I went to the Fuck Up Nights that they have at Impact Hub Harare and the speakers for that edition were Tatenda Jakarasi, co-founder and C.E.O. of MunchZW, Ruvheneko and my mentor Thembe Khumalo. As my luck would have it, the main reason why I went was scheduled to speak last. Yay me. But it worked out because I learnt something from each of them. The Fuck Up Nights are more insightful than Pitch Nights.
Read up on FuckUp Nights Vol 4 here: http://impacthubharare.net/fuckup-nights-vol-4/
One thing that Ruvheneko said has stuck with me from that night, “Invest in processes.” She explained how Tafadzwa, the guy who was assisting her with her webseries passed away and she couldn’t replace him. “The show died with him,” she said.
Being unemployed, I started focusing on my start ups and it was quickly apparent to me that I couldn’t do it alone, I needed help. I needed a team. And then I fell ill and I had deadlines. I was afflicted with an illness that the doctors couldn’t diagnose. I was useless for over a month. I lost my first consultation client. There was work to do and I couldn’t do it and it absolutely couldn’t wait. Ruvheneko was right. I need to invest in processes and people.
https://twitter.com/brielleapolonio/status/1191016781290209280
When I went to the event for the International Day of Girls in ICT, Lydia from the panel outlined how she had engaged a freelance developer who was holding the project hostage. The Risk Management department was on her case about if that developer died today, who would give them access to the project log in details?
That’s one thing I never considered as a freelancer. Not only for the current jobs but for the sustainability of my start ups. If I died today, no one would be able to find anything to even continue the work and that’s an error. That’s why I need processes, so that other people can take over a project or complete a job. Processes are the key to sustainability. It’s you setting out how tasks are completed, division of labour, outlining of roles and responsibilities, contracts, rate cards, code of conduct, company policies. Without these, your start up will fail and you’ll lose talent because no one wants to work in a circus, except clowns.
https://giphy.com/gifs/horror-creepy-stephen-king-35PkmXKVsY7FS
As a content creator, I liked throwing other content creators jobs. The advertising agency pitches ideas, justifies them and if client agrees, mouths get fed. I was in a discussion with a client and I pitched using Influencers and she shut it down. Her reasoning was that personalities could soil the brand with their personal drama. She explained that she would rather work with ambassadors that are registered businesses to minimise the risk. At that time I realised that naming my blog after me was a mistake and when I die, it’s gonna die with me because dead girls don’t blog.
https://giphy.com/gifs/scream-queens-chanel-9JYMhjn8wBRxm
