I didn’t land my first web development job with a fancy resume or a tech degree from MIT. In fact, it started in the most unexpected way: a local business owner in Edo State, Nigeria, asked if I could "do something online" to help boost foot traffic.

He had no website, no Instagram strategy, and no idea how much potential he was sitting on.

So I said yes. And just like that, I was hired. No formalities. Just an opportunity—and the pressure to deliver.

Here's what really went down, and the unfiltered lessons that came with it.

1. Nobody Prepares You for Power Outages and Unreliable Internet

You know what most dev tutorials don’t teach you?

That in some places, like where I live, the biggest challenge isn't learning to code. It's finishing a website before NEPA takes light.

I had to learn how to work offline, plan around blackouts, and download every possible resource I might need ahead of time. It wasn’t elegant, but it built grit—the kind of discipline you can’t learn in a course.

2. Clients Don’t Want Code. They Want Results.

When I first delivered the site, I was excited about how clean my CSS looked.

But the client? He didn’t care.

He wanted to know if more people were visiting his shop, and if they could find him online.

This was a hard reset for me. I shifted my mindset from "developer" to "problem-solver." That’s when things changed. My work stopped being about design trends and started being about conversion, visibility, and growth.

3. Every Project Is a Puzzle of Human Behavior

One thing I quickly noticed: building the site was the easy part. Understanding the business owner’s goals, speaking their language, and helping them trust the process? That took finesse.

The client thought he needed a flashy homepage. What he really needed was:

• A Google Business listing
• Clear service descriptions
• A simple contact section that worked on WhatsApp

So that’s what I gave him.

And when he started getting messages from people who found him online? His entire posture changed. He saw the web as an asset, not a luxury.

4. You Don’t Need to Know Everything, You Just Need to Know Enough to Start

Did I know everything about SEO, optimization, or lead generation at the time? Nope.

But I knew more than the person I was helping.

And each project became a training ground. I studied late into the night. I reverse-engineered landing pages. I tested everything. That client unknowingly pushed me into marketing, strategy, and storytelling—things I now use daily at Relish Edge Network .

 5. Start Local, Think Global

That first job didn’t pay much. But it did something more valuable:

• It gave me a case study
• It gave me confidence
• It gave me proof that small businesses in Nigeria (and beyond) need digital solutions

From that one job, I built a portfolio that attracted consulting firms, coaches, and startups across borders.

I didn’t wait for a "big break." I created one in my neighborhood.

The Big Lesson: Show Up, Even If It’s Messy

Your first job won’t be perfect. You’ll make mistakes, face strange requests, and question your path.

But you’ll also learn faster than any course can teach you.

So if you're out there waiting for things to align before you launch, start, or pitch that local business—don't. Start messy. Show up now.

That’s how I did it. And that’s why I still do it.

Want to build your digital breakthrough from scratch, even if things aren’t ideal? Let’s connect.