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When A Billionaire Asks for Public Support

When A Billionaire Asks for Public Support

“Twitter still has challenges, but is now trending to break even… public support is much appreciated” – Elon Musk

I have been using this Tweet to teach in our Tekedia Startup Masterclass, challenging founders that no matter how great your product or service is, you must get the best investors to buy in. And those investors are the customers. Yes, the public and we the people.

If Elon Musk posited that despite his truck loads of money, in $billions, that only public support will save his little blue bird, who among us has a chance without the public? None.

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We underestimate the societal energy in business. We underestimate that in markets, if you do not win the customers, you have no mission, because venture funds come and go, but only customers will fund you in perpetuity.

In our business, we Thank and Thank all our members, co-learners and customers, because without them, we have no mission. Yes, go for that “public support” because that is the only way to thrive. That is why a billionaire is asking for public support.

An African proverb is clear – “no man, no matter how wealthy, can prepare enough food for his kinsmen, but if those kinsmen make food for him, he will be unable to consume the whole food”. That proverb is not saying that Dangote cannot feed his village kinsmen in Kano for an evening. Rather, the proverb is drawing on the strength that comes from unity and the “wisdom of many”.

Comment on Feed

Comment 1: Like I have said previously, it is customers that sustain a business, and not investors. Anyone pumping in money into a business will get tired and bored at some point, if the customers are not congregating, you are going under.

Comment 2:  ‘Venture funds come and go, but only customers will fund you in perpetuity’
This is the best takeaway here. It was a tenet of business long before EM and it will continue to be one long after he is no more.

Comment 3: Elon did not become a billionaire by himself. He became a billionaire because of the public support. No matter the value of your product, the public will “fund” it. If you are too arrogant to seek public support, you are too arrogant to be rich. It’s a very simple concept. Never underestimate the value of public support.

Comment 4:  It’s all about the customers, in the end, no venture fund will fund you in perpetuity. it’s best to focus on the customers, and give our best to make them happy to stay with us.

Comment 5: The key word there is “break even”.
Twitter is not a new company, but very much with signs of a toddler under its new parent, Elon.

With the recalibration of many baselines in twitter’s business operations, including its restructuring which saw many staffs laid off, only a mad man will not see “bulablar” ahead.

The alien that he is, after the initial rejigging, is now pivoting it back from unstable trenches to a more progressive haven of success.

I wish the bluebird captain sweet sail. Thank you proff Ndubuisi Ekekwe for the untiring updates as always


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