Joel is one of the very few truly great guys I have met in my life. I am not ‘famzing’ because he recently raised $400k for his startup Buffer. Anyone that can live with Oo for 4 months+ and attempt to run a business with him without running mad, is truly a great person.
Few people know how I met Mr Gascoigne.
Back in ’08 I got admitted to Warwick. I was in Nigeria when I created a group called “Warwick Internet Entrepreneurs”, he was the only person that joined. When I eventually got my visa (I get faith sha) and arrived Warwick, we met up, got talking about his projects, mine, etc. We eventually started OnePage together. Even though I was EXTREMELY self conscious about being Nigerian (my “Yes, I Am Nigerian” tees were just fronting), it was as if this dude did not realize. He trusted me more than I would have imagined. He has no idea how much it helped me. Thanks buddy!
When OnePage did not go as planned, we needed lawyers to tidy up a few things as we decided Joel would be taking it forward. What I realized much later was that his lawyers ( I did not have one) wanted to insert clauses that would have given him the option to “screw me” if he so wanted. He asked them not to.
There was a period we got a mini grant (about 1500 quid) to do market research. Now at that moment, we did not need any damn market research but Joel needed a computer to build the product we were to research for. I needed the ‘seed money for a space over my head. Even though there was a ‘way out’, Joel consistently refused to do anything remotely borderline against the rule even though it was what we sorely needed. So we forfeited the grant. 🙁
Of course he acted as my translator on quite a number of occasions when I did not sound Bri ish enough to be understood. I even got him to enjoy a helping of Nkwobi.
So Joel, as you turn 25 (Haha! You are damn old man! 25?? Really? You are that old??) do have fun and keep being a great person.
This is such a lovely post Oo, you guys have obviously had some great times together x
Thanks man! We truly had some awesome times, and you’ve no idea how big a difference you made to me. Your continued (crazy) enthusiasm may just be what pushed me over the edge to be completely committed to succeeding with a startup. There’ll be more good times too.
memolane (remember that?) just told me I said this 2 years ago:
“Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone!! 🙂 I got an awesome birthday present this week, OnePage has been awarded a place on the BSEEN programme (I am writing this from our new office!).”
heh 🙂
Wow!!
Just two years??? Since then you have been to Japan twice, US twice, HK. Fuck! I am traveling somewhere, anywhere in the next 2 months!!!
Yeah man! Crazy times. I can remember almost getting run over as I fell from my bike, when we were crossing a road to the post office.
Nice one man. What momolane has told us is this, A LOT can happen in less than 2 years. Just keep at it 🙂
This is what Salil and I also share and I hope you will keep the friendship alive. Salil is still on the board of any company I start. By the way I want to buy MyOnePage
HAHAHA!!! You are bidding for a company on a blog comment? :). Well, The enquiry will go to [email protected].
We would surely keep our friendship. Going through a tech breakup was the test of steel!
Happy birthday Joel. Great lad……..Nice idea with Buffer
Nice post Oo…HBD Joel…continue to inspire…cheers!