What We Learned From Seyi Bandele
Seye Bandele, the co-founder/CEO of PaidHR talks about his inspiring entrepreneurial journey - how he started, challenges he faced, and the solutions he's providing to the African ecosystem.
In our recent Founders Connect chat, we dove into the inspiring journey of Seye Bandele, Co-founder and CEO of PaidHR, a tech startup reshaping global people management. Seye’s journey isn’t just about business; it’s a masterclass that showcases the blend of technical knowledge, persistence, and strategic pivots essential to thriving in the startup landscape.
Seye's Background
Seye Bandele's unique upbringing in Lagos, Nigeria fostered his instinct to acquire knowledge through extensive reading. After his Bachelors degree at FUNAAB, he moved to Abuja, where he worked at Millennium Integrated in Abuja and met his co-founder, Lekan Omotosho. Together, they set out to solve real HR challenges they’d seen in the corporate world.
PaidHR’s Development
PaidHR was born out of Seye’s insight into common business HR challenges. After extensive research, he and his co-founder Lekan developed the software, which launched in August 2020. Initially designed for smaller companies with around 20-40 employees, PaidHR soon attracted larger clients, including TSL, a company with 2,000 employees. This unexpected growth drove PaidHR to quickly adapt its model, resulting in major structural updates- expanding customer support, building a sales team, and rebranding efforts to better serve a diverse and growing client base.
What We Learned from Seye’s Story
#1 - The Importance of Adaptability
Seye’s experience with PaidHR’s pivot from small to large clients shows just how vital adaptability is in the face of new growth opportunities. Originally designed for smaller teams, PaidHR needed to rapidly scale its model when larger companies, such as a 2,000-employee organization, adopted the platform.
This unexpected shift challenged the team to quickly reimagine their approach, demonstrating how gracefully embracing change can fuel growth and position a business for larger markets.
#2 - Investing in the Right Talent
With their first $10,000 funding, Seye made a strategic decision to hire customer support and sales staff. This early investment helped PaidHR scale effectively without sacrificing customer satisfaction, showing how essential it is to recognize the team roles that can drive the most impact.
By strategically hiring at critical points, Seye showed how building the right team at the right time is central to sustainable growth, especially in times of high demand.
#3 - Building a Team Culture that Drives Success
Seye’s leadership style is all about people. His emphasis on building a strong management team and fostering personal growth within his company shows that creating a culture where people can thrive is core to building a sustainable business. This approach has allowed PaidHR to nurture a committed team that feels empowered, which, in turn, fuels the company’s growth.
#4 - Nurturing Your Passions Outside of Work
Besides PaidHR, Seye’s love for music led him to start Better Sound Studios in Lagos as a side business. This project allows him to explore his creative side while also managing a growing tech company. It’s a reminder that following personal passions can provide balance and even spark creativity that enhances your professional life.
Seye Bandele’s journey captures resilience, strategic pivots, and a commitment to growth- both professionally and personally.
Starting with a bootstrapped approach, PaidHR evolved through key pivots, eventually securing funding to expand. His story offers insights into the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, highlighting that while strategy and structure are critical, real growth often comes from embracing change and prioritizing people. Seye reminds us that building a thriving business also means staying flexible and investing in good relationships with people - friends, colleagues, bosses, staff.
It’s almost impossible to share all the lessons learnt from the conversation here, so make sure you watch the full video on YouTube.
If you learned something from Seye’s story, don’t forget to share this newsletter and help share the word.