DAVIDOKOYE
AVAILABLE FOR OPPORTUNITIES CV
DAVIDOKOYE
VIEW CV
LAGOS / NIGERIA · AVAILABLE FOR OPPORTUNITIES
DAVIDOKOYE
ABOUT DAVID

A LITTLE MORE
ABOUT ME.

WHERE I STARTED

David grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, in a household where curiosity was encouraged more than certainty. He became interested in technology because he liked understanding how things worked.

“I became interested in technology because I liked understanding how things worked.”

WHY TECHNOLOGY

Over time, that curiosity became something more serious — a discipline he wanted to study formally, and eventually build a career around.

“Over time, that curiosity became something more serious.”

UNIVERSITY

Six years at the University of Lagos, interrupted midway by a global pandemic that pushed him toward independent learning.

THE FIRST PROJECT

A student resource platform, built in 2021, taught David that building something and building something useful are not the same skill.

WHAT FAILED

Several early ideas went nowhere. Each one narrowed his sense of what actually matters when building for other people.

WHAT CHANGED

Somewhere between his internship and his final year, David stopped asking “can I build this” and started asking “should I.”

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Technology and product opportunities where he can keep learning quickly, alongside people further along than he is.

WHAT I'M BECOMING

David doesn't have a fixed answer yet — and this website is, in part, an honest record of that ongoing process.

—PERSONAL NOTEBOOK

CURRENTLY READING

The Design of Everyday Things

CURRENTLY LEARNING

TypeScript

CURRENT INTEREST

Product thinking

OUTSIDE TECHNOLOGY

Photography, football, music, long walks, interesting conversations

—VALUES

START BEFORE YOU FEEL READY.
Waiting to feel ready has cost David more time than any mistake he's made by starting early. Readiness tends to arrive during the work, not before it.

BUILD BEFORE YOU CALL YOURSELF AN EXPERT.
Titles follow evidence, not the other way around. David would rather have a working project than a confident claim.

ASK BETTER QUESTIONS.
The quality of an answer is usually capped by the quality of the question. David tries to slow down at the question stage, not rush past it.

DOCUMENT THE PROCESS.
This website exists because of this value — progress is easier to trust, and easier to learn from, when it's written down.

STAY CURIOUS.
Curiosity is the thing David trusts most about himself. Skills come and go; the habit of asking ‘how does this work’ hasn’t.
—SMALL WINS

01 — Top 10 — University Innovation Challenge
WHAT HAPPENED
CampusConnect placed in the top 10 out of over 80 entries at the university-wide innovation challenge.
MY ROLE
Sole builder and presenter.
WHY IT MATTERED
First external validation that the idea had legs beyond his own opinion.
WHAT I LEARNED
A good pitch explains the problem before it explains the solution.

02 — Best Final-Year Project Presentation
WHAT HAPPENED
Recognised by the Computer Science department for the clarity of the CampusConnect defense.
MY ROLE
Presenter and lead developer.
WHY IT MATTERED
Confirmed that communication is as much a part of the work as the code.
WHAT I LEARNED
Simplifying an explanation is harder — and more valuable — than adding detail.

03 — Volunteer Recognition
WHAT HAPPENED
Recognised by FutureMinds Initiative for consistent facilitation across three cohorts.
MY ROLE
Lead facilitator.
WHY IT MATTERED
Reinforced that teaching is a skill worth investing in deliberately.
WHAT I LEARNED
Consistency matters more than any single great session.

04 — Hackathon Finalist
WHAT HAPPENED
Reached the finals of a 48-hour campus hackathon with a lightweight event-scheduling tool.
MY ROLE
Frontend developer, one of three teammates.
WHY IT MATTERED
First experience building under real time pressure with other people.
WHAT I LEARNED
Scope discipline is a skill, not a personality trait.

05 — Student Technology Community Lead
WHAT HAPPENED
Helped organise a small student community around frontend development and design.
MY ROLE
Co-organiser.
WHY IT MATTERED
Learning in public, with others, moved faster than learning alone.
WHAT I LEARNED
Community accelerates learning more than any single course.
THINGS THAT DIDN'T WORK

A portfolio usually shows the polished version. This is the part people don't usually show.

01

I BUILT SOMETHING NOBODY USED.

«Building the thing isn't the same as understanding the person who needs it.»
02

I SPENT TOO LONG LEARNING WITHOUT BUILDING.

«At some point, tutorials have to become projects.»
03

I APPLIED AND GOT REJECTED.

«Rejection is information, not a verdict.»
04

I STARTED PROJECTS WITHOUT A CLEAR PROBLEM.

«A cool idea isn't automatically a useful idea.»
05

I TRIED TO LEARN EVERYTHING AT ONCE.

«Depth eventually becomes more valuable than collecting technologies.»
—CAREER SCORECARD

WHAT'S GROWING ↑

Problem solving↑
Frontend development↑
Communication↑
Product thinking↑
Confidence↑
Professional experience↑

STILL WORKING ON

Leadership···
Systems thinking···
Advanced engineering···
Business understanding···
Public speaking···
Strategic thinking···