Pick Networking Events Strategically | 3 Tips from Obi Onyejekwe (UNOMI)

Obi Onyejekwe hasn’t just mastered the art of business, he’s a true artist. The two-time founder utilized his rich animation skills to build UNOMI— a software for animators that automatically syncs 2D mouth poses to voice over recordings. 

We’ve pulled some of our favorite moments from the episode, but you’ll need to listen to the full Demo Day episode to uncover all his wisdom. Trust us, it’s worth it. 

Here are 3 tips from Obi:

1. Becoming an entrepreneur won’t please everyone around you. 

The hardest decision an entrepreneur can make is to become one. Obi is from an immigrant family (he was born in Nigeria but raised in New York) who expected him to become a doctor, lawyer, accountant, or engineer.

Yet with his clear affinity for drawing and art, Obi decided to study animation after high school. He realized that he would rather “take the plunge” and fail on his own than go down the path his family wanted for him— and end up resentful.

Your career is your choice. Regardless of what you choose, commit to learning the business through and through. Don’t fear an unconventional path. But if you take it, go all in.

2. Pick networking events strategically. 

As we’ve covered in previous episodes, networking is critical to entrepreneurship. But your time is valuable— while networking is important, you should be intentional about it.

Some of Obi’s guidelines for event-picking include:

1. Look at the sponsor. Is it Yahoo? Google? A well-known individual? The bigger the name, the more structured and professional it will be.
2. Look at the locations. Is it at a corporate HQ? Or is it at a random restaurant in a shady part of town? The better location, the higher quality the guests are likely to be.

Ultimately, Obi seeks events where investors will outnumber startups. That might be hard to find right away, but once you get a feel for who goes to what events, you’ll be able to start mingling in circles of investors instead of with your fellow founders.

3. Having co-founders does not mean everything is equal.

Adding a co-founder is a huge decision— and one that Obi endorses. It’s nearly impossible to build a company all on your own.

However, just because someone gets the label of “co-founder,” doesn’t mean that decision-making power is 50/50. Though perhaps harsh, Obi believes that “it’s not democracy. It needs to be a dictatorship.” 

Investors want to see that one person leads the vision—and, more importantly, that growth won’t be hindered by disagreeing co-founders.

Analyze what each person brings to the table and execute accordingly. 

Want to Learn More?

Obi talks about his experience with SAM Preccelerator and Backstage Capital’s LA Accelerator, hiring his first team members, and so much more. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our Demo Day Website.

As always, leave a comment below— we’d love to hear what your major learnings were from this episode of Demo Day.