Interview with Seun Osewa, founder of Nairaland
Today, I’m featuring an interview with Seun Osewa, founder of Nairaland, Nigeria’s largest online forum and discussion portal which currently ranks 16th on the Alexa Top 100 sites in Nigeria. The site which started in 2005 has grown to become the most popular site in Nigeria.
In this interview, Seun Osewa talks about his site, which he sees as a personal website, rather than a start-up.
SN: Please tell us about yourself, your background and interests?
Seun: I’m Seun Osewa, 26 year old webmaster and aspiring film-maker.
SN: What is the name of your blog/start-up/company?
Seun: The Nairaland Forum located at http://www.nairaland.com
SN: Please tell us about your blog/start-up/company?
Seun: Nairaland is a discussion forum for Nigerians. A place to ask questions and get useful answers on any topic of interest. It also has a very vibrant job section.
SN: What is unique about your blog/startup/company?
Seun: Nairaland is the most popular Nigerian website on the Internet.
SN: How many people are currently using your website services (e.g. feed readers, visitors)?
Seun: So far, we’ve accumulated almost 250,000 registrations and at peak periods we have more than 1000 visitors and 250 registered users active.
SN: What kind of marketing and/or advertising strategy do you use for your website?
Seun: At the beginning, I often resorted to begging acquaintances to post on the forum and posting relevant threads from the forum on various Nigerian mailing lists. Currently, Nairaland relies on search engine traffic and word of mouth, both of which are free. Most of my time is spent just trying to keep Nairaland organized in spite of all that free traffic.
SN: What are the main web technologies/tools you use to monitor the performance of your website?
Seun: Google Analytics.
SN: What is the monetizing/revenue model for your website?
Seun: Google Adsense.
SN: Which websites are the main competitors in your market segment/sector?
Seun: Naijahotjobs.com and CareersNigeria.com
SN: What challenges do you currently face as a web entrepreneur?
Seun: Spammers and scammers who want to render the site unusable.
SN: Do you have any thoughts on our Universities and their curriculum in terms of promoting and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation amongst students?
Seun: I really wish I could answer this question, but my thoughts on university education are too radical for public consumption. Alas!
SN: Do you have any advice for people who want to launch new startups?
Seun: I don’t feel qualified to advice anybody yet, but it won’t hurt to remind people to focus on profitability when just starting out. This means marketing and cost control. When your business is well established you can start thinking of making the world a better place.
That interview is more than 2 years old:
http://www.dipotepede.com/2006/10/04/interview-with-the-nairaland-king/
Things have changed since then; my answers would be different today.
Oops. Please ignore the above comment. I need to have my RAM debugged.
@Seun - “…I need to have my RAM debugged”. Bet you should…haha! Just kidding…
The nairaland king indeed!
A man talking from experience… I particularly can identify with his advice “…but it won’t hurt to remind people to focus on profitability when just starting out. This means marketing and cost control. When your business is well established you can start thinking of making the world a better place.”
and from the Dipo Tepede interview.. “However, one thing I know is that as a businessman, you have not
failed until you run out of capital or give up on your business.
Hence, one should be very careful not to spend money unecessarily.
And one should keep trying until one succeeds.”
This nairaland guy is just a dullard.
“I really wish I could answer this question, but my thoughts on university education are too radical for public consumption. Alas!”
Who still uses words like alas in this day and age?
hmnn…funny to know that Seun begged for posting at the initial stage but aint encouraging anymore to see seun and his nairaland crew banning people all in the name of spams…its better they look into that before they ban all d users with posts that pull traffic to the website…http://www.ogbongeblog.co.cc
is this interview recent? i find that more and more competitors are mushrooming each trying to take over the coveted position of seun’s forum…he’s got to continue to have an edge; something new; something extra: for if visitors and users feel that the forum has reached a saturated state, they’ll have to move on.
i’ve enjoyed being on his forum and i should add that he’s got shadows of forums coming right behind his back: he should not rest on his oars. there’s more marketing to be done and more attractions to send out. what’s the population of this country again? at least 140 million!
more forums will come and the competition will get stiffer.
well done seun. i strongly admire your sense of purpose and achievement!
Nice post.I believe The Nairaland team are doing quite well but they need to add value to the brand, well i believe its a brand to reckon with,seun bring it on lets discuss.
Hate it or love it seun is on top, so let all his critics zip up their gutters. Though it’s true that there’s a stampede of competeing forums @ nairaland’s back, but with this current form and then more effort, nairaland would continue 2 soar! Seun continue flexing ur muscles cos u r and wud continue to hang on the number 1 spot. I hope to launch my own forum site by new year, and am looking up 2 u as my motivator and mentor. SEUN ROCKS!!
Seun…Nairaland…Keep your head no matter what…The finishing line is for those who can endure to the end. It is not to the schooled or for the wise or for the skillful. It takes only time and chance (when preparation meets opportunity) to read the finishing line….
http://www.spiritofjesus.blogspot.com
Not a bad Inter view.NaijaHot Jobs is the closest competitor but I think NigerianBestForum is quite progressing…Thanks to googled adsense abitrage
Seun you have really tried. I remember back then in 2005, it almost turned to addiction for me. Right now I think you should focus on the business side cos I think Nairaland is not maximizing its full potential.
nairaland inspired me into starting my own forum. Its not been easy to duplicate Seun’s success even though my site looks better and has more functionalities. I doff my cap for him.
He is a down to earth man, i am sure he is going to go a long way but he should be aware of up and coming websites like africabillboard .
and this is what?
Exactly. what the hell is this trash!!! I vote for Precious’ comment to be removed. Its a complete waste of man-hours. haba!
Nice interview. Thats all or say nothing.
@dele - Your vote is seconded:-)
it’s fun whenever i pop in here. more power to your elbow fellow.