Failure is part of success
Kaigwa notes that over the last seven years in which he has been actively involved in technology and enterprise he has made “too many mistakes to count”.
“I drank a lot of the Kool-Aid for social media very early on. I felt social media was going to change everything. What I needed to do was manage my expectations on how long it takes a market to change. Upon finding some frustration and not exactly seeing the results I was expecting, I took the route of speaking and training because it is fundamental that the market is educated. I just feel that if business leaders were well educated and informed on social media they would make better decisions [regarding their digital strategies].”
Looking back, Kaigwa says his mistakes “have all proved to be valuable life lessons”.
“Failure is part of the recipe of success. Most people don’t care to admit it, but show me 10 people who have succeeded and I will find it hard to find anyone who has succeeded on his first try.
“I think [in] technology you always have a lot more misses than hits. The odds of any business are stacked against you surviving to the fifth year. It’s a matter of time will tell, but I have to say I could not have picked a greater group of people to learn the lessons that we did in the time that we did. We have learnt things about the market that nobody can teach you.”
Kaigwa has been actively involved in training business leaders and other youth. So far, he has spoken in more than 20 countries across the world, carving a niche as a digital consultant and strategist.
“I have been so fortunate to travel at an early age and see other African countries and I have met people who have amazing dreams. There is no greater purpose than to say in my own small way I tried, not only to do something for my country that I can be remembered for, but more importantly to have done something for Africa.”
During difficult times Kaigwa says he finds motivation in the thought that his endeavors will have an impact on other people’s lives for years to come.
