The Clarity Room: Inside the Founder’s Mind tackles decision-making gap for entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs and professionals need more practical guidance on how to make business decisions, validate ideas, and navigate uncertainty rather than relying on social media narratives around success, speakers at the inaugural edition of The Clarity Room: Inside the Founder’s Mind have said.

The event, convened by Patience Uket, brought together founders from different industries to discuss business planning, mentorship, market validation and career growth, with participants saying the conversations provided practical insights into entrepreneurship and leadership.

Uket, convener of The Clarity Room, said the initiative was created to address what she described as a growing need among aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals seeking direction on their next steps.

“This is the first inaugural edition, and I decided to do this because of my desire to contribute to social impact,” she said.

According to her, many people have ambitions but often struggle to determine what actions to take or where to seek reliable guidance.

“I found that a lot of people need direction, but most times they don’t know how to go about it or who to ask. So I had to bring together speakers who are established and who can provide answers based on their experiences,” Uket said.

She said the objective was to equip participants with clarity that would enable them make informed decisions, whether they are entrepreneurs or professionals working in corporate organisations.

“Once you have clarity, your confidence is assured. You know what to do next. It doesn’t matter whether you are an entrepreneur or in the corporate world. The desire to do something is important, but people also need guidance,” she said.

Uket said feedback from participants indicated that the event met its objective, adding that the organisers intend to sustain the initiative through future editions.

One of the speakers, Morenike George-Taylor, founder of Reni Luxury Real Estate, said entrepreneurship requires structured planning and realistic expectations rather than perceptions often created on digital platforms.

She said discussions during the session focused on practical business issues, including identifying viable opportunities, managing businesses during difficult periods and distinguishing between short-, medium- and long-term planning.

“There were a lot of tough questions. People wanted to know how to manage a business when things are going wrong, how to determine the business they should go into, how to identify competitors and how to distinguish between short-term, mid-term and long-term plans so they do not run into financial problems,” she said.

George-Taylor said entrepreneurship should not be viewed through the lens of carefully curated online success stories.

“The discussions helped people understand entrepreneurship beyond posting nice pictures on Instagram or watching people who say they are successful on LinkedIn,” she said.

Drawing from her experience as a founder, she advised aspiring entrepreneurs to begin by validating business ideas before committing resources.

“The first step is to verify that your idea is viable. Ask whether people are willing to pay for what you want to offer and identify the problem you are solving,” she said.

She added that founders should understand the functional areas of a business, including finance, legal, operations, customer service, branding and marketing, while developing a business plan regardless of the size of the venture.

“You should know your expected revenue, profit margins and understand your competition. Sometimes the absence of competitors means there is no market; sometimes it means there is an opportunity. You need to know the difference,” she said.

George-Taylor also encouraged entrepreneurs to seek mentorship but noted that finding the right mentor requires careful consideration.

She advised aspiring founders to first define what success means to them before identifying individuals whose careers align with those aspirations.

“When you imagine where you want to be in five years, the people who have achieved that version of success are the ones you should consider learning from,” she said.

Also speaking, Michael Alasa, founder and managing director of Recruten Consulting, said founders must first understand their own capabilities before attempting to build businesses.

According to him, individuals interested in entrepreneurship should assess their technical competence, identify their strongest professional skills and determine the areas where they can create value.

“The first thing people need to identify is their technical background and where their expertise lies,” he said.

Using the human resources industry as an example, Alasa said entrepreneurs should determine whether their strengths lie in training, consulting, recruitment or talent management before investing in business development.

“Once you identify those strengths, you can begin to develop them, seek mentors and acquire additional skills that align with your goals,” he said.

He added that founders should also understand their target market and industry needs before deciding whether to offer specialised or end-to-end services.

Participants at the event said the discussions provided practical guidance on business development.

One attendee, Watchman Eveshoyan, a lawyer and entrepreneur, said he attended the programme to better understand how founders think and to connect with other entrepreneurs.

“I wanted to meet people with similar interests where we could exchange business ideas and learn how founders optimise their businesses,” he said.

Eveshoyan said the discussions addressed most of the questions he had before attending the event.

“I figured out about 80 percent of what I wanted to know. The work now is to begin putting those lessons into action,” he said.

The inaugural edition of The Clarity Room: Inside the Founder’s Mind, held in Lagos, brought together founders from sectors including real estate, healthcare, human resources and digital marketing to share lessons from building businesses and managing growth.