In a world where conformity is often mistaken for competence, Ayo Ogunlowo is carving out space for founders who think and operate differently.
The entrepreneur, who currently sits at the helm of three ventures—PennyTree, Atunlo, and Treegar Capital – is opening up about his unconventional journey through business and self-acceptance. In a post that has stirred both applause and introspection across LinkedIn, Ogunlowo makes a compelling case for why being “too much” might be the real competitive advantage in today’s business world.
“I tried to be normal. It almost killed my gift,” Ogunlowo said.
“They said I talk too fast,
think too much,
start too many things,
ask too many questions,
feel things too deeply,
sleep too little,
switch tabs too often.”
For Ogunlowo, these traits, once criticised, are now the cornerstone of his multi-sector success.
“Now I run multiple businesses. I can enter a boardroom to discuss fund management in the morning, then switch to a recycling pitch deck by noon, and follow up by writing a product spec for a fintech before bed,” he said.
“That’s not a lack of focus. That’s neurodivergence. And it’s beautiful. They say it’s too much—too loud, too restless, too deep. But maybe it’s just a mind tuned to a different rhythm, dancing where others march.”
Ogunlowo admited that this way of working is far from linear.
“Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, I burn out sometimes. But don’t mistake chaos for weakness.”
Instead, he reframes these challenges as signs of a powerful mind working overtime to crack billion-naira solutions.
“But let’s be honest: I catch business patterns that others don’t even know exist.
I instinctively know when a pitch won’t land.
I obsess over problems until they crack open with billion-naira solutions.
I break rules not for rebellion, but because I see better ones.”
In a startup landscape that increasingly rewards predictability and process, Ogunlowo is calling for investors and organisations to look beyond the surface and invest in the people whose gifts don’t always fit into neat boxes.
“You want innovation?
Back the founder whose mind doesn’t sleep. Hire the operator who feels ‘too much.’’
Bet on the person who thinks like no one else.
Because maybe… just maybe…
We’re not broken. We’re ahead.”
At a time when Nigeria’s tech and startup scene is brimming with talent, Ogunlowo’s message is both a wake-up call and a reassurance to many founders who feel unseen. In his words and work, neurodivergence isn’t a flaw to be hidden. It’s a superpower to be embraced.
