This morning, I was meeting with a friend who runs a startup here in Lagos when his father called him to inquire if he had bought a land yet. He just looked at me and asked “How will I explain startup to my parents?”.
It’s a fascinating question., but the article doesn’t quite answer it. I tell my parents that I run a newspaper, but it’s on the internet 
.
What’s your story? Or cover story?
Can you?
Been telling my folks for years and they still haven’t accepted it. They’re not even really trying to hide the fact that they’d still rather see me in an oil company or something. 
You don’t. For your sanity, and maybe theirs too, you just don’t explain.
What an explanation
Use Linda Ikeji success as a warm up to the explanation 
Tell em you are working on a new form of “money ritual” that can turn you into a billionaire in the middle of night
I think it depends on the level of their education, my parents understands IT and business, all I’m trying to do is build a business around what I’ve studied.
“That thing that you have been building, he no dey finish? You are getting old, don’t end up like Augustine”
This was what my father said to me yesterday. No explanation makes sense anymore.
Who is Augustine?
Augustine is his brother who dreamt “too big” and refused all other opportunities that came his way. It didn’t turn out well for him.
Your father didn’t even code his disappointment? Damn.
If you think your own parents are hard, try your partner’s parents.
You don’t date while running a startup. If you are married, I don’t know what to tell you.
I think he is not totally disappointed just yet. He is just almost disappointed 
I don’t understand why there’s a difficulty. It’s either you are building a business or working in one.
Really helps if a relative is an entrepreneur/‘businessman’. Esp if it’s your mum or dad.
Tbh, no Parent wants to see their child fail. However, parents should be really supportive. Trying to disuade an entrepreneur about his/her career choices almost never works. On the contrary, it kinda propels them most times.
Anyway, when the success comes, you don’t need to explain again.
I can imagine it will be 10x harder if you told your parents you want to go into music.
Simply show them a press article (e.g tech cabal 
) talking about you and your startup. End of Discussion.
That one sef dey 
At least when they see X startup founded by (your name goes here) raises Y million USD in series B Funding that il do it for sure.
If this happens, I don’t think you’ll need to convince anyone of anything in the first place.
I believe it’s a fairly easy thing to explain.
Working on a startup is like raising a child in a land with a very high mortality rate and great potential.
That’s the best analogy.