Play Guru Ltd is working on setting up a bicycle assembly line. The company is also dedicated to sustainable development of Africa through restoring the order – Planet, People and Profit. Founder WYCLIFFE WAWERU opens up on his success secrets.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
I am 30 years old and I have grown up in Nairobi. I played harder than my peers all through life and grew up with great admiration for the Shimano brand in bicycle manufacture. I am an IT graduate with a bias to Business Information Systems. I worked at Riara group of schools prior to setting up the venture and now look up to my former boss as a mentor.
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I was generally enterprising all through my childhood and teenage life through building toys, leading clean-ups in the estate, loaning out pocket money to fellow students in high school, learning how to drive, drift and do doughnuts with the family car way before I got his ID card. A rebel as the myopic viewers perceived me.
How did your company start?
I walked out of formal employment to pursue my passion – play. With six bicycles that I owned I started selling bicycles as a sidewalk executive in Buru buru. Bicycles are a lifelong obsession but I never saw the transition from a hobby into a business. My growth both in person and my hobby helped in the transition. Currently I have 8 considering we shut down all prior operations in our pursuit of the new setup.
You are opening a bicycle factory and have plans to open others. How did you get the funding?
We got funding from private investors and other manufacturers who seek to have a presence in our dear continent. It’s all complimentary in the interest of growth. The factory will churn out bicycles to empower the millions of Kenyans who walk to work seeking to empower their lives, lower our carbon footprint and have an efficient labour force in the country.
Tell us how you plan to take Play Guru to the next level
We have a rich pool of mentors and advisors who have helped us grow the value proposition. Coupled with that we have been members at Enablis (entrepreneurial network) that also helped us build capacity for the dreams. Rotary has also played a major role in linking us up to agencies and dignitaries during our research years – Rotary Malindi and Muthaiga Clubs.
KIRDI through the able Director Dr Ken Chelule has also played a significant role in ensuring we delivered as per the set goals in synergizing our concept with Vision 2030’s blueprint.
You have a partnership with Vision 2030. Tell us more about that
We have an MoU that will help fast rack implementation of our solutions with primary focus being on the bicycle assembly lines. One in Nairobi and six more in the national grid. This will help empower Kenya’s labour force while also creating many sustainable jobs for the youth/growing cycling as a sport.
The second critical area is the 8 national tree growing circuits which will replicate the job creation while also ensuring we conserve the environment that we thrive in. We were awarded the flagship status due to the uniqueness of our concept and the fact that it will fast track achievement of other flagship projects.
How many clients and orders do you get in a day/week/month?
Currently we’re sitting on double digit orders in thousands. Our wake-up call was orders to supply 6,200 bicycles when we ran the small operation with the second hand bicycles. Secondly, a friend referred us to an NGO back in 2012 that sought a supplier for 20,000 pieces.
Where do you source your material from?
Material is not hard to obtain – readily available. We can still make it easier by increasing partnerships with other global leaders instead of re-inventing the wheel.
What motivates you to do what you do?
The millions in poverty, jobless graduates and the fact that I have to be the change I wish to see. Biggest motivation is an uninspired generation.
Describe to us your typical day of work.
Right now it’s more of capacity building meetings with stakeholders – long days and shorter nights. Previously it was follow ups on the repairs and orders for the morning. Afternoon, supervise deliveries, repairs and handling complaints.
What are some of the biggest and most memorable moments so far?
The honour bestowed by the Vision 2030 delivery board to be a flagship project under the blueprint. Crying myself to sleep while enduring the pain and loneliness that comes with the process.
What are some of the ups and down you’ve faced in your business?
Formalizing was a painful journey – from hawking to writing a concept paper. Having the past three years of research funded by friends and family as I sold off all I had. Too much talk and less execution by officials in the organisations I sought partnerships with while I spent a borrowed dollar.
Walk out by 99% of the initial disciples because the process took “too long”. They actually tapped out!!
How is the bicycle market in Kenya? Are there challenges you face in selling bicycles?
The market is as big as this – see the number of people who walk to work and do a multiple to cater for leisure/recreation. Challenges – infrastructure to support the riding. Secondly, road share is a problem with the entitlement mentality most road users have including pedestrians.
Where do you see yourself as a company in the next ten years?
As an individual I wish to be alive as the company should be a catalyst for sustainable development in Africa, with a bias to efficiency in human capital and SDG’s.
Are you planning to expand your business outside Kenya?
We are already involved with a regional platform that represents the interests of 10 African states. Our involvement with them is two years old now and they want us to replicate the solution.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to be social entrepreneurs?
Invest in yourself and be allergic to average. Wake up to engage in something that is bigger than yourself but aligned to your values.
Do you offer training for clients who want to hire bicycles but they don’t know how to cycle?
Yes. We have mentored youth into being trainers and they carry this out at Karura Forest. I personally trained a 65-year-old lady two years ago who is now hooked on riding.
Any recognition or successes so far?
I was in the top 100 Kenyan innovators boot camp in 2011 – moment of truth. Without spilling the beans, I have been short-listed for a global award on sustainable development and conservation.
Using bicycles as opposed to vehicles would help us cut the problem of climate change and we are glad that your organisation is doing something on the preservation of the environment.
Tell us about that initiative.
Looking at daily human activity transport cuts across all economies. This function is majorly motorised in the developed spaces (urban) thus emissions from the choices of travel deposit tonnes of carbon into the environment. The move to bicycles which are human powered will reduce an individual’s footprint and collectively help decarbonise.
We shall also run eight national ‘family fun’ weekends in the wild aimed at tree growing. This will be our long term solution to conservation considering trees serve as the lungs to the planet we live in.
We have a pool of private partners who are keen on partnerships to empower the ‘urban working poor’ beyond the bicycles. Sample – having them use clean energy cooking solutions which increase their productivity and further help in environmental conservation.
In countries like Netherlands and China, dignitaries use bikes when heading to their offices. Do you think we’ll ever get there as a country? Mark you, this would be a great way to also curb the crazy traffic we have in Nairobi.
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Lessons you would like to pass to aspiring entrepreneurs?
It’s never easy and it is never meant to be. The clique around you right now will quickly be your anchor to failure if your goal is smaller than your challenges. Be willing to risk it all to have it all as if it was easy everyone would have it.
Live in the moment and treasure every relationship along the journey as most people hold the keys to the doors you seek to open. Go from being a gazelle to a lion as if you don’t hunt your people will not eat. Ignore convenience and build resilience.
Be utterly ready to possibly see the love of your life walk out on you as the process seeks to empty you to fill you with greatness. Do it because if you don’t who will – be the change leader.
Lastly, the most important – develop a reading culture for relevant material to your dream that is bigger than your talk. This way you will forever attract wisdom! (This is an an edited version of the full interview carried on www.potentash.com)
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