DECISION ON A MISSION. DECISION IS NOT ABOUT AGE

DECISION IS NOT ABOUT AGE

“You either stand for something or you fall for something:”

INTERVIEW WITH MR OJO ABIODUN TIMOTHY:   

 The Chief Executive Officer of Biodux Solutions

Tayo Olumadewa Interviewing the CEO of Biodux Solutions

Ojo Abiodun Timothy, the Chief Executive Officer of Biodux Solutions. A graduate of Applied Geophysics from Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State and an indigene of Ekiti, speaks on how he was able to find his voice.

Career

My ability to discover myself early in life paved way for me. I found out my passion early and quitted Geophysics to pursue Biodux solution. I realized that in a class of maybe fifty people, it is only one or two people that will eventually get the opportunity to work in an oil company or end up in an oil company. I studied Applied Geophysics and was one of the best graduating students tin 2005. But I decided to stay with my passion, which is what has made me now.

My Path

Every individual has two paths before him. The first path is the one you are following since existence, and the other is the one found out by other individuals. My presence in the I.T industry is a result of my interest and earlier discovery of my talent. I have been working on it since I graduated in 2005, even though I have been building on it since 2003. Biodux Solutions was founded in 2003 while I was in school.

Academics and Passion

It was not that easy. But when you are determined to have something done, it works out at the end. Let me cite the example of a student that loves to play football and wants to study at the same time. This is what I call the conflict of interests. But in my own case, I was able to manage my interests in order to achieve my goals. Basically, there are no similarities but extremes. Sometimes you have an interest doing another thing when you are studying a course.

CHALLENGES AT SCHOOL

One of the challenges then was when I had to write a test in school and at the same time, had some clients waiting for me in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt. I had to make a choice to either write the test or satisfy the clients. When such comes into play, a way of balancing also comes in. But it is sometimes very difficult to balance.

HOW

There are times when a lecturer will stand in class conducting a test and I will have to leave the class to satisfy the clients. Balancing the two was not that easy. I graduated as one of the best from the university as a result of maintaining my grades in my early years and I made sure the grades never dropped but rather were better.

How did you start Biodux Solutions

It all started when somebody approached me and said he wanted an Hotel Automation software. The price offered was very low, but I talked to myself – ‘what if I did the software almost for free and also look at an opportunity to be able to resell the software over and over?’ So we scheduled an appointment with the Managing Director of the hotel and inquired about some of the problems they were having, which we were able to solve. This was in 2003. Remember it was not BIODUX then, it was like a part-time job for me.

Challenges

At the beginning, I didn’t have a computer system, not to talk of an office. I had to go to cybercafés to work, and I spent so much on buying air time. I stayed late at cafes in other to upload needed software, as well as get some jobs done. Also, power (electricity) was a major challenge.

DIFFICULTIES

I don’t think I see anything as a difficulty. Nothing to me is difficult. I see them as challenges. As long as a problem or a challenge has solutions, I don’t see it as a difficulty. All you have to do is to calm down, look at it well and proffer a solution(s) to the problem. Every problem has a solution provided you are willing to think on it.

Upsets

Upsets, Upsets, Upsets. The biggest upsets sometimes come from the clients. Since they are the reason we do the work. Take a look at this situation, you spent night after nights to develop or proffer a solution to clients. You finish the solutions, deploy the solutions and you find out that the clients do not understand what the solutions are all about.

Truth on trials

The fact is that we have to protect the investments of our clients, and most clients actually take decisions that put the investments you are trying to protect in jeopardy, except those that are well inclined with associating information technology in Nigeria to businesses.

In Nigeria, associating I.T with businesses and not I.T itself is still new. We have had software’s for typing or designs. But when we look at software’s that actually secure businesses, you will realize that they are new in Nigeria. The only people that uses the software’s are banks (online banking etc), which were not available some years ago. We look at this and apply it to the hotels, supermarkets which are new areas people are not into. Moreover, you can still count the number of hotels/supermarkets that have software’s running their businesses. Even among those that have it, its only a few of them that that use it. What then is the point of having software’s which cannot be used?

Clients

The hotels are divided into different sectors. We have a lot of hotels in Nigeria, even in Lagos that are managed by expatriates. They come with their own softwares since this field is new in Nigeria. Our clients include Planet one, Parkview manor etc and for our biz edge products, which are for supermarkets, we have 50 clients. We have more than 40 clients in the hotels across the country.

Breaking the ground

I called it ‘Reference - the word of mouth’. People believe what they hear and what they see better than what is being advertised. We have products running and our first clients in Akure Royal Birds Hotel, for more than five years have been running our product and we still keep them. When people go to the hotel, they see the software’s by the bills given. They see the invoice and keep asking questions on how they can get the software’s. The great thing is that we have got over 98% of the jobs we bidded for and we have not advertized not even a sticker.

Next Step

Our focus is to get the product out enmass. We have all these times been building the products and actually had one on one interaction with our customers. The phase we are in now is to take a giant step forward, since we have clients in Ebonyi, Jos, Osun, Crossriver, Rivers, Lagos, Ibadan and all across the nation.

Marriage and Business

I'm single. My social life is okay. I’m just okay. I’m facing my job.

Biodux Birthday

The company was incorporated in 2004, but the dream was given birth to in 2003. We have a long way to go and when we get there, we will celebrate the anniversary of Biodux Solutions. But you know, we will always aim high.

Staff Strength

We have ten people on our payroll and by the end of the year, the provision we have made will accommodate 10 more people. This means we will be employing more. In what we do, talent counts but is never enough. Talent will get you started, but most of the time, you need discipline to move on.  You require education, which is not schooling. I define education as the enlightenment of minds through various means (seminars, reading etc) depending on the interests.

Advice to Youths

One thing is to look inwards and find one thing inside that was deposited inside which when followed, leads to fulfillments. There are lots of employees today who are retracing their steps to their talents. Note this that if you actually work with your talent, you will be more fulfilled. Remember everything is possible and there is a place for you if you can dream it.

Interview with the MD of Biodux Solutions