Stop Building Products in the Dark: Why Nigerian Founders Need Analytics from Day One

Product-market fit is not a guessing game. Yet too many Nigerian startups still build products in the dark, relying on gut instinct, peer opinions, or social media hype to decide what features to launch and how to grow. The result is a cycle of rushed development, low user engagement, and avoidable failure.

Every digital product generates data. From user signups and feature usage to payment flows and drop-off points, the signals are there. But unless analytics is integrated from the very beginning, that information is either lost or too messy to act on. Startups that wait until “later” to track data often find themselves stuck, unable to explain why users aren’t converting or why growth has stalled.

Analytics is not just about numbers, it is about clarity. When founders can see where users struggle, what they click on, and how they move through the product, they gain insight that shapes better decisions. Instead of building features based on assumptions, they respond to real behavior. This leads to leaner development, smarter prioritization, and stronger user retention.

The early days of a product are the most critical. They set the tone for what matters and what gets ignored. A startup that embeds analytics from day one creates a culture of measurement and learning. Teams begin to ask better questions. They track key metrics like activation, churn, and lifetime value. They A/B test, experiment, and optimize continuously. In contrast, a startup that delays data thinking may grow too fast in the wrong direction, and then struggle to reverse course.

There is also a fundraising angle. Investors increasingly want to see traction backed by data, not just a nice pitch deck. When founders can present retention curves, cohort analyses, and growth funnels, it shows they understand their business at a deeper level. It signals discipline, focus, and potential for scale. Analytics is no longer a bonus, it is a core part of the founder toolkit.

Tools are not the problem. Affordable analytics platforms like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, and even basic dashboards can get the job done in the early stages. What is often missing is the mindset, the understanding that data is not just for the data team. Everyone, from product managers to marketers, needs to be fluent in reading and responding to it.

This shift can mean the difference between success and stagnation. Nigerian startups operate in a complex, fast-changing environment. User needs evolve, competition grows, and infrastructure challenges persist. Having a clear line of sight into what works and what does not is not a luxury, it is a survival strategy.
This mindset is especially important now, when investor scrutiny is higher and product agility is critical to staying competitive. To build better, founders must commit to visibility from the start. Stop building in the dark. Turn on the lights with analytics, and let data guide your product to where users truly need it to go.

Joshua Aaron is a Senior Data Analyst specializing in data-driven product development and innovation. With academic grounding in Data Analytics and Technologies, he has contributed to fintech advancements at Websphere Solutions and helped build tools like Kobotrack, serving users across Nigeria and beyond.

Joshua Aaron
Writes from Lagos