In our latest edition of the PNP Spotlight, we turn our attention to Hamid Bundu, a young Sierra Leonean determined to use technology and innovation to come up with solutions for a variety of problems.

Tell us about yourself-who is Hamid Bundu?

HB:  I am a Sierra Leonean Entrepreneur Living and working in Philadelphia. I have a BA in International Relations and Economics as well as a M.S. In Technology Management – Innovation. I have worked in the nonprofit field, Health care and Tech industries since 2009.

That is a very diverse and interesting background. What would you say your vision and goals are as a professional or entrepreneur?

HB: My vision is to bring innovative products and services to the market. In the long run,  I see myself as a Social Entrepreneur building innovative and sustainable products, services and business models. The solutions  to solve some the world’s’ pressing problems lies within tech.

How did you first become acquainted with PNP?

HB:  I started networking and building relationships with philly nigerian professionals back in 2012. I actually learned of PNP through a friend who introduced me to the organization. It is a great platform not just African professionals but all minorities in the Greater Philadelphia region to get together discuss business ideas and network.

Tell us about Hamid the Entrepreneur

HB: Well I was always fascinated with the idea of building brands, products and services that will enhance user experience and moreover, business models that are lean and based on emerging technologies. I have a passion for that sort of thing – from Idea, to team building, to product development and beyond. That led me to begin putting ideas together and I eventually started working on a startup. However my motivation came from  working with other entrepreneurs and helping them build their brands, products and businesses. After working with others, I knew I had to give it a try myself.

Tell us about your work-what are some of projects you have worked on? 

HB: Currently I am working on an advertising and marketing mobile platform called Adyssey. We are currently in Stealth mode, but you can subscribe at http://www.adyssey.co and get updates as we work towards launching. With lessons learned from previous projects, this time around our team is more dynamic. Culture is everything to us, because we believe in our people, in the power of their ideas and in the value of their talents. We believe that Adyssey will be a game changer, we are in a great space, Advertising and Marketing – “Mobile, Advertising and Marketing”. Its very competitive the mobile industry, but our team is great, I love the passion they bring to the table. Keep in touch with us at adyssey.co, twitter and facebook.

[PNP] is a great platform not just African professionals but all minorities in the Greater Philadelphia region to get together discuss business ideas and network.

My first start up – BleuLace (a productivity app) failed and it was a great learning process for me.  Although BleuLace was an innovative and unique product, it was also a product that was not scalable. The other lessons I learned were the importance of building a dynamic team of co-founders and establishing and adopting a culture of innovation across the company. Its all about the team! Its okay to fail, but fail fast!  My advice to other entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs is that entrepreneurship is a sport and there are a lot of factors that come into play. After all is said and done, the most important asset you have is your people- they  will be the major determining  factor in your success. So take your time in recruiting and hiring. Believe in your team and also understand the market.

How do you get ideas for your project?

HB: My ideas really come from my interests. Things that I love, I understand and I do regularly. I follow the market closely and personally, I am a fan of great business models, great user experience and cutting edge technology. The market is big and users are always craving better user experience. With that said, there are always gaps (what is available and what users want) and capitalizing on those gaps is the key. So, it’s safe to say that I am always looking for gaps, and my products are designed to bridge the gap.

Who are your target audience? Tell us about the kinds of people you’d like to reach and those who currently use your products

HB: Well the the particular app that we are working on right now,  Adyssey, is all about mobile advertising and marketing so it is geared towards brands, advertisers, marketers and influencers. Any one can get on our platform and advertise or market their products and services-instantly. It’s just all about innovation, bridging the the gap between the what is available in the market and what the actual demand is. Solving problems. The goal is to provide products that ease user experience and create value.  So I’m hoping to reach any consumer that is looking for something different or better.

After all is said and done, the most important asset you have is your people- they  will be the major determining  factor in your success. So take your time in recruiting and hiring. Believe in your team and also understand the market.

Who are some of the people that inspire you to do what you do?

HB: Elon Musk is such an inspiration for me because I love how he executes phenomenal “ideas.” Others include Strive Masiyiwa and Bill Gates because of their commitment to Philanthropy and social work. There is a much longer list but this is the short list.  

You’ve already given some great advice earlier, but what additional advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Fail and fail fast. The faster you get that out of the way, the more you can grow. To innovate in an industry you have to first put yourself in the position of the end user.

Build a team that is resilient and can overcome any obstacle. Its really not about your product, or your service. Its all about execution, how well and how fast can your team execute. And-

Dream 🙂

How can people learn more about your projects and products?

HB:  You can follow and subsccribe to our startup adyssey.co also on twittter and facebook @adyssey. Follow me on twitter: @bundubuduri and I try to blog on: medium.com/@bundubuduri.

Sincere thanks to Hamid for his time and his great insight!