Meet the founder of Vendroad - Busayo Oyewole
I had the idea for Vendroad when I wanted to shop in Nigeria and most businesses required whatsapp chat to shop. I just wanted an easy website to order from, but it seemed most options in the market were too expensive for these businesses to justify the cost. So I wanted to build an affordable version of shopify that makes it easy for businesses just starting out, regardless of where they are from.
What were you doing before you started Vendroad?
I've been working in Tech for over 10 years now as a user experience (UX) designer and manager for multiple tech companies. I also have degrees in psychology and usability engineering, which has given me an edge in understanding how people use software products, how to design for it and improve that experience. I've brought all these experiences into designing the Vendroad experience both for our customers and their customers.
What made you decide to start this company?
I had the idea for Vendroad when I wanted to shop in Nigeria and most businesses required a whatsapp chat to shop. I just wanted an easy website to order from, but it seemed most options in the market were too expensive for these businesses to justify the cost. So they use whatsapp, and lose out on 24/7 availability that websites offer. So I wanted to build an affordable version of shopify that makes it easy and affordable for businesses just starting out, regardless of where they are from.
What did the very first version of the business look like?
Oh, we got a lot of things wrong. The business model being one. We thought maybe taking a % margin of businesses would be the best approach, but businesses didn't like this. We also didn't have design templates at the time, requiring all businesses to stick to the default design template we offered them. Which was a mistake because businesses wanted to differentiate themselves, to be unique. We took all these learnings and iterated. We are also lucky that our customers share their feedback, tell us what they'd like and what they don't like. We take their feedback seriously and those feedback inform our roadmap.
What's one thing you’re really good at as a founder?
I'm a product person by default. I think about the product, how to design and make it better everyday. I obsess over UI, both the admin side and how every website looks like for businesses. If something is a little bit off, I'm on top of it. I need both aesthetics and functionality to be great, and I think this has been our superpower so far.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different. Some days it's product planning, another day it's marketing, and yet another it's fixing bugs with my team. There's never a set plan other than waking up and making sure we serve our customers. It's a rollercoaster of fun and angst.
What keeps you motivated when things aren't going well?
The comments I get from our users. Sometimes I get messages from them saying to keep going and they appreciate that we make it affordable for them to have a website they can be proud of. Simple comments like that make my day.
Where do you want the business to be in 3–5 years?
Ecommerce keeps evolving, however it evolves, I hope vendroad continues to grow and provide value for our customers. As long as we continue to provide value for our customers, the journey will be satisfying.
