On this episode of "After Hours, in partnership with Tanqueray Africa," we speak with Michelle Watiki, Co-founder and COO at Duck ( Techstars). Michelle shares her remarkable journey from a chemical engineering career in the UK to becoming a tech entrepreneur in Kenya.Michelle's story begins with her strategic approach to education, pursuing chemical engineering based on salary prospects. Despite facing setbacks in her A-levels, she persevered through her undergraduate degree at Aston University and later redeemed herself with a fully-funded master's program. Her career path led her to Rolls-Royce, where she secured internships through networking and eventually became a graduate trainee.Despite professional success at Rolls-Royce, Michelle describes feeling an "itch" - a persistent desire to build something of her own while facing the reality of a glass ceiling as a Black woman in engineering. This itch wasn't new; she had entrepreneurial tendencies since age 16 when she would buy waist beads in Kenya to sell in the UK, later venturing into makeup sales.The pivotal moment came when she met her co-founder, Alex Mativo, who inspired her with the simple yet profound advice: "The only way to know how to start a business is to start a business." Michelle took the leap, leaving her stable corporate job and moving to Kenya to build Duck Analytics, a data company bridging the information gap between FMCG brands and retailers.Michelle offers powerful insights about entrepreneurship: fundraising buys you time to fail and learn; the journey is mentally challenging, not because of the tasks themselves but because of the self-discipline required; and entrepreneurial success requires comfort with discomfort and the ability to persevere through uncertainty.Her most powerful advice? "Bet on yourself" and "follow your itch." She emphasizes patience in the entrepreneurial journey, comparing it to fitness goals that take consistent effort over time to achieve results.Duck Analytics is now working with major enterprise brands and supermarkets, helping FMCG companies understand their in-store performance through data, addressing inventory management, customer insights, and optimization opportunities that were previously invisible to brands once products left their warehouses.Michelle's story exemplifies how recognizing limitations in one environment can fuel the courage to create opportunity elsewhere, turning challenges into innovation with the right mindset, vision, and willingness to take calculated risks.To keep up with Michelle's journey, check out his LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-watiki-Check out Duck :https://www.getduck.co/__________________________________________________________________Join Alice as she explores the world of tech and shares impactful stories with guests on My Tech Story Africa!Subscribe to our podcast, drop a like, comment, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with our latest content.Don't forget to spread the word! Sharing is caring! 🌟Follow us on social media:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytechstoryafrica💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-tech-story-africa♪ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mytechstoryafricaJoin our community: [https://www.mtsafrica.co/join]Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Apply here: https://forms.gle/ffAniezzFHoEvhPY7Interested in partnering with us? Drop us an email: mytechstory.ea@gmail.com 📧