Reflecting On 4 Years On Writing On Tech Nova
So What’s Next….
Four years ago, I was upset.
A news article was circulating on major news outlets in Ghana that the former President John Mahama spoke at the launch of the Accra Digital centre and he said that the centre would help create 10,000 jobs.
So why was I upset? It wasn’t because of the announcement of the initiative.
I was upset because ALL the news articles I read didn’t bother to write about what the Digital Centre was about and how those jobs would be created.
HOW was this centre going to create jobs? What would go in the centre?
It was through that frustration that I started the process of creating my own tech publication called Tech Nova.
From Tech Nova 1.0 To Tech Nova 3.0
When Tech Nova 1.0 was first launched in 2017, we were writing stories which were focused on tech in Ghana. From Wifi in Cafes to gadgets, and developer events, we were covering a lot.
We started slow but we grew quickly through sharing on social media and covering events out of our pockets. Later down the line, we decided to add in other content from other African countries.
Now in 2021, we’re a top tech news publication in Ghana covering both Ghana and the African tech ecosystem.
Tech Nova 3.0 and Beyond
So after 4 years of managing this, what’s next?
Well, a lot of things are happening right now in the tech space. Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Web 3.0…
But in all those, where does Ghana and more importantly, Africa, stand?
I’ve been thinking about how to “evolve” the platform. What content should we focus on? I’ve been spitballing ideas….
A website that I admire is RestOfWorld. As much as tech is great, I’ve been thinking that we need to start looking at the “human” side of tech. We need to look at the impact of ride hailing companies on the local taxi industry. We need to see how technology has created new addictions especially with Instagram and how betting is affecting the youth.
There are also government shutdowns of the internet, especially during election time. How do multinational companies feel and what can be done (if anything).
There’s a whole new way of interactivity with social platforms. As much as writing is great, we need to focus on how to reach young through their other forms of interaction like TikTok and Snapchat.
What do we want news reporting on Tech in Africa to look like? Should we stick to a niche (Venture Capital, Startup funding etc), do more human stories in tech or just do both?
I’ve been thinking about expand our horizon.
But also, I’ve been thinking about “me”.
Confession: I’ve been running Tech Nova by myself for the past 2 years. I’ve gone through several burnouts. It’s been interesting ride but I think I’m ready to move on to other forms of content. I’ll probably be moving on next year.
This doesn’t mean that Tech Nova is shutting down. I’m just looking for someone to take over and hopefully push it to the next level.
In the past four years, Tech Nova has published 1000+ articles covering topics from entertainment to Fintech to agriculture. It’s become a cool brand and there’s definitely lots of potential for it.
Currently, I’m looking for people to help create new content for readers and new potential audiences. Social Media, Video etc.. If you want to help me build up this brand, I look forward to hearing from you.
It’s a been a fun ride and I’m happy with what’s been built. Looking forward to see what else we can build.
