In this Interview, Entrepreneur, Opeyemi Obembe shared with Founder Africa how his passion for strategic communication drove him into creating Engage Messaging a seamless yet personalized customer messaging and marketing automation platform that helps every company build relationships with customers.
Introduction to Opeyemi Obembe
Opeyemi Obembe, the CEO of Engage Messaging, graduated in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. His journey into technology began during university, where he discovered his passion for creating websites and applications. Over the years, he honed his skills, working with startups and businesses to develop innovative technological solutions. Before founding Engage Messaging, Opeyemi was involved in two startups as a technical co-founder.
Entrepreneurial Journey
Opeyemi’s interest in entrepreneurship blossomed early in life, as he enjoyed solving challenges through innovative solutions. After his experience as a full-time employee, including a tenure as CTO for Reliance HMO, he fully transitioned into entrepreneurship, co-founding Engage Messaging. His drive to build solutions for businesses motivated him to venture into the startup world.
The Story Behind Engage Messaging
During his time helping businesses, Opeyemi noticed a recurring challenge—personalized messaging. While companies could easily send broadcast messages, segmenting customers based on behavior and engagement was far more complex. The process involved engineers pulling data, which not only placed strain on technical resources but also created inefficiency. Opeyemi founded Engage Messaging to solve this problem, creating a platform that allows businesses to automate personalized messaging based on customer data.
Why the Name “Engage”?
Naming the company was a challenging yet thoughtful process. Opeyemi sought a name that reflected the core purpose of the platform: building stronger customer relationships through personalized engagement. “Engage” perfectly encapsulated this mission, as the goal of the platform is to help businesses connect with customers on a deeper level, beyond just sending generic messages.
What is Engage Messaging?
Engage Messaging is a customer messaging and marketing automation platform designed to help businesses retain and grow their customer base. The platform ensures that businesses send the right message to customers at the right time through the most effective channels.
Motivation Behind Running a Startup
Despite the challenges, Opeyemi finds running a startup rewarding. The mission to help businesses send personalized messages that foster customer growth and retention keeps him motivated. While it is one of the most difficult endeavors, the fulfillment of solving this problem for businesses makes the effort worthwhile.
Overcoming Early Challenges
In the early stages, Opeyemi and his team faced challenges, particularly around scaling technical resources. They had to develop an efficient system for storing and using customer data. While this was a significant hurdle, they successfully resolved it. Today, their tech stack is robust, but they continue to monitor it to ensure they can accommodate future customer needs.
Evolving Messaging and Marketing
Opeyemi acknowledges that while the technological challenges have been addressed, messaging and marketing remain ongoing processes. They continuously update their site, review documentation, and ensure their communication resonates with customers. They also plan to redesign the website to better convey the platform’s value using more visuals and videos.
Partnerships and Growth
Building awareness for Engage Messaging has been an ongoing challenge. While direct outreach remains difficult, partnerships have proven helpful. One of the key partnerships is with Paystack, which aims to help Engage Messaging reach more businesses and merchants that need their services.
Mistakes and Lessons Learned
Reflecting on his journey, Opeyemi admits that some mistakes could have been avoided. For instance, the initial tech stack was not ideal, and the hiring process wasn’t always efficient. However, they’ve since found a balance and learned to make faster, more informed decisions.
Building the Team
Engage Messaging currently has a team of 8 members across engineering, product design, and growth, including specialists in direct sales, social media management, and growth strategy. The team has been crucial in driving the company’s success.
Vision and Future Goals for Engage Messaging
The vision for Engage Messaging is to become the go-to platform for customer communication, helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. In 2022, the company aims to expand its offerings, including shared inboxes and live chat functionalities. Additionally, they plan to develop an enterprise platform tailored to businesses that send large volumes of messages, such as banks and insurance companies.
The Start-up Ecosystem in Africa
Opeyemi believes that the startup ecosystem in Africa is evolving rapidly. With African startups reaching unicorn status and increasing global interest, he rates the ecosystem at 80%. He is optimistic about its future and expects even more growth.
A Surprising Fact About Opeyemi
Aside from his tech ventures, Opeyemi has a creative side. He enjoys drawing, painting, and making music on an amateur level, which helps him unwind and express himself.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Opeyemi’s advice to other startups is threefold:
- Think Global: Don’t limit yourself to local markets. Engage Messaging is a platform that can be used globally, and it’s important to tap into international opportunities.
- Put Yourself Out There: Don’t hesitate to showcase your product, even when you’re unsure. If you’re doing something right, there’s an audience waiting for it.
- Trust the Process: Success takes time, especially in the early days. Stay committed, and if you’ve identified a real need, keep pushing forward.
With Engage Messaging, Opeyemi Obembe and his team continue to help businesses enhance customer communication, driving growth and retention with a personalized touch. Their journey is a testament to the power of innovation, perseverance, and the desire to solve meaningful problems for businesses and their customers.
