I had the privilege of attending a Youth Entrepreneurship Town Hall featuring His Excellency President Paul Kagame and renowned entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa. The event provided invaluable insights into entrepreneurship, leadership, and nation-building.

The session included a question-and-answer exchange where President Kagame shared wisdom gained from decades of leadership. His advice emphasized several key themes:

The Importance of Problem-Solving

Entrepreneurship isn't about starting businesses for their own sake—it's about solving real problems that affect people's lives. The most successful ventures identify genuine needs and create solutions that provide value. Young entrepreneurs should focus on understanding problems deeply before rushing to solutions.

Building for the Long Term

Success doesn't happen overnight. Building sustainable businesses requires patience, persistence, and long-term thinking. Too many entrepreneurs focus on quick wins rather than building foundations for lasting impact. The businesses that transform societies are those built with vision that extends beyond immediate returns.

Learning from Failure

Failure is an inevitable part of entrepreneurship and should be embraced as a learning opportunity rather than feared. Every setback provides lessons that inform future decisions. The key is to fail forward—extracting insights from failures and applying them to improve future efforts.

Collaboration Over Competition

While competition has its place, collaboration often creates more value. Young entrepreneurs should seek partnerships, learn from peers, and contribute to building ecosystems rather than operating in isolation. The strongest entrepreneurial communities are those where successful entrepreneurs mentor emerging ones.

Taking Ownership

Entrepreneurs must take full ownership of their ventures, decisions, and outcomes. While external factors may create challenges, successful entrepreneurs focus on what they can control rather than making excuses. This ownership mindset differentiates those who succeed from those who don't.

The event reinforced that entrepreneurship is both a personal journey and a contribution to national development. Young entrepreneurs have the opportunity and responsibility to build ventures that create employment, solve problems, and contribute to Rwanda's continued transformation.

The insights shared by President Kagame and Strive Masiyiwa continue to resonate as valuable guidance for anyone pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors.