Prosper Onah is a self-taught Blockchain programmer and software engineer, in this interview, he speaks on the challenges of combining work with school, remote work in ...-pandemic era, and the nitty-gritty of working in the tech ecosystem.
The 300-level student of building technology also offers some insights into getting into Web3, and the opportunities in the blockchain industry.
Thank you for having this interview with us, I’ve heard about your success story and I deeply relate to it, because I have a similar story and I know what it feels like to journey from nothing to something in life, to get started can you briefly tell us about yourself? Who is Prosper Onah?
Well, Prosper Onah is a self-taught web3 developer with a particular interest in how Blockchain technology can transform the Internet as we perceive and relate to it. Although a student of building technology, I pivoted into tech out of a desire to create solutions. I have been involved in a number of successful blockchain startups and helped quite a number too to perform solo auditions for their smart contract. I currently work as a senior blockchain engineer at Rigel Protocol.
Interesting, what is motivating you to abandon the course you are currently studying in school for tech?
As I mentioned earlier, I’m a problem solver and I entered the tech ecosystem to create solutions
Are you saying there are no problems in Building technology?
Not exactly, but before getting admission to study building technology, I had done some professional programming courses, so even though I was studying construction and building, I was still creating computing solutions, contributing to open-source projects, and the like.
Why Web3?
I chose Web3 because I believe it is the technology of the future. I love the whole story behind a Decentralized system how it going to affect the flow of money, and how important it’s going to be for not just Nigeria but the world at large.
So what does it mean to be ‘self-taught’ and how did you manage to achieve that?
I started learning in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, to be honest with you, it wasn’t easy at all. I stayed back in school (I was at 200 level then, we just finished our second-semester exam) while every other person travelled home I stayed back, amidst the whole pressure from home to come back before the inter-state movement restriction, I was keen to stay back, you can imagine how dis-respectful that would mean to my parents and siblings and how uneasy it was. Because the school wasn’t in session, the internet access provided by the school was good due to the low population and I had one laptop that I built myself, the screen stood alone and had to be supported, and the cooling fan had to be supported, without an internal keyboard, I was using an external keyboard and external mouse, in all this, having to sought for blockchain resources at that early stage of no much resources without a master class or mentor, reading docs and creating personal reading materials, there was no much video tutorial content compared to now, sleepless nights of been curious about how things work, if only there had been a mentor.
So how did you land your first job or was it an internship?
I actually started by working for free…
For free?
Yes literally free. I joined an open-source community and started learning and trying to contribute for free, Then the CEO of Rigel Protocol reached out to me about the project he was trying to build, and I saw it as an opportunity to at least put into practice what I have been learning, so I worked for months for free at Rigel Protocol and due to my contribution after we created our first ICO and raised some fundings I was paid as the second best contributor because there was Covid and school is not on a session, I had time to focus and give in my time, it was like a dream come true for me to see the project I built been used and raised millions without any glitch.
That’s fascinating, so you started working remotely as a student, how did you combine that with your academic programme?
It was challenging as a student working remotely, holding a key position in the company, and leading a team while still trying to study to meet up with my academics. I had to learn time management and multitasking. I am still efficiently juggling both, making sure I deliver at my job and my grades don’t suffer. Even though I might never need my Building Technology degree, my target is to graduate with a minimum of Second Class (Upper Division), and I’m really working hard towards achieving that goal
I can only Imagine. What were some of the initial challenges you faced working remotely as a student in Nigeria during ...-COVID-19 pandemic?
Because I wasn’t prepared for what was coming then, and the fact that most of the people I was working with never knew I was a student, it was difficult to manage school and work together, I realized that this is not just about work-life balance alone, it work, life, church, and academic balance. I reduced a whole lot of external activities I was into, the frustration that comes with inconsistent power outages, and a very slow internet connection.
How did you overcome it?
Overcoming it wasn’t that easy. I knew I did at a point and a lot of things helped me. First payment, I had to look for alternative sources of power, have multiple service providers, and I had to discipline myself, avoid procrastination, and avoid things that wasted my time. In disciplining myself, I try to make a strict schedule where I give specific time for both my studies and work tasks. Which helped me to stay organized and give enough attention to both areas.
How do you stay motivated and productive when working from should I say school or home?
Staying motivated and productive while working remotely requires deliberate effort. One key thing that I think helps me is having a dedicated workspace, separating a corner of the room, this physical separation helps me get into the right mindset for work, whenever school is in session, things like having a regular start time don’t work but whenever school is on break having regular start time works, taking breaks at set times, and wrapping up work around the same time each day. Routines create a structure that can boost productivity.
Waoooooo. so what tips would you give to someone new to remote work?
If you happen to be a student, learn to set boundaries with friends, so they can respect your time, this is very important too for anyone, respecting boundaries. Also, have a dedicated workspace by separating a corner of the room for work. Always take enough water. If you notice that you are always distracted or can’t keep to time, you can use tools/apps to minimize distractions. The last I can remember that I feel is very important is communicating with your team lead and team members.
NaijaNews: Are there any significant differences in collaboration and communication when working remotely compared to an office environment?
Prosper Onah: As someone who hasn’t worked in this industry in an office setup kind of environment, in my opinion, what it takes to have a successful delivery of work is to have dedicated team members not minding where they work from.
NaijaNews: Maybe someone has asked you this before, between remote, hybrid, and full-time office work, which will you choose?
Prosper Onah: Remote!!!!. I will choose remote anytime, anywhere, and any day.
NaijaNews: Is it because you haven’t experienced office setup or do you just feel remote for you is better?
Prosper Onah: I considered my productive period of the day, also, the global competitive opportunity that remote work gives. It gives you a sense of responsibility as you will have to work with either less or no supervision. You can easily tell if you are working or not, because, after a week or two without delivery you should know where you stand, there is a popular saying “I have to secure this month’s salary” among remote workers, cause it is feasible and easy to know when you haven’t secured it.
NaijaNews: This is funny though and it is true.
Prosper Onah: Yeah.
NaijaNews: How do you maintain a sense of commitment and connection with your team while working remotely?
Prosper Onah: To answer the first one, commitment is a sense of responsibility, and for connecting with the team, communication is one of the core growth of the fast delivery of products, since I was committed, I understand the need to communicate.
NaijaNews: How do you handle conflicts or disagreements that sometimes arise in the team?
Prosper Onah: Though I haven’t experienced this, nevertheless in this kind of situation schedule a video call between all parties, and ensure the conversation is done respectfully.
NaijaNews: What advice would you give to companies or managers looking to support and enable successful remote work for their software engineering teams?
Prosper Onah: It all begins by having a dedicated product manager, and a team lead,
Clear communication, communication outside the general group by team members should be discouraged, and documentation is also key. Ensure processes are well-defined for collaboration, and everyone understands the product, encourage code reviews, and standups, and encourage knowledge sharing. The list can be more, but these are some that I see as mandatory.
NaijaNews: So what are your plans for the future and what advice will you give someone entering into the Web3 space
Prosper Onah: Well my future plans are centered around upskilling and self-improvement. I also want to build resourceful materials through videos, detailed documentation, and the like as a means of returning back to the industry, easing people’s learning process, and want to be part of people transitioning stories into web3.