After being employed for a period of time, Julian Kyula decided to quit and start his own business. It’s through his business ventures that he founded MODE, a well-known company specialising in mobile financial technology such as providing airtime credit and micro-loans to millions of mobile phones users across Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

But before he founded MODE, he first created a business called Quest, off his experience in the data and analytics industry. One of the first lessons he learned from his decision to create Quest was to never start a business out of any ill motives. This was his first lesson because he had left his previous job on a bad note due to differences of opinion with his employer.

“He says he fired me, I say I quit. You know, semantics. Potato (Poteiteu), Potato (Potateu)” Julian said cheekily regarding his previous employer.

“I started my business so upset with that guy (his former employer) and he was also so upset with me. I told him I would clean this market out and he wouldn’t have any business, he told me to go do my worst” Julian Kyula reminisced when he was guest at Unthinkable Roast.

But through this experience, he learnt that building a business with any sort of ill motives makes it hard dare say impossible to attain success. Despite the drive for competition being present, it was still a challenge to grow and become impactful because decisions were being made in a negative state of mind which usually results in unreasonable and illogical decisions.

Thankfully, he learned his lesson quickly enough and proceeded to build his second company into a huge success.

Julian Kyula was a guest at Unthinkable Roast in April 2019. Click here to join other leaders for inspiring monthly conversations on leadership and innovation