Business or fantasy, what are you building?

What are you building, a business or a fantasy?

You’re building a business if you’re solving known problems within existing systems. This is a game of optimization, efficiency, and measurable growth. Businesses improve what already exists.

You’re building a fantasy if you’re working to create a fundamentally new system, an alternative to the status quo. You’re not just solving problems; you’re imagining a world that doesn’t exist yet and building toward it. The market may be unclear, the path uncertain, and success may take years. But if you succeed, it becomes the most profitable and transformative of all.

If you’re building a fantasy, read on.

You Must Be a Believer.

Belief is the first currency of any new system.

There’s no playbook for building a fantasy, only belief. And belief, my friend, has no playbook.

Everything we now take for granted was once dismissed as fantasy. It took believers to bring them to life.

Bitcoin and Ethereum started as fantasies. Ethereum had the fuel of capital. Bitcoin had nothing but its believers. And yet, both have birthed some of the most profitable ventures the world has ever seen, and this is only the beginning.

The path of money is obvious: play the infinite game, and believers will follow, because money births belief.

But the path of pure belief? That road is long, hard, and often lonely.

There was a time when all Bitcoiners could fit into a single room. And before that, it was just one person, Satoshi believed. He dared to imagine and create an entirely new financial system. A non-trivial task, but belief made it possible.

So, how many believers do you need? Just one, you.

Be grateful when others join you. But remember: many who claim to build fantasies chase short-term wins. They don’t believe, they’re building businesses and calling them movements.

Know where you stand. And when you choose your path, believe. Otherwise, stop.

I keep building Soccersm because I believe it can unearth the hidden potential of sports and eSports on this continent.

, IExchange’s founders keep building because they believe they can transform how money moves across Africa.

AyaHQ keeps building because they believe in the power of Africa’s human layer. They know talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and they are relentlessly creating those opportunities for African founders.

“Talk is free and sweet and cheaper than to be a believer.” ~Black Sherif

You Must Follow Your Heart.

When you walk the hard road of creating something new, logic alone won’t sustain you. Your heart must be in it.

Be emotionally connected to the problem you’re solving. That energy will carry you through dry seasons and crushing setbacks. It will become your North Star, helping you listen to your users, adjust your solutions, and keep moving forward without losing yourself.

If the desire for change doesn’t burn in your heart, stop. Go build a business instead.

“Follow thine heart during thy lifetime. Do thou more than is commanded of thee.” ~Thoth

You Must Be Flexible.

The vision may be clear, but the road will never be straight.

You are an explorer in uncharted territory. Stay open. Be willing to unlearn, to have your assumptions shattered, and to start over if needed.

You will make mistakes, accept them quickly, and keep moving.

Look at Ethereum. Mistakes have been made, yet it thrives because lessons have been learned. Like a living garden, it uproots what doesn’t grow, nurtures what does, and always plants new seeds.

“When a plant is alive, it is soft and flexible. When it is dead, it becomes dry and brittle.” ~Lao Tzu

You Must Execute Relentlessly.

Between a dream and reality stands relentless execution.

Don’t just be a dreamer, be a doer. Let the intensity of your actions convert skeptics into believers.

This is why belief and heart matter, because only then will execution feel like purpose, not punishment.

Destroy false hope. Don’t over-rely on third parties. Have a backup plan. Be willing to collaborate—but always be ready to walk the path alone if needed.

This is the dual state of resilience.

“Before all else, be armed.” ~Niccolò Machiavelli

You Must Collaborate.

Competition is a distraction. Collaboration builds empires.

At the highest levels of business, competitors often work together behind closed doors. It is only at the bottom that people fight over scraps.

Everything is connected. Build alliances. Never be the first offender; let your actions be validated by necessity, not ego.

“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

You Must Be Ready to Fail.

You may not be the one to enjoy the fruit of your labor. And when the time comes to let go, you will know.

But remember—failure does not make your effort meaningless. Your work becomes the stepping stone for those who come after you. And that, too, is a kind of victory.

“To live till you die, is to live long enough.” ~Lao Tzu

So, dear builder, know where you stand.

And when you choose your path, walk it fully, not halfway.

But with belief, heart, resilience, and peace, even if the end is not yours to see.