Aremu Adebisi on Tech Writing, the Future of Finance, and 2022 Noonies Nomination

Hey Hackers! I’m Aremu Adams Adebisi — a B2B B2C freelance writer, tech journalist, content entrepreneur, and financial copywriter. I'm delighted to announce that I've been nominated for the 2022 Noonies Award.

Thanks to the HackerNoon community and staff for considering me worthy of this opportunity. I’ve been nominated in the following categories, and if you like my writing, please do check out these award pages and vote for me:

• CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR — FUTURE OF FINANCE
• GAMING GURU OF THE YEAR — FUTURE OF GAMING

As a tech writer, I believe the most exciting technology of the present is financial technology (FinTech) because it encompasses every other aspect as long as capitalism is concerned. Learn more about my thoughts and opinions on FinTech and my journey in the tech writing industry via the interview below.

1. Tell us about your journey. What do you do, and what do you love about it?

I'm a freelance writer, which means I work for myself and take on projects from clients who need my help writing their content. I've worked with clients in the tech industry, the financial industry, and the executive ghostwriting industry (yes, that's a thing). And I love it.

It was in 2019 I decided to pursue freelance writing full-time. Since then, I've written everything from technical analysis to financial reports to executive bios—and every project has been an opportunity for me to learn something new.

One of my favorite things about freelancing is its freedom to be creative and work on projects that interest me most. For example, this week, I'm working on a project for a software development company based in California. Next week, it could be anything from an article about how artificial intelligence is transforming fashion retail or a piece about how companies like Tesla are using blockchain technology

2. Tell us more about your work. What do you make/write/manage/build?

I write for various companies, including those in financial technology, blockchain technology, and beyond. I've written everything from press releases to short- and long-form articles, and I've collaborated on projects with some amazing clients and agencies.

My art press, ARTmosterrific, specializes in publishing African artists. We've been around since 2017 and have published over 100 pieces by artists from all over the continent. We also do many curatorial works, like organizing book readings and bringing artists together for collaborative projects. I'm looking to see how the press can leverage NFTs in Africa.

I'm building an African tech platform that profiles and documents African startups. The idea is to highlight the incredible work Africans do in technology across industries like mobile app development and eCommerce while also connecting those startups with investors and other resources they might need to grow their businesses. The goal is for the platform to serve as a resource for people looking to do tech business with Africans.

3. How did you start writing? What made you choose HackerNoon for publishing your work?

I started writing in a madrasa, and it primarily began with poetry. I loved how words could be put together in such a way that they created meaning and conveyed a feeling or an emotion. And for me, poetry was a way to express myself and my emotions.

I continued writing poetry throughout madrasa and into college. It was only after I graduated from college that I realized I wanted to write more than just poetry—I wanted to write other things too. So I began taking classes and workshops on creative writing and fiction writing. From there, I began writing for friends and family members before getting hired by a Texas-based magazine as an editor.

It wasn't until recently that I started writing articles for publication on HackerNoon. The platform felt like the right fit because it has such a strong community of tech writers who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with others. It's also very supportive, sharing my work on all social media platforms. Besides, the editing staff has been so helpful in guiding me through submitting an article for publication and keeping a tab on my work.

4. What excites you in tech? Tell us about your favorite technology and why you are passionate about it.

I'm a big fan of the way technology can be used to improve the world. I think our future will be full of amazing things, but we must focus on making sure that those advances are constantly being made to help people. That's why I'm passionate about FinTech—it's one of the few industries where technology is used to help people in a real, concrete way. And it's not just helping people who have money—it's helping people who don't have any.

FinTech uses financial data to give people better access to credit, lower interest rates, and better financial choices. It helps people get out of debt faster than ever before and reduces their risk of defaulting on loans by providing valuable information about their spending habits and patterns.

FinTech also gives people access to lower-cost services like mobile banking, which has been shown in studies to increase savings rates significantly for low-income families who use it regularly because they know exactly where their money is going.

5. What were some of the challenges you faced being a tech writer and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge of being a tech writer is that you never know what will come . You can prepare for a lot of things, but there are always going to be surprises.

I've learned that it's essential to stay flexible when working on tech projects—when the company changes its mind about something, or your instructions change from one day to the next, or someone else makes a mistake that affects your work. You have to roll with it and keep your head on straight.

As far as overcoming those challenges? I try not to let them get me down. It helps if you can have some fun with it—find ways to make yourself laugh when things aren't going well.

6. What are you learning/reading currently? Any recommendations for our readers?

I'm reading 'The Metaverse And How It Will Revolutionize Everything' by Mathew Ball. It's a book about the future and what we can learn from the past to make it happen. It discusses how metaverses will change our work, play, and life. It's all about virtual reality and how we're going to be able to live our lives in these virtual worlds. I recommend this book.

I'm learning more about startups, venture capital, and African economies. I've been reading many books on the topic and watching videos online. I'd recommend checking out 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries if you're interested in learning more about the startup world.

7. What is your biggest achievement so far?

My biggest achievement so far is moving to executive tech writing. It's been a lot of work, and it's not always easy. But being able to help people understand complex topics like blockchain technology and crypto has been fulfilling. It's also been cool to cover several aspects of blockchain technology such as crypto, NFTs, metaverse, and DeFi—it's all related.

I'm proud of my work with several top startups, including Meetkai, Hyperproof, TabTrader, Xeni, iTrustCapital, and Constellation Network. They've all been great to work with, and I'm excited to see where we can take things from here. It's been amazing to work with great companies who positively impact the world.

8. If we gave you 10 million dollars to invest in something today, what would you invest in and why?

I'd invest it in African technology. Africa is the next big thing in technology and entrepreneurship. There are several great startups that Africans have started, but there's also a lot of great potential for more innovation and success in this area.

Investing money into a platform that documents and profiles these startups is a crucial way to support and help them grow. The platform is going to be looking at the startups that are being built, the problems they're trying to solve, and how they can grow into something bigger.

I'd also invest some of it in an African press platform that connects undergraduate artists with NFT technology. I already have such a press in ARTmosterrific.

The press platform will be where all types of undergraduate artists can share their work, get paid for it, and connect with people interested in what they have to say. This is especially important because Africa is home to some of the most talented people on earth, but many don't have access to the resources they need to share their work with the world.

Right now, there are many barriers between African artists and success—money being one of them. But if we could remove some of those barriers through technology like NFTs, I think we'd see an explosion of creativity that would change lives forever.

9. What advice would you give someone just starting in this field?

My advice to someone just starting tech writing is to be prepared for a lot of learning. You'll learn the technical language of your industry, but you'll also have to learn how to write in a way that's accessible and clear for your intended audience. It's essential to have a solid foundation in both of those areas before you dive into the work itself.

I also think it's helpful to remember that you're not alone. Many people started where you are now, and they all learn together as they go along. So, always ask questions.

The best way to learn something is to find someone who's already done it and ask them how they did it. This is true for anything, but especially for tech writing. No one is born knowing how to write about technology. You have to find people interested in what you're interested in and talk with them about how they got started and what they wish they knew when they first started.

10. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a tech writer?

The best advice I've ever received is always to be open to learning new things and never feel like you know everything. It's easy to get stuck on one thing and feel like there's not much more you can learn about it, but that's not true. There is always something more to learn. So keep an open mind, keep learning, and don't ever stop growing.