Some people stumble into their calling—others write it into existence years before it manifests. Josephine Inika belongs firmly to the latter camp. The co-founder of Iko, Africa’s rising literary social platform, once wrote about building “a product for writers” two full years before the opportunity materialized.
In this unfiltered conversation, the woman redefining African literary community building reveals why she treats writers ‘like people, not metrics,’ how misogyny in tech ‘bends but never breaks’ her, and why every young creative needs to hear her mantra: ‘I am not afraid to be seen trying.’
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how your early career experiences shaped your journey into the creative and tech space?
Josephine: I was born into a family of readers and writers, so naturally that set the tone. I was also an only child for nearly a decade so I turned to books to keep me company. Put these two together and it makes sense that I would end up being in the creative space, and as I got older (and the bills came), getting into tech through marketing.
What inspired your passion for storytelling and literature, and how did that passion evolve into co-founding a platform like Iko?
Josephine: Like I mentioned, stories have always been my escape, salve, and map for finding my way through life, so naturally when I got invited to cofound Iko, it felt right. I had also written in my journal about 2 years before joining/starting Iko that I wanted to build a product for writers. Fate hey? Or writing things into life? Both.
Were there any pivotal moments or challenges in your early career that prepared you for the entrepreneurial journey of building Iko?
Josephine: Yes, being a first-born daughter (of Nigerian parents).
What was the initial idea behind Iko, and how did the concept of creating an African literary social platform come about?
Josephine: It’s simple. We looked at the mainstream platforms for writers vs the African market, and saw a gap, we entered the gap and now we are furnishing the gap step by step to become the literary social space we promised everyone.
How did you and your co-founder(s) come together, and what unique strengths do each of you bring to the table?
Josephine: We all grew up in Calabar, and our social circles overlapped. Unique strengths? On a work level, our strengths are split across Marketing, Product Management/Development and Software development. On a soft skill/personal level, we all share these – Problem-solving, Adaptability and Audacity. Is audacity a skill? Well, I have declared it so.
As someone with a strong marketing background, how have you approached building Iko’s brand and reaching its target audience?
Josephine: By throwing things at the wall, seeing what sticks, taking it down, refining it. Rinse and repeat. The more we experiment with things, the more we learn what our audience likes, loves, dislikes and ignores.
What strategies have you used to grow Iko’s community of writers and readers, especially in a competitive digital space?
Josephine: The core strategy? Treating them like actual people, not just numbers on a board.
How do you balance staying true to Iko’s African roots while also appealing to a global audience?
Josephine: We try to focus everything we do on showing African writers, and readers, from the books we talk about, to how we frame something as simple as a tweet.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in building Iko, and how have you overcome them?
Josephine: The challenges are too many, big and small. I am still in the middle of overcoming them but this is the current lesson I am learning – most shortcuts will hamper growth. Go the long mile as often as you can.
What lessons have you learned about entrepreneurship, leadership, and collaboration through this journey?
Josephine: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together” is one of the realest things ever, and is a lesson I am learning every 2 business weeks.
How do you handle setbacks or moments of self-doubt, and what keeps you motivated?
Josephine: By telling myself, “At the end of the day, let it be said I tried, and I tried well and often.” But more importantly, my internal and external support systems keep me going. Every time I have a breakdown, or my faith in my abilities/the work starts shaking, I run to my people, or I go inside my mind, the place where the only thing that matters is that I exist. The clarity, care, empathy, and encouragement always sets me right.
What do you hope to achieve with Iko in the next 5–10 years, and how do you see it impacting the African literary and creative community?
Josephine: I want writers to see Iko as place where they can grow from scratch to solid writers, find people who share their literary love, build relationships that lead to everything from book deals to families. I want Iko to be known as a supporter of African literature that puts its money where its mouth is. Talk and do, literally.
As a woman in tech and the creative industry, what unique challenges have you faced, and how have you navigated them?
Josephine: Everything always comes back to misogyny, whether benevolent, subtle, or overt. I just tell myself, I deserve to be here, regardless of what misogyny is trying to say, I am closing my ear to it. On a practical level, I try to do my work well and reduce the space for people to throw misogyny-fuelled bombs at me. And in instances where the challenge hits and bends me, I cry, clean my eyes, take a break, then come back again. I refuse to let them take away everything from me.
What advice would you give to young African women who want to break into the tech or creative industries but feel intimidated or unsure where to start?
Josephine: It’s overwhelming and confusing because there is so much to choose from, so many roadblocks ranging from lack of financial support to your own brain working against you. I would recommend trying your hand at different things.
It’s what I did; I tried my hand at graphic design, coding, product management, ui/ux, event planning, catering, and social media management, before finding the sweet spot of marketing and operations that worked for me.
Something else? Please give it time. Try not to compare yourself to another person. You are only seeing the results; you don’t know what happened on the journey there. As the teachers used to say, face your work. Face your work with courage and consistency, even if it hurts, and it will, face it.
Who or what has been your biggest inspiration throughout your career and entrepreneurial journey?
Josephine: A lot of people. I cannot begin to count, but my heart is full of gratitude to everyone who has taken a chance on me, given me space to grow, and believed in my abilities,
How do you define success, and do you feel you’ve achieved it with Iko?
Josephine: I am just getting started. We are just getting started. Come back in 2 years.
Related: IKO AFRICA IS THE DIGITAL PRESS OF UNSUNG.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the African creative and tech space?
Josephine: We are genre and language benders. I need people to look beyond the stereotypes, because it’s a world of gorgeous, mind shaking, stunning creations and creators creating.
If you could have dinner with any African writer, creative, living, or deceased, who would it be and why?
Josephine: I know you said one, but it’s women’s month, so let me cook. Pemi Aguda. Ghostroots stole my brain, and I need it back. Lesley Nneka Arimah, I don’t even want dinner, I just want to tell her thank you for What it Means When A Man Falls from the Sky. Bassey Ikpi, for writing I’m Telling the Truth but I’m Lying, that book saved my life. Mariama Ba, to tell her So Long a Letter was a doorway that opened my childhood wide and said, you can write stories in a different way.
What’s your favorite book or piece of writing by an African author, and why does it resonate with you?
Josephine: Favorite? As in One? This question is wicked. Anyway, two essays I often go back to – Reality Is Plasticine and Walk Worthy, both by Eloghosa Osunde. They keep me grounded when I need that, and gently push me to fly, when I need that.
If you weren’t running Iko, what else would you be doing?
Josephine: I would be an Afro House DJ.
What’s your go-to mantra or quote that keeps you going?
Josephine: I am not afraid to be seen trying.
