Kene is a Co-Founder of Millicent Labs who recently won the prestigious G20 Techsprint 2023 held by The Bank of International Settlements and Reserve Bank of India.

He was struggling to drive interest in his business. People were caught up in the idea of 20% interest rates with Luna Crypto — when the concept behind Millicent Labs was the opposite.

It wasn’t feasible. Traditional. And quite contrary to what crypto was.

Shortly after Luna crashed, and then FTX — but instead of the industry going in Kene’s favour.  All trust was gone. 

But he was clear on his mission and trusted that the narrative would change.

In this episode, Kene and I discuss the battles of being a founder, striving to believe in your idea… when it seems like no one else does.

In today’s episode, we talk about:

  • Challenging hustle culture and understanding priorities
  • What helped him to stay in the habit of carving out time for loved ones
  • The validating turning point in the industry that helped Kene to get where he is now

The episode then delves into the demanding, yet rewarding experience of founding a business. Kenny discusses the roller coaster ride of emotions that founders go through. From the exhilarating highs of success to the lows of defeat. 

He recounts how his Terra protocol caught the eye of a high street bank and got recommended for a prestigious law firm’s incubator program – a significant validation of their efforts.

The Power of Time

Another noteworthy theme in the episode is the transformative power of time. 

Kenny reflects on his journey over the past year and acknowledges how the narrative around his business has evolved. 

He expresses how the birth of his daughter offered him a fresh perspective. It helped him maintain a work-life balance during his startup journey. 

The significance of a support network, comprising his wife, a coach, and Innovate UK, in providing him with strength and motivation during challenging times is also emphasised.

Kene’s story is packed with setbacks, balanced out by signs that he was going in the right direction — that was all just a year ago! Tune in to hear where he is today. 

Tune in and listen to Kene as he walks us through a journey or resilience and fighting against the wave, having trust in the process and the vision.