Going on an Unexpected Fintech Journey: From Assisting Friends to Establishing BridgePay.
Peter Johnson- Jan 6, 2024
- 3 min read
This past weekend, I got a call from a pal who was in dire need of help with covering the cost of a Udemy or AliExpress order (she couldn't remember which). I told her there are a plethora of possibilities, but she still seemed hesitant about which one to use. That's when it dawned on me: the most frequent problem when making online purchases is figuring out how to pay.
Here is the story: Even before encountering any difficulties with dollar payments, I had it all figured out. As a freelancer, I could not pass up any payments or jobs; whether they were from customers within or outside Nigeria. I therefore had to find a solution. However, this process was not easy, particularly for someone who was doing it for the first time.
Without consulting with professionals in the field, getting results with ease can be an arduous task.
I also collaborate with my boss, who is in charge of an educational agency focused on instruction for IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, and similar. His active participation in international operations gave me great sagacity.
During the period I spent with him, I became thoroughly acquainted with the intricacies of global money transfer systems, both for small and large amounts, and was an active participant in the actual payments. This was the basis for what eventually grew to become BridgePay.
The foundation of BridgePay was an unforeseen consequence. It began as a solution to an unrelated problem, and ultimately proved to be invaluable to the business.
The origin of BridgePay was unanticipated. It emerged from an unrelated difficulty, but in the end demonstrated to be indispensable to the company.
The conception of BridgePay didn't come to be through any conscious effort on my part. It all began as I found myself making small payments for other people without even realizing it. When people began asking me to help in a more official capacity, the concept of making this a business came to be. At first, I was filled with doubts. How would I be able to make people trust me when I had no background in finance or fintech? And I had a million other excuses not to start. But then I thought, "Well, what the heck? It might not work out, but at least I'll learn something new." And that's how I decided to give it a go.
Transforming Thoughts into Reality
Making dreams a reality
I instantly realized that I had to jump back into my "WordPress role," so I made a basic WordPress landing page to obtain the necessary transaction info. This was a thrifty, plausible method to investigate without having to spend thousands of naira generating a more refined, automated alternative, given the strong competition of other established merchants.
I ran the product as a subsidiary of my venture studio, making sure that I had the correct registration and business ID for credibility. I realize the importance of having the necessary paperwork in order, and wasn't careless in this regard.
That's how it all got started. I gave myself two days, or maybe just one, to think about my next move. So I took the time to learn from the errors I had committed previously. Instead of developing complex technology without the input of customers, I opted to only create the most essential feature as my minimum viable product. My main goal was to interact with more people.
Be sure to read my upcoming article detailing how I got my initial customers and determined a distinctive aspect to make BridgePay stand out from other existing businesses.
Make contact with me on social media.
Follow Abdul Hafeez Alabi on Twitter (@itsAlabi), Instagram (@itsAlabi) and LinkedIn (Abdul Hafeez Alabi).
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Follow us on Twitter: @BridgePayHQ and Linkedin: BridgePayHQ!
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