A 16-year-old is usually expected to be focused on exams, friendships, and figuring out the next school step. For Ibrahim Kolade, the focus has already shifted toward building systems, solving digital problems, and creating tools for work in the future.
His journey into technology did not begin in a classroom filled with complex machines or advanced coding lessons. It started quietly at home while helping his father, an accountant, type documents. At the time, it was just a simple task that involved sitting in front of a computer and enjoying the rhythm of typing.
That early curiosity followed him into secondary school, where he gravitated more toward practical computer classes than theory. A teacher noticed his interest and supported him with a scholarship to learn desktop publishing at a tech training centre in Lagos. That experience became his first real step into structured digital learning.
There, he moved from basic Microsoft Word exercises to Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and MS Access, before eventually exploring graphic design using CorelDRAW. He performed well enough to graduate among the top students and was later asked to help teach others, which became his first taste of mentoring in a technical space.
During that period, he was introduced to a tech hub near his school where freelancing and digital skills were being taught. However, he became uncomfortable with some of the practices he observed, including attempts to manipulate freelance platforms through dishonest methods. That experience shaped an early principle for him, choosing to build within rules rather than around them.
When he eventually joined platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com with support from his parents, he expected his graphic design skills to open doors. Instead, he faced the opposite experience. There were no jobs, no visibility, and little traction.
Over time, he noticed a deeper issue affecting many new users. Freelance platforms often reward those who already have ratings and completed work, while newcomers struggle to even get seen. Without visibility, gaining those first reviews becomes nearly impossible. In his case, things became even more discouraging after he was banned during a client conversation despite believing he had not broken any rules.
That experience pushed him to rethink how freelance systems actually work. It also planted the idea that would later become Tasknory, an Africa focused platform designed around artificial intelligence specialists and more structured work processes.
At the time, he did not yet know how to build full websites. He understood design, but coding felt like an entirely different world. Still, he began learning through freeCodeCamp, focusing first on responsive web development. Later, he joined a coding school in Abeokuta where he deepened his knowledge in both frontend and backend development.
Before completing his backend training, he had already started building the first version of Tasknory. Early development relied on tools like Supabase and AI assisted support to get things running quickly. As his skills improved, he rebuilt parts of the system properly using Django.
Tasknory was created around a simple concern. Freelance platforms should not make success depend almost entirely on ratings. In his experience, most messages he received on such platforms were scams or irrelevant offers, making it difficult to identify real opportunities.
The first version launched in 2025 as a general platform, but after feedback, he narrowed the focus to African AI talent. The goal was not to compete directly with global freelance giants but to build something more specific and intentional.
On Tasknory, communication between clients and freelancers is structured differently. Clients are required to fund projects before full communication begins, a design choice meant to reduce scams and improve trust. Freelancers are also not ranked purely by ratings. Instead, the system leans toward manual verification and skill based assessments to give newer users a fair chance.
The platform is still in its early stage, with a small number of users and a few completed projects sourced mainly through schools he has attended. Growth has been gradual, but he views that as part of the process of building something sustainable.
Outside product building, his daily routine revolves around learning, experimentation, and problem solving. Artificial intelligence tools play a supporting role, mainly to speed up development rather than replace thinking.
One of his more ambitious experiments involved trying to build an AI system that could learn gradually like a human child without relying on expensive computing resources. Despite multiple attempts, the project did not succeed, but it gave him deeper insight into how complex real learning systems are.
For him, tools like VS Code and Google Chrome are essential. Social media is optional, but building is not. He describes most of his learning as happening directly through hands on work rather than theory.
Like many young builders in Nigeria, infrastructure remains a major challenge. An unreliable laptop battery, inconsistent electricity, and limited resources often slow down progress and stretch simple tasks over long periods. These constraints, however, have also shaped his persistence.
He believes technology across Africa will continue to grow rapidly over the next decade, especially as more young people focus on solving problems from their own environments. He also sees increasing opportunities in remote work and global collaboration for African talent.
At the centre of his motivation is a simple idea. Technology is not just about building products, but about creating systems that solve real problems people live with every day.
