TEF SUCCESS STORIES: Michel Nkuindija – Lessons from my Entrepreneurial Journey

Growing up Michel Nkuindija was lulled by the tales and legends of Africa and this made his imagination go wild with thoughts hovering around imaginative universes inspired by these tales. Only and as he grew older, he realized that these stories told to us by grandparents were not available in many books, comics and even less in animated version for our children and future generations. This he says led him to  set a challenge of developing a project that would transmit these beautiful stories, tales and legends through media such as animated films and video games.

Michel set up Noohkema Game Studios, a creative company based in Yaounde, Cameroon. Nookhena develops video games for PC and Mobiles with an ambition to break down how video games and interactive media can be the best way to change global perceptions of Africa while preserving our cultural identity for the next generations.

Nookhena is currently working on its main project: a video game called Meenlah: Quest of the Stolen Spirits, an action role playing game entirely in 3D. the game is set in Ancient Africa, in an era when humans and masks lived in perfect harmony. In Meenlah, the player takes the role of Nganu in a third person perspective, using a variety of combat moves and platforming skill to overcome obstacles, with his partner Kung, an mysterious and powerful mask.

In 2015, Michel was selected on the TEF programme, and this he says has marked significant progress for his company  and has also helped him learn some lessons on his entrepreneurial journey he says “The end of year 2017 marked the second year of Noohkema in the Tony Elumelu Program, I examined our progress and all things our company have accomplished. While the promise of the new year 2018 is exciting, it’s also the mark of new targets, goals and ambitious dreams for our team and startup.  The most important lessons i learned are:

1- Build your personal brand as well as your company brand.

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of focusing only on building their company brand to the exclusion of building their personal brand. However, your personal brand will differentiate you from your competitors, give you authority and credibility in your field, and stick with you in the event your company ultimately experiences failure.

2- Work is life, and life’s too short to hate your work.

Work-life balance is something many entrepreneurs struggle with, which is why I’m such a huge fan of Tony Hsieh’s approach. When you’re passionate about what you do, and when you focus on happiness (both your own and that of your employees’), work isn’t just something you do to fund your “real life.” It becomes infinitely more enjoyable and meaningful, and significantly reduces your chances of experiencing burnout.

3- Admit your mistakes.

Great leaders have the ability to influence others. By setting an example of humility and taking ownership of mistakes as you grow your startup, you’re creating a culture for others to do the same. Be humble, admit when you’re wrong, and as you face another year of leadership, your team will grow in this practice.

4- Hire people who are smarter than you.

Face it: There will always be people who are smarter than you. If you’re lucky enough to find these people, hire them. Focus on the things that you’re best at, and give them the freedom to do the same.

5- Just do it

Planning, strategizing and weighing options all have important roles within a business. But there comes a point in time when you just have to do it. You know the quote: “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.”

Michel and his team recently launched Noohkema for Enterprise, a package of innovatives solutions dedicated for corporate ventures. This makes up part of the wholesome business for the services the team provides like 3D visualisation, 3D animation and VR dedicated content development, – Strategy (Branding, Positioning, Naming, Messaging, Consulting), Design (Visual Identity, Books & Brochures, Print & Digital Ad Campaigns, Web & Mobile, Environments), Visualization (Renderings, Film & Video, Animation, Photography, VR/AR/MR) and Interactive (Websites, Mobile Apps, Kiosks, Custom CMS, Touchscreen Applications)

Michel Nkuindija can be reached through the following means:

Tel: +237-694216842 / +237-683680540
Email:  [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]