In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship, where new ideas spring up every day, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of launching a business without fully understanding the fundamentals that determine long-term success. For Saudat Salami, one of Nigeria’s foremost entrepreneurs and founder of the defunct Easyshop Easycook and the Saudat Salami Foundation, true success is not rooted in novelty alone but in validation, execution, and scalability.
Salami, a certified entrepreneurship and business coach with over 25 years of experience, recently shared insights from a strategy session she had with a budding entrepreneur who was concerned that others are copying their business idea. Her response was simple, powerful, and instructive.
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“Only good ideas get copied,” she said. “That’s not something to fear. It’s something to be flattered by. The real separator is execution and your unique selling proposition. That’s where the game is played and won.”
It is a perspective grounded in experience. When Salami launched Easyshop Easycook in 2005, the idea of grocery delivery in Nigeria was revolutionary. Technology, logistics infrastructure, and e-commerce adoption were still in their infancy, but Salami had a vision — to help working professionals, especially women, save time and reduce the stress of shopping for food.
Yet, even with thorough market research, surveys, and an overwhelmingly positive response from friends and family, she understood that genuine proof of concept meant taking the idea beyond her immediate circle.
“When I launched Easyshop Easycook, I had done all the right things – surveys, market research, encouraging responses. My friends and family were the first to use the service. But I knew I couldn’t build a business on love and loyalty. I needed objective users. People who didn’t know me. People who weren’t just trying to support me out of friendship,” she recalled.
Determined to validate her idea, she went directly to bank offices on Wednesdays, handing out printed food lists to professionals. She took orders and delivered beautifully packaged groceries on Fridays. That hands-on approach helped her build trust, test the operations model, and most importantly, secure returning customers.
“That shift made all the difference,” she said. “It became clear that people were willing to pay, not just once, but repeatedly, for the value we were offering. That was my proof of concept.”
But Salami warns that many entrepreneurs misunderstand what proof of concept truly means. It’s not just about making a few sales. It’s about confirming that there is a large enough market that not only desires your product or service but is willing and able to pay for it consistently over time.
“Proof of concept isn’t just about getting your first few sales,” she emphasized. “It’s about showing that the market is big enough, and that customers have the ability and desire to keep paying for your solution. If only 200 people can afford what you’re selling, that’s not scale — that’s a hobby.”
Salami urges aspiring founders to ask hard questions before committing fully to building a business: Has this idea been validated by people outside your network? Is the total addressable market large enough to sustain growth? Will customers consistently pay for your solution?
“If the answer is no, you’re still singing in the shower,” she said with a wry smile. “And the market? It doesn’t have time for backup singers.”
Her practical and witty analogy perfectly captures the gap between passion and profitability. Just as the acoustics of a shower might make one believe they sound like Beyoncé — until someone else hears them and says otherwise — business ideas must be tested in real market conditions. Fantasy must meet reality.
Salami’s entrepreneurial journey exemplifies resilience and foresight. Starting with less than $50, she built Easyshop Easycook into a multi-million-dollar business. For nearly two decades, it served as a pioneer in Nigeria’s domestic support sector, using technology to deliver groceries to busy professionals across Lagos.
In August 2023, the company officially closed its operations. But rather than marking an end, the closure became a moment of gratitude and reflection.
“From the moment we took our first steps in 2005, nurturing a mere idea into the scalable venture that we’ve become today, our customers have been our rock,” she shared in a heartfelt message. “Our mission has always been to foster work-life balance, particularly for women. It’s been an honour to witness so many of our clients flourish — rising from entry-level roles to C-suite positions, holding ministerial appointments, and chairing influential boards — all while building homes and raising families.”
Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Saudat Salami has become a continental force in women’s empowerment and food systems transformation. Through the Saudat Salami Foundation, she has trained and empowered over 300 women and stay-at-home mums across Africa through initiatives such as the Personal Home Shopping Business and Growing Your Own Food Business. These programs help women digitize and professionalize their home-based food businesses, creating new income opportunities in underserved communities.
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She is also a respected board member, speaker, and consultant for government and international development organizations in areas like food systems, diversity and inclusion, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship. Her credentials include fellowships and certifications from prestigious institutions such as the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program, Vital Voices, the United States International Visitors Leadership Program, and the Pan-African University’s EDC.
She is an alumna of numerous global programs including the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative and Global Women in Management. She is also a member of professional bodies such as WIMBIZ, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, WEConnect International, and the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.
Despite closing Easyshop Easycook in 2023, her mission to help African entrepreneurs find clarity, accelerate growth, and scale impact remains stronger than ever.
“I’ve celebrated successes, learned from challenges, and grown immeasurably, both as a businesswoman and as a human being,” Salami said. “Now I am focused on helping others do the same.”
With her foundation’s programs scaling across Africa, and her influence growing in entrepreneurial and development circles, Saudat Salami continues to prove that great ideas never die, they evolve, empower others, and leave behind legacies that inspire the next generation.
Because in her words, execution is everything. And the marketplace rewards those who dare to move beyond the shower and sing on the world’s stage.
