If you’ve spent years working in your industry, whether it’s banking, healthcare, education,
construction, law, or any other field, chances are, you’ve seen many things that just don’t
work well. You’ve probably said something like,
“This process could be faster.”
“Why do we still do it this way?”
“There has to be a better way.”
Well, maybe you’re the one who should build that better way.
This isn’t about becoming a techie or quitting your job tomorrow. It’s about using what you
already know (your skills, experience, and insights) to create a business that solves a real
problem in your industry. Why? Because domain knowledge and industry insight have
become some of the most valuable currencies in building solutions that matter.
Here’s why it makes perfect sense for business experts like you to start a startup:
1. You’ve Seen the Problems Firsthand
You’ve lived the frustrations.
You understand the gaps and inefficiencies others don’t even
notice. That gives you a huge head start. Most startups fail because they build solutions to
the wrong problems, but you know the real ones.
2. You Know What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Your experience gives you clear insight into what kind of solution will actually be useful and
realistic. You don’t need to guess, you’ve already tested ideas in the real world just by doing
your job. This saves you years of trial and error that most early-stage founders go through.
3. You Have Valuable Industry Knowledge
Whether it’s how things are regulated, what customers truly care about, or where the
bottlenecks are your inside knowledge is something a fresh entrepreneur would take years
to figure out. That’s your competitive advantage.
4. You Know the People That Matter
You’ve built networks (clients, partners, vendors, regulators). Starting a business is much
easier when you can pick up the phone and call someone who knows you and trusts you.
5. You Can Spot Opportunities Others Can’t See
Because you’re inside the system, you can see patterns, loopholes, or outdated processes
that are ripe for disruption, while others are still trying to understand how the system
works.
6. You Understand the Customer
You either are the customer or have worked closely with them. You know how they think,
what annoys them, what makes them buy, and what they’re willing to pay for. That’s startup
gold.
7. You’ve Already Done “Startup Work” Without Realizing It
Have you ever fixed a broken system, led a new project, or solved a company-wide issue?
That’s what startup founders do, solve problems. You already have the mindset.
8. Credibility and Trust
Years of experience build a strong reputation and credibility within an industry. This
established trust can be a massive advantage when seeking funding, attracting early
customers, and forming strategic partnerships. People are more likely to believe in and
invest in someone who has proven their mettle.
9. You Don’t Need to Know Everything
You don’t need to write code or know how to raise millions. You can hire people, find
co-founders, or partner with tech experts. What matters most is your clarity about the
problem and the solution.
10. The Time Is Now
There’s never been more support for professionals turning founders, from incubators and
investors to platforms and talent marketplaces. If you don’t act on your idea, someone else
might. But they won’t have your experience.
Real Examples of People Like You Who Did It
1. Temie Giwa-Tubosun (LifeBank) – She worked in public health and saw how hard it
was to get blood and medical supplies to hospitals on time. She used that experience
to build LifeBank, a logistics platform for saving lives.
2. Gbenga Agboola (Flutterwave): Had extensive experience in the financial technology
sector, having worked at Google, PayPal, and Standard Bank. His deep
understanding of payment infrastructure and cross-border transactions was crucial
to building Flutterwave into a leading pan-African payments technology company.
3. Tunde Kehinde (Lidya) – After co-founding Jumia, he saw that small businesses
couldn’t get loans easily. So, he started Lidya to provide fast digital loans for SMEs.
4. Mitchell Elegbe (Interswitch): A seasoned professional in the financial services and
payment systems industry. He recognized the need for a robust electronic payment
infrastructure in Nigeria and built Interswitch to facilitate seamless digital
transactions, laying the groundwork for much of Nigeria’s digital economy.
5. Peter Thiel & Alex Karp (Palantir) – With backgrounds in law and finance, they built
software for governments and banks because they knew how messy and complex
data in those fields could be.
6. Marc Benioff (Salesforce): Benioff spent 13 years at Oracle, rising to become the
youngest vice president. His deep understanding of enterprise software sales,
customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and the limitations of
on-premise software directly informed his vision for a cloud-based CRM solution
that became Salesforce.
You Don’t Need to Quit to Start Thinking
Even if you’re not ready to quit your job, take a moment. Reflect on your career. What
problems have you seen that no one has truly solved? What inefficiencies have you
grumbled about? What solutions do you know, deep down, could make a real difference?
If you can answer that, then you’re not just a business expert, you’re a potential founder.
Ready to Start Thinking Like a Founder?
Let us know, we can help you map out your idea, validate the problem, build a business
model, and get your first set of users. You already have the experience. Now it’s time to
build with it. Reach us at business@equilibriumzone.org
