How about we end the year with an interview with one of the biggest stars of the year 2020, Akinlua Olorunfemi, a promising young man from Ekiti, living around the South-West? Sure, right. He has consistently delivered in character, dedication, commitment and belief in the course, laziness.
What’s your biggest flaw?
I tend to do too many things at the same time. Not that I do great in them but I do just enough, a little above average, maybe 60%. I think that’s enough for other people to continue. I’m lazy, so 60 is great — that’s like B in OAU. I’m not competitive per se, I’m just ambitious.
How do you define success?
Success is relative. It could be working at Thrillhouse, or working at Google or Oracle or even Softcom (I’d love to) or even being a professor at OAU or even a billionaire. For me, it has changed constantly. When I was like 8 or so, I wanted to create a car that can never have accidents, then when I grew up, I wanted to be the youngest professor in OAU (28 years). After high school, it was all about going to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study mechatronics. Now, I want to be a billionaire, maybe. Currently, maybe a top-rated freelancer or mechanical engineer, I don’t know. It’s vibes and inshallah for me. But one certain thing is that I’m always in a better place than I was before.
Why are you single?
How single get into this interview? Anyway, it’s pretty simple. I’m always in love with girls that are way above my pay grade and are often older than I am, but the true talk is that I don’t like being vulnerable. I don’t fancy living a part of my life for someone else. I’m selfish, kind of.
It’s true ooh, can we meet you?
You see that you are drunk. I’m Akinlua Olorunfemi Praise, a ‘proud’ student of OAU, unemployed and broke. May I remind you, I’m lazy.
What’s life like with you?
I wake up around 7 or 11 depending on things done in the night (winks). Morning devotion afterwards. Then, I head straight to my laptop to play around with software I have on it and maybe see a couple of videos or movies or series. This violence pretty much occurs in my room.
Lesson from 2020
Na procrastination spoil my life.
Who’s your crush?
I don’t have any. It has been quite disturbing that in the last three or four years, I haven’t been attracted to a single soul on this planet. I’m considering therapy, unfortunately, that’s expensive so for now, I’m using a quack, Jacob.
However, I find myself interested in Odunayo Eweniyi, the COO of Piggyvest. I constantly see myself reading her different bios, articles and watching her interviews or rolling down the wonderful rabbit hole of her Twitter feed or profile.
Who do you envy?
What do you mean?
Like, admire?
Ooh, Dabira, Timi, Simi, Laolu, Joshua, generally my friends and especially Akinbande Emmanuel and Seun Akinkuolie
What’s your goal for 2021?
Don’t have, don’t care.
What do you hate?
Mediocrity. As much as I’m lazy, I hate such shit.
What projects are you working on?
Working to complete a design project I was supposed to submit two weeks ago, Pelumi Adeyemi, forgive me. Honestly, I pity myself.
Are you a Christian?
Maybe, I’m working on it. I and Jesus got a deal and I’m waiting for certain things.
What defines you as a person?
I live by three rules. Love myself. Love others. To believe at every point that Nigeria is the greatest.
Proudest moment?
The point I knew that I meant something to my friends.
What quote do you find impacts you the most?
“Understanding is for over-achievers” — Francesco “Cheech” Falcone from the cartoon series, Fugget about it. I don’t try to understanding, I just do, I learn from there. If I’m sure, that ain’t for me, but if I’m not sure, damn baby.
Worst year of your life?
2017. Goddamnit, failure was like the bunkmate that OAU had forced on me.
“I like to be unique. If what I’m doing isn’t unique, I don’t find it meaningful.”
Favourite YouTube Channel?
Vox
Favourite Series?
F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Fugget about it and The Blacklist
The thing you can’t do without?
Laptop
What misconception would you like to change?
That mechanical engineering is physically involving. Mechanical Engineering is easy as fuck. Stuff can and will be done on the computer, so, therefore, I don’t understand why there are few females in such beautiful discipline. Imagine, only 6 females are in my class (we are 70 or 80, I don’t know, I don’t care). Whether it’s control, automation, solid mechanics, CFD, they are fucking interesting.
Your advice to start-up founders?
Wonderful. Don’t listen to people like Paul Graham because many people who don’t become Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. You might be part of the few that don’t sha.
Unpopular opinion?
I know this might sound crazy but Paystack fucked up by depending on the “Stripe, for Africa” narrative because I feel that was by far a big limiter. Jumia is trash.
What bugs your mind?
Why people use AWS and not Oracle Cloud? Why people hate billionaires? Confused people by the way. Why people aren’t proud of themselves?
Your role model/mentor?
No fucking body. Adam didn’t have a role model; neither did Isaac Newton when he was developing all those laws. Crazy fellow.
However, people like Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, Jeff Dean (Oh, how I love Jeff Dean?), Fei-Fei Li, maybe Elon Musk fascinate me.
One thing people don’t know about you?
I talk aloud to myself, it brings ideas. I saw one of my lecturers today and we bonded. Funny thing, the SpongeBob way article got me a job.
Finally, what’s your theme?
I’m generally sad
Whew! That’s a lot of trash, how do you want to end this one?
Motivational speakers are unsuccessful people who found success in selling success (that probably doesn’t exist).
Interview curated by the inner self of the interviewee.
