– A discussion with Keren Otiono and Sunny Pepple of Africa Prudential
“On the issue of ‘Delulu’ being the ‘Solulu,’ it may seem like a joke, but I believe much of our reality is shaped by our thoughts. On that note, there was no better person for this feature than Sunny Pepple. Sunny isn’t like most people; he’s highly opinionated, logical, and ambitious, with a high appetite for risk. He’s also a workaholic. Sunny is excelling at Africa Prudential as a product designer for our newest venture, ‘Invearn.’ In this episode, we left no stone unturned, discussing bold career steps, unrealistic romantic relationships, and investment.
“Usually, I’d have the spotlighted person write their story, but I wanted this to be genuine, so we did an audio interview instead.”
Sunny sat across from me, confident in his black hoodie, with mischievous yet tired eyes. I jumped right in, asking, “Sunny, tell me about a time when ‘Delulu’ thinking inspired success.” He smiled, leaned back, and shared his experience of creating an app that provides basic healthcare access at your fingertips.
“I had little or no knowledge about the health sector. All I understood was mathematics and how to bring two things together to form something meaningful. I also had limited funds and human resources. The people I had on the team did not have the right skills, but one way or the other, we made it work. Eventually, the project became a huge success and has impacted over 150,000 people, especially in Nigeria,” he added.
His story reminded me of my own days of “Delulu.” A few years ago, I ventured into the fashion business without money or a shop. I started making Ankara purses and sourced leather from Mushin market. I discovered that most Ankara bags were too soft and lacked durability, so I headed to Mushin market for leather to improve mine. With nowhere to sell, I took a leap of faith to a She Leads Africa women’s event, spending my last cash just to get there. Determined, I walked around and sold all 10 purses, which got me enough money to return home. My audacity amazes even me!
Sunny laughed, and I seized the moment to ask about his romantic life. “Let’s talk about manifesting love. Are you in a relationship?” He chuckled, adjusted his hoodie, and replied, “Define relationship?” He smiled mischievously and finally responded, “Sadly, achieving a romantic life is much harder than achieving a professional life because everybody is mad in Lagos. So yeah, I’ve always wanted a dream wedding, the destination would be Dubai, honeymoon in Monaco, travel on extravagant trips, have the best experiences life has to offer, to be with someone who is understanding and knows my next move without me speaking. She is religious and respects her elders, she knows how to build a home and still has a career. That’s my dream woman, and yes, she exists.”
I carried on with my amebo and asked, “How has Delulu helped you navigate heartbreak?”
“I have never been heartbroken. It’s strange to me when guys say they’ve been heartbroken; it’s absurd. I have been through disappointments but not heartbreak. When I was younger, my dad always told me that the only person who should break your heart is the person you know you are going to marry because that’s the person you’ll spend your life with. That’s the only time you should be extremely vulnerable. All the while, I’ve always tried to shield my heart. When things like these happen, I see it as a disappointment, and I move on.”
His response took me by surprise. I had to take a few seconds to digest, then he asked me the same, “How do you deal with heartbreak?” I smiled and responded, “Well, I’m a hopeless romantic, so instead of dealing, I’d rather get lost in romance movies. I prefer to fantasise about other people than live out my own reality.” I could tell that my response threw Sunny off balance as someone who is very logical.
“Can pretending to be your ideal professional self lead you to great opportunities?” I asked.
“Yes!” he responded. “There was one time in school when I pretended to be a DJ because I needed to captivate one babe like that. I knew that the girl liked music. I examined her weaknesses and strengths, and I thought, how can I be this person for this babe? I also wanted her to kiss me, so I started saying, ‘I’m a DJ, I produce.’ I called myself Fruity Lips. I went to lie to the babe that I am a DJ; she fell for it. She only saw me when I started, so she did not know how horrible I was, Omo, I almost finished them with Davido songs. Everyone got tired of listening to my playlist. At the end of the day, I got my kiss from the girl.”
“Wow, way to go Sunny!” I added. “Didn’t see the kiss part coming.
“But on a more serious note,” I added, “What coping mechanisms do you employ to navigate difficulties?”
“My coping mechanism… hmmm, I just write codes. I know it is strange, but it helps me think. I also like to watch mind-bending movies like Prison Break,” he responded.
Now Sunny was on his feet and pacing around the room. At this point, I knew I had to round up this interview, so I asked my final question.
“Sunny, I know you’re passionate about investing. Can planning for wealth beyond your current means lead to significant benefits?”
“Absolutely,” he replied. “It involves leveraging your current resources and anticipating future gains. But it’s crucial to have people aligned with your financial goals and mentors who can accelerate your path to success. They can refine your ideas and strategies. For instance, if I have a friend who opens a coffee shop in Ogun State and another in an area that has more traction like Lagos, even though the one in Ogun State might have more experience, I’d rather invest in the one in Lagos that has traction. One could also invest in real estate, dollars, or in the capital market, where you can buy shares and get quarterly or yearly dividends. This is where Invearn comes in. If you look at all the market players — the investors, brokers, client companies issuing out shares, and registrars — you find out that they’ve all been working manually. What Invearn has come to do is digitise the process, and bring everyone in one place so that the processes are a lot faster. With Invearn, you can track and monitor your investments easily.”
This conversation offered insights into Sunny’s diverse interests beyond his role as a product designer. I gained valuable perspectives on investment strategies, taking on challenging roles, and even unconventional career maneuvers (though I’d caution against pretending to be a DJ just to win a kiss in Lagos!).
Thanks for reading, and please download Invearn on the Play Store or App Store to support Sunny and his innovative team.
