation on how to accelerate Africa’s socio-economic development AND use technology to drive economic growth that makes Africa not an afterthought.
Today's post is a smidge personal. Please bear with me if you were looking forward to the usual in-depth pieces. Hopefully, this will offer as much value, albeit in a different way.
You've probably heard the adage about a glass half full and a glass half empty. That each situation is a matter of perspective, and you can choose to see a situation positively, meaning the glass is half full, or negatively, meaning the glass is half empty.
Till three weeks ago, I was entirely in the glass half full camp. I was convinced that no matter how bad a situation, the positives that make up half of that glass far outweigh the negatives in the empty half.
Then I lost out on an incubation program by two points, and all I wanted to do was crush the glass into a million indistinguishable pieces.
An incubation program is a program that provides early-stage entrepreneurs with networking opportunities, training, mentoring, access to the market and other helpful resources.
The cut-off was 75 points, and my co-founder and I got 73 points.
It is one thing to lose something by a notable margin, but to lose by a margin so negligible you could almost taste the victory is its own kind of hell.
The what-ifs are like sharp razors determined to cut up every inch of unmarred skin, leaving open wounds incapable of healing.
Maybe it would not have been so devastating if the opportunity had not felt like such a perfect fit. The organization sponsoring the incubation program aims to build an Africa that Africans want to see.
My vision and the underlying purpose for everything I do, including this newsletter, is to build an Africa that is not an afterthought. Surely, it was destiny. Right?
Well, it was only destiny in my head—that was the hardest bit to accept. It has made the past three weeks a study in grief management.
I started out angry. Anger so deep it became scary. I did not know human beings were capable of nursing anger so tangible; it felt like it could burn the world to ashes two times over without remorse.
Then followed the sadness. An overwhelming sadness that threatened to swallow me whole.
Finally, here we are, grudging acceptance. The realization that although "glass half full" is a phrase that will never again come out of my mouth, neither can I allow one "no" to cripple me.
Melanie Perkins, the founder of Canva, kept going even after the 100th no. Canva is now a $1 billion business. My co-founder and I must be in excellent company. At least, that is what I keep telling myself.
While wallowing in sadness, I read a book by Fernando Pessoa—The Book of Disquiet. Quite fitting, huh?
Two quotes stuck with me.
Ah, it's my longing for whom I might have been that distracts and torments me!
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet
I don't want a future tormented by who I might have been because I lacked the courage to gather the tattered pieces of my soul and fashion them into something capable of at least taking one more step.
There are ships sailing to many ports, but not a single one goes where life is not painful.
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet
It is that simple, no? Life is littered with pain. That shouldn't deter one from living.
There you have it. I have learned that it is not so much about looking for the positive in horrible situations. Instead, it is understanding that you cannot remain stuck there. If you do, the future will not be kind.
The Book of Disquiet is the saddest book I have ever read, with quotes like "I'm sick of everything, and of the everythingness of everything."
It is also one of the most hopeful books I have ever read. It has a way of helping you see a situation more clearly and, by extension, cultivating some hope.
I now have some hope. Emphasis on "some" because it is very little, but it is enough to keep going. So, friends, we will revisit this in three months when my co-founder and I launch our startup's Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Our startup—Jali—is trying to solve medical negligence during childbirth in Kenya. The MVP will be the smallest version of the product with enough features to go to market and attract early adopters who will help validate the idea.
I hate that we have to do it alone without the mentorship and guidance that would have come from the incubation program, but who knows, maybe we will be better for it.
Opportunity Corner: Opportunity For Africans
The Africa Development Bank (AfDB) is offering virtual internships for young Africans with a monthly stipend. Applications opened on 18th August and will close on 1st September. Visit link to see the eligibility criteria and and apply.
https://www.afdb.org/en/vacancy/2022-virtual-internship-program-session-ii-54210
If this is your first time here, here are a couple of issues that you might have missed.
Frequently Asked Questions About The East African Community
Dissecting the East African Community’s Customs Union: How Has it Benefited EAC Citizens?
Building and succeeding in Africa: How Safaricom Did It
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