When "Shooting Your Shot" Fortuitously Goes Viral and Leads to the Minting of a Tech Bro!

"Please consider...or reconsider...I just love the company!"

We can't quite tell if it was that specific punchline...or what it was exactly about that particular 3-liner Linkedin post which the good people of the switch on our content and storytelling team randomly picked up on the morning of Monday 23rd March, 2022, but we might as well share a pretty amazing story of how one thing led to another and over the next few months, against all odds, one day ultimately became day one for a young but extremely driven software development enthusiast with a relatively unconventional educational background and no actual or structured coding experience. This is Ife Jeremiah’s Switch Story, and we love to see it!

Hey Ife, we'd like you to share a brief background with us on what you were up to at the time you sent that famously viral cold call email and LinkedIn post to us at #TheSwitch…

I began learning how to write programs in 2020 during the lockdown, and it was such an exciting experience reading and practicing what I had read in programming books. Then, I volunteered to build projects for start-ups.

2. So, what really sparked your interest in software/tech

You see, what fascinates me still is how much impact can be made by using software technology to provide solutions in our society. I'll say I've always been a 'tinkerer' of sorts for as long as I can remember...I wanted to apply my craft and curiosity to build real-world solutions with tangible, real-life applications that solve the problems of real people in my community day in, day out!

3. Interesting! What motivated you to "shoot your shot" at us three years ago - why Interswitch, particularly?

I think that Interswitch is widely regarded as a leading fintech company in Africa for several compelling reasons, leading the way in pioneering innovation, deep infrastructure, and ecosystem dominance. Interswitch powers and collaborates with businesses, banks, telcos, governments, merchants, and start-ups, and I think it's incredible how we have embedded ourselves across the transaction value chain holistically in Nigeria and across several countries in Africa.

…So I saw it as a company that makes a huge impact within the country and in Africa, and I wanted to be part of that mission.

4. Did you remotely expect your LinkedIn post to go viral, and what was your mindset after it went viral?

I never expected the post to go viral 😊. This experience has made me realize the tremendous power of social media. Through that post, I can equally say I had 'met' so many beautiful people...so it's a random post that changed my life!

5. We saw other tech firms/founders jump on your post, some offering internships/employment...any reason you didn't jump on that?

On the contrary, I got an internship with Creditchek in the time it took to go through Interswitch's pretty rigorous assessment and documentation stages and processes before landing a spot in the academy

(Here’s our shoutout from the good people of The Switch to Creditchek! Just know you equally played your part in minting a tech bro that's making waves and making his village people proud in Lagos today! :)

6. Briefly describe the feeling when "one day" finally became "day one".

It was a feeling of extreme excitement. It took the whole of nine months (which, at times, felt like an eternity, with moments of uncertainty and bated breaths in between - which I later came to understand was not out of place, given the context at the time, given Interswitch's thoroughness). Ultimately, it felt so surreal on certain days, such as when I held the offer letter in my hands, and when I walked in through the doors on day one, I felt like I had finally made a breakthrough, and it was an incredible feeling!

Ife with Franklin and Rabiu

I later got to learn, interestingly that the post was picked up by someone in marketing and communications, who shared with a talent manager who escalated to the CHRO, who then put a legendary software architect on the case to "put this young shot-shooter through his paces to truly ascertain if he was indeed Interswitch developer academy material" (Shout out to Franklin and Rabiu!)

7. What has your experience at ISW been like over the last (3?) years, in summary

I joined through the Interswitch Developer Academy program, and that was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. To pass that program, each one of us was required to conceptualize and build a product that could address unique challenges within society. A lot of water, as we say, has passed under the bridge, but today, I've got the unique privilege of being a lead engineer on what I believe to be one of Interswitch’s biggest solutions. My experience, so far, has been intense but rewarding!

8. What are some of the most exciting projects you'd say you've worked on/most proud of working on so far?

I’ve contributed to several exciting projects at The Switch, but the project I am most proud of is the Smartcard project. Today, Smartcard is one of the biggest card data preparation solutions in the market, driving high revenue for the company.

9. Any final word/take for any other 'Ife' out there who has the dream and drive to chart such a course?

I’d like to tell any other ‘Ife’ out there, it would very likely not be easy. It almost certainly will not come served on a platter, but keep pushing and maintain momentum, and your dreams will actualize. Most essentially, take that bold step, make that move you've been hesitating about. Shoot your shot, follow up by all means where necessary, keep building and improving your craft, and hope for the best... You lose nothing!

It's the before and after photos for us... We'll chalk it down to #TheSwitchEffect!