Thinking in Headlines: Iyin Aboyeji on Story, Scale and Conviction
“E” – Iyin Aboyeji – was top of the list when we started planning The Wimbart Way Podcast for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. E is synonymous with both storytelling and African tech. He has arguably had one of the most impactful and well-documented journeys in the space.
Our professional paths have crossed and intertwined for close to a decade. He’s behind three unicorns. He’s a public figure; bold, vocal, often bombastic. Sometimes we’ve collaborated directly, sometimes we’ve moved in parallel, but always within the same space of African tech. But I don’t believe he and I had ever really sat down and talked about the power, the craft, the dark arts, if you will, behind narrating what our sector has gone through and achieved.
E’s impact on Africa’s tech and business ecosystems is well known, but what often gets overlooked is the “why” behind his work. Beyond the companies he has built or helped scale, he has consistently pushed big, uncomfortable questions into public view: questions about ambition, governance, power, responsibility and what it really means to build for scale on the continent. And not everyone agrees with him all of the time. And he’s OK with that. E has the courage of his conviction in spades. That kind of impact and vim doesn’t just show up in balance sheets or headlines; it shows up in how people think, argue and act long after the conversation has moved on. He can be both central to and on the sidelines of a news cycle – but it’s rare for his name not to crop up.
At his core, E is also a storyteller; in fact, he actually started out as a journalist – so he thinks [maybe dreams] in headlines. He understands narrative as infrastructure; he knows the sentiment behind a brand name, the stories that determine who gets funded, who gets believed, which challenges facing Africans can be solved with technology and which futures feel possible. Over the years, he has used storytelling to frame ideas others might shy away from, weaving personal experience, historical context and sharp analysis into arguments that demand engagement, even when they provoke disagreement.
There’s brand “E”, and then there are the brands he’s built. In my discussions with technology leaders over the years, there’s been much debate as to whether the two are wholly interlinked or can, in any way, be separated.
What I have always respected most is that he has never been afraid of debate itself. Whether in traditional media or on social platforms, where conversations can be messy and unforgiving, and often without space for nuance. He shows up, he engages, and he argues his case in public, knowing that ideas only evolve when they’re stress-tested. I don’t think I’ve always agreed with all of his viewpoints… and guess what? He’s fine with that, too!
That courage to be visible, questioned and challenged, consistently for a decade and more, is exactly why the conversation belonged on this podcast, The Wimbart Way, and why it matters to capture it now in his own words, and without dilution.
Watch below to hear our conversation! Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
