“Tradition isn’t what you say, it’s what you permit”: Day 1-1000 of Haul247

Sehinde Afolayan, founding father of logistics platform Haul247, was one of many first founders I interviewed as a journalist for TechCabal. The startup, launched in 2020, had simply raised $3million on the time. 

In an area ravaged by large identify logistics startups struggling and shuttering, Haul247 has held its personal. Afolayan is aware of the area is hard. He’s been the commodities dealer whose items rotted in storage. He is aware of what it’s prefer to really feel helpless inside a system you rely on, and that first-hand frustration fuels every little thing Haul247 does.

He tells me Haul247 survived by refusing to deal with logistics as a sequence of disconnected items. “It could possibly’t be a standalone,” he says. “It’s a must to make all of it speak to one another.” Meaning connecting warehouses, vehicles, and tech so purchasers truly know the place their items are—one thing he may solely want for when he confronted his personal provide chain disasters.

Afolayan is my visitor for at this time’s version of Day 1-1000, he tells TechCabal how Haul247 has morphed  from fixing one man’s provide chain ache to constructing a logistics working system for Africa, one actual, built-in resolution at a time

That is the story of Haul247 as advised to TechCabal.

Day 0: Entrepreneur in coaching

My actual journey began lengthy earlier than Haul247—it began at Obafemi Awolowo College (Ile-Ife, Nigeria), the place I studied Agriculture. It wasn’t nearly studying from textbooks; it was the type of place the place you possibly can get your palms soiled—actually. 

I bear in mind in the future, my head of division bought an pressing name from the dean whereas we had been in the lab. She was in the course of synthetic insemination work, which entails utilizing a microscope to deal with spermatozoa and eggs. She stated, “Are you able to assist me with this? I must rapidly go and meet the dean.” I used to be 20, possibly 21. I used to be nervous, but additionally curious.  I’d by no means finished this earlier than. However I did it effectively—the survival charge was 98%, which was very excessive. I used to be a rookie, however I succeeded. She was actually impressed. She gave me my first 1,000 fingerlings to rear inside the college constructing, which I did. My entrepreneurial journey began there. I realised that if you happen to take accountability and ship, folks will belief you with extra.

However college wasn’t nearly grades. This was additionally the place I met my co-founders, Tobi Obasa and Akindele Phillips. We’d turn out to be buddies for all times, however on the time, it was simply three younger males determining life, enthusiastic about what Nigeria may very well be. Nobody advised us how arduous beginning a enterprise could be, however the starvation was there. The teachings from these days—taking accountability, fixing real-world issues, working with folks—formed how I thought of entrepreneurship.

After Obafemi Awolowo College, I went on to Lagos Enterprise College for an MBA in 2016. That was one other layer—studying not simply learn how to do issues, however learn how to lead, learn how to develop an organisation. However I at all times carried the spirit of these college days with me: the curiosity, the starvation, the willingness to personal the end result.

After I jumped into enterprise—first farming, then commodities, and at last logistics—I saved that mindset. In the event you’d requested me at 20 if I’d be constructing a logistics firm, I’d have stated no. However trying again, the roots had been at all times there.

Day 1-30: Launch and pivot

It begins with a warehouse in Bakori, Katsina State. I’ve paid for 100 metric tons of soybeans. My group and I start peeling again the layers of sacks—first layer, high quality. Second, high quality. Third, high quality. Then the fourth: the beans have turned to powder. The farmer, a person I’ve constructed belief with over months, breaks down in entrance of me. He’s labored so arduous, solely to lose every little thing to poor storage. We drive again to Lagos in silence. My thoughts is racing. “There must be a greater means.” 

That evening, I referred to as two school buddies. I requested them: “How can we use expertise to repair this?” We spent hours speaking about post-harvest losses, fragmented provide chains, lack of visibility, and the price—not simply in cash, however in damaged belief and wasted effort.  It was not about constructing one other trucking app. It was about orchestrating logistics intelligently—connecting warehouses, vehicles, and ports so companies can see, plan, and transfer items with out the chaos. That’s how Haul247 was born.

We launched, with a deal with aggregating vehicles and warehouses. We onboarded hundreds—on paper, it regarded nice. However nothing was occurring. Purchasers weren’t biting. We quickly realised that capability meant nothing with out clever demand.  

So we pivoted. Now, it’s about aligning provide with actual demand. We bake in real-time visibility, predictive planning, and deep integration with purchasers’ methods. We automate invoicing—no extra ready for waybills to crawl throughout Lagos. We set a rule: no shopper with cost phrases longer than 14 days. We monitor receivables like hawks, chopping days by over 50%. 

Day 100-300:  Tradition isn’t what you say, it’s what you permit

The primary hundred days had been a blur. Internally, it was all palms on deck—everybody did every little thing. I used to be speaking to warehouse house owners, truck drivers, purchasers, suppliers, traders. I used to be coding, promoting, fixing, begging. We had been constructing the aircraft mid-flight. Our tradition additionally started to mature. We moved from hierarchy to possession. “Tradition isn’t what you say, it’s what you permit,” I inform the group. Individuals started shaping technique, not simply filling roles. Purchasers observed—they wanted one level of contact, one system, one fact. We weren’t only a vendor. We had been companions.

The grind didn’t cease. Funding was at all times tight. Expertise, even tighter—this isn’t an trade the place you’ll be able to simply publish a job and decide from a pile. We needed to develop our personal.  Then our warehouse supervisor who’d simply been introduced in, simply getting up to the mark, referred to as to say he’s leaving the nation. Instantly. That Monday, I didn’t wish to depart my mattress. There was no fast substitute on this area. We doubled down on inside coaching, cross-pollinating abilities, constructing functionality from scratch.  On the identical time, we had been automating every little thing we may—funds, invoicing, monitoring. We introduced in auditors, arrange governance. It was not about optics. We wished to construct one thing that lasts.

Day 500-800:  Constructing a aircraft whereas flying

We began with warehousing and trucking, then added port operations, commerce facilitation, and financing. We weren’t simply digitising logistics—we had been turning it into financial infrastructure for the continent. We had been constructing the groundwork for predictive analytics—forecasting, route optimisation, proactive planning. The north star: to be Africa’s logistics working system.

We owned a warehouse within the south, 3,000 sq. meters. Items had been scattered, taking over all of the area. We introduced in vertical stacking. Three months later, income tripled on the identical footprint. Purchasers advised us they wished to take care of one vendor, not a dozen who don’t speak to one another. That’s validation.

Day 1000- current day: A protracted battle

We’re worthwhile, nevertheless it’s been a battle. There was a time when funding was caught in paperwork. We needed to drop purchasers, flip down enterprise, and be trustworthy about what we may deal with. Fairness funding is dear—you’re giving up a part of your future. We’ve discovered to be lean, to sweat each asset. However while you see your group step up, once they personal outcomes, carry new concepts, resolve issues you didn’t even see—that’s the actual euphoria.

The second I nearly stop? It wasn’t simply the expertise crunch or the funding drought—although these had been brutal. It was the day-to-day grind of explaining to purchasers why their items had been caught in a port, or why costs had spiked, or why the system was nonetheless damaged. There’s a particular type of exhaustion that comes from caring an excessive amount of, from wanting to make things better quicker than the market will allow you to. However, would I do it once more? In a heartbeat. Not as a result of it was or is straightforward. Not as a result of the cash’s nice. It isn’t—but. However as a result of the work issues. As a result of day by day, we get to untangle a knot that’s been holding Africa again for many years.

Mark your calendars!  Moonshot by TechCabal is again in Lagos on October 15–16! Be part of Africa’s prime founders, creatives & tech leaders for two days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward concepts. Early hen tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com