Breaking Into Tech Stories 8: From High School to Mobile App Development

The year is 2019, a high school student in Lagos is learning to code on paper. He doesn’t own a phone or a laptop, but he wants to build an African marketplace with a crypto payment option. Sometimes, he borrows a phone to test his code. Sometimes, the phone shuts down from overload. That’s how Olanrewaju Taiwo started his tech journey.

Today, Taiwo is a mobile app developer and the founder of Shoptingahq, an African marketplace where people buy and sell with cryptocurrency. His breaking into tech story proves that sometimes the biggest obstacles become your greatest strengths. And you don’t need perfect conditions to build something amazing.

Before Getting Into Tech

Growing up in Lagos during the tech boom was like being in the epicenter of possibility. I had a wild idea to build an African marketplace where people could buy and sell using cryptocurrency. The only problem was that I knew almost nothing about crypto and didn’t even own a phone. I would borrow phones from my classmates in exchange for buying their data subscriptions. Sometimes I just borrowed data straight up.

I was so passionate about my idea that I did everything I could to bring it to life. I learned how to code online, and devoured everything I could find about crypto. When there was no phone available, I literally wrote code on paper. I kept practicing until I could build the first version of my marketplace on my own 2GB RAM phone.

The technical setup was rough. I used Django and Python for the backend, downloaded ACode and Pydroid to run the code. Everything was tested on a browser. My thumbs hurt from constantly switching between tabs and typing on the glass screen. The phone would freeze or restart due to the strain of running both the editor and the Python environment. Other times, the little test server I ran inside Pydroid would crash while I was still in Acode.

Looking back, it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but at the time, it didn’t feel like suffering. I was so passionate about building my project that not having a laptop was just another obstacle that couldn’t stop me.

How I Built My Tech Skills (And a Team)

My learning was completely need-based. Whatever point I reached in my project, I learned the skills or tech stack necessary to execute it. This approach helped me learn incredibly fast because every skill had an immediate, practical application.

My main learning resources were:

• SoloLearn and W3School for Python
• YouTube for Django tutorials
• Real-world project experience through building Shoptingahq

Working on my marketplace taught me much more than just coding. I learned about web development, user behavior, and the business side of building software. The project-based learning approach later translated to an ability to easily pick up new skills for any job I undertake. Challenges fuel my learning now.

But I knew I couldn’t build my marketplace alone. I recruited friends and anyone with relevant skills who believed in the vision. At one point, we had a team of ten people – all working for free. Occasionally, I’d send small amounts to support their work, but I couldn’t pay salaries since I was still an intern myself at another startup.

The shocking part is that, until today, some of them still don’t know that their CEO only had a mobile phone, while they owned laptops. I think I was able to pull this off because I have this way of convincing people to believe in what we’re building together.

Our social media pages remain active today, which is quite remarkable considering where we started.

Community and Mentorship Made the Difference

Seeing other young people like me building tech products had a huge impact on my mindset. But being part of the STEM UP Lagos Club in my school really sharpened my curiosity and exposed me to new ways of building things.

We won tech competitions by building robotic projects. Our Physics teacher advised the club and acted as our guide. She had a huge impact on me with the way she helped with our competitions. She was instrumental in shaping my mindset about science and how to pitch products effectively.

The power of community and having people who believe in you cannot be overstated. It’s what kept me going during the really hard moments.

My First Break in Tech

My internship came through one of our high school seniors who had graduated and was building an edtech startup. It was unpaid, but I was thrilled to have the opportunity to practice what I’d learned and finally get access to proper development tools.

I approached that internship with everything I had. I did so well that they retained me afterwards, which became my first real paid position in tech.

But my first freelance break came through a friend who shared a LinkedIn post about someone needing a billing app built. I wanted to work on that project so badly that I learned Flutter specifically for it. That has become my pattern – I see something interesting, learn what I need to know about it, and pursue it.

A Day in My Developer Life

I don’t have a strict work routine, but my typical day starts with checking emails and reviewing my task list. Some days are more routine-like than others. I spend time researching for my personal projects too (I’m always building something on the side).

On some days, I become so engrossed in coding that I forget to eat and only get about four hours of sleep. But I make sure to unwind by going outside to touch grass (literally), exploring nature, and spending time with friends. Balance is important, even when you love what you do.

The flexibility of being a developer allows me to work on projects I’m passionate about while constantly learning new technologies. Every project teaches me something different.

The Hard Parts (And How I Pushed Through)

The biggest challenge was definitely the resource constraints in the beginning. Coding on a 2GB RAM phone that constantly crashed, writing code on paper, borrowing phones, and data. These inconveniences were daily obstacles that could have stopped me completely.

There were moments when I questioned whether I could actually make this work. But I had this vision of building something that would be useful to people, something impactful like my role model, Mark Zuckerberg, had done. That kept me going.

Being young, having no money, and no proper equipment initially felt like a huge disadvantage. But it actually became an advantage because it forced me to be incredibly creative and resourceful. When you have constraints, you find solutions that people with unlimited resources might never think of.

Those early struggles taught me that passion and persistence can overcome almost any obstacle. They also instilled a problem-solving mindset in me. That serves me well in every project I undertake now.

Beyond App Development

I still love being a developer, but I’m planning to branch into developer relationship management by next year. I want to help bridge the gap between technical teams and the broader business world.

I’m also working on a book about mobile app development and Flutter. It’s meant to be an in-depth dive into software development from someone who learned it the hard way. I want to share the practical knowledge I gained from building real projects under challenging conditions.

The goal remains the same: to build something valuable and impactful for people.

Resources I Used to Learn App Development

Free Learning Platforms:

• Sololearn – Great for learning Python fundamentals
• W3Schools – Comprehensive web development tutorials
• YouTube – Django tutorials and specific problem-solving videos

Development Tools (Mobile-friendly):

• ACode – Code editor for Android
• Pydroid – Python IDE for mobile development
• Any browser – For testing web applications

Community Resources:

• STEM UP Lagos Club – School-based tech community
• LinkedIn – Networking and finding opportunities
• Local tech meetups – Meeting other developers and founders

However, the most underrated resources are your own projects. Nothing teaches you faster than building something real that you actually care about.

Something Personal

One of my most memorable moments was the first time I successfully deployed my marketplace and watched real users interact with it. All those nights of coding on paper, all the phone crashes, all the borrowed data. It all led to that moment when someone else found value in something I built.

But honestly, the most rewarding part has been the network and relationships I’ve built. The people who worked with me for free on Shoptingahq, as well as the friends who shared opportunities. These connections have been more valuable than any skill I learned.

Seeing team members from those early days succeed in their own tech journeys is incredibly fulfilling. We were all figuring it out together, and now we’re all growing in this industry.

Finally …

Here’s what I would tell anyone just starting out in tech:

Build as you learn. Don’t just watch tutorials and take notes. Escape tutorial hell by actually building projects. It’s one of the fastest ways to learn, and you’ll have something to show for your efforts.

Be creative about problems. Constraints are opportunities to find innovative solutions. Some of my best ideas came from having limited resources.

Nobody will care about your product if they don’t know it exists. Build in public whenever possible. Share your progress, your struggles, your victories. Visibility has been the primary driver of my growth.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I started on paper before moving to a 2GB RAM phone. You can start with whatever you have right now.

The tech industry needs people who can solve real problems, not just people who can code perfectly in ideal conditions. Your unique background and perspective are assets, not disadvantages.

Start building something today. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t need the latest equipment. You need passion, persistence, and the willingness to learn as you go.

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PS: Breaking into Tech Stories are personal journey stories of people who have transitioned into tech, especially from non-technical backgrounds or unconventional paths.