Please help review my stage 1 Application - URGENT

Stage 1
1

Hi guys, please, I need your opinion on my evidence set for Exceptional Talent.
I’ve been postponing my application because I feel like It’s not enough, now I feel like I need to apply anyways and stop postponing. (please pardon my long explanations, i just want you to have enough context to what i have in those documents)

I am a product designer, I have led a few design teams and projects, currently working in a Fintech startup in Nigeria.
Over the last 4 years, I have devoted time to mentoring designers and I have mentored (and taught) over 300 people and counting for free, I recently decided to add more structure to my mentoring, so I started an EdTech company (Just launched). I am applying for the Tech Nation Visa under the exceptional promise route

Before I apply, I’ll like you to help review my application if I need to strengthen my pieces of evidence.

Personal Statement

  • My contribution to a Fintech company (Building their first web platform), Which in turn helped them provide credit facilities for over 11,000 businesses and transactions to the tune of over $ 5 million within 3 years.

  • My contribution to the advancement of technology in my country through mentorship (Mentored over 300 people in 3 years) and launch of my EdTech Startup

CV + Linkedin Profile

Recommendation letters

  1. Letter from CEO and Co-Founder of one of the fastest-growing FinTech companies in Nigeria, stating the impact of my work Leading the design team and building their WebApp product.

  2. Letter from a Tech Veteran, Managing partner in a VC (over 30 years in IT, Co-Founded an IT company with offices in 10 countries and project implementation in 30 countries), talking about my work and contribution in building their website, enabling startups to access funding across Africa.

  3. Letter from a Senior product designer in a FAANG company (My Mentor), talking about my expertise in product design, and my impact in the digital technology space as a mentor to upcoming designers.

Mandatory Criteria

  1. Leading the growth of a Fintech company - I led the design team in a fast-growing Fintech company, Building their first WebApp, helping them serve over 2000 customers monthly ( i attached Google Analytics screenshots and product design screens).
    I also attached news clippings showing that the company just completed their Seed round.

I have a question; Can I add 2 companies in one evidence document supporting the same story “Leadership”

  1. High salary - A payscale screenshot showing that I earn about 2X higher than Product designers within my year of experience. I also described my career growth as a designer with screenshots of promotion letters and offer letters.

  2. Speaking at events - I attached images of me teaching designs in 2018, and some flyers of events where I spoke during COVID (Where i couldn’t attach images), I also attached a recently completed design workshop where I presented.

OC1 - Work beyond day to day.

  1. Mentoring - I described how have helped designers discover themselves through various Free design events and my yearly free course, I attached Images of me teaching people, I attached Testimonials from a few students, I also attached Google classroom screenshots showing over 50 students and a page showing their assignments submission.
    I did all these for free, outside my day to day

  2. Open-source project - During COVID-19 i created a design resource for small businesses to help promote their products as my way of providing support during COVID. The resources got about 2000 downloads from businesses around the country ( i attached bit.ly analytics screenshot)
    I attached screenshots (email) showing comments and appreciation from some of the businesses.

In this same document, i added a piece of evidence showing my nomination for an award ( I related it as recognition for my contribution to the community. - I didn’t win :sneezing_face:)

OC2 Evidence of Significant contribution

  1. Evidence describing my work for a Fintech company (Same company as Mandatory 1), Explaining how the solution helps tackle poverty by making credit accessible for individuals and businesses, also detailing the impact and value of the product on the growth of the company - showing Product design Information Achitecture, Google analytics screenshots, screenshots of my design and news clippings talking about the company and their impact etc.

  2. A letter from the CMO and Co-founder of the above company talking about my work and its impact on the exponential growth of the business in 3 years

  3. Evidence describing the impact of my work on a venture capital platform and how it has allowed them to provide their services to various startups in Africa.

The Managing partner of the above company gave me a recommendation which I used as one of the 3 main recommendations, can I add it as additional evidence here?

Thank you so much everyone! I look forward to seeing your feedback.

@Francisca_Chiedu @4rmSlum2uk

1 Like
2

Your three LoR should be from C-suite or above. You should swap your LoR #3 with the CMO from OC2.

3

Thank you so much @mclarenf1 for this, but i have some thoughts around that.

  1. The CMO and CEO will be talking about almost same things in the LoR, i feel it will seem like repeating the same information over again as they are from the same organisation.

  2. I read somewhere on this forum that if the company is big enough, A recommendation from a senior member can be used… The 3rd LoR is from a senior product designer in Meta (Facebook).

@dai-ichi

Though the CMOs letter is also good, but i’ll like to be very sure before i swap.
Thank you so much

4

See TN guide: “Three letters of recommendation from three different well-established organisations acknowledged as experts in the digital technology field.” Is a sr. designer viewed as an expert in their field?

The advice from my solicitor was that the LoR should be from C-suite. Letters of reference used in evidence could be from a director level or above. A Sr. Dir. from Meta was one of my letters of reference, but my LoR were all from C-Suite folks, incl. 2 FAANG companies.

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5

Thank you so much, I will consider this. i really appreciate your help.
What do you think about the other evidences?

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6

Overall, I think the materials you’re including look to be in the right direction, but of course it’s hard to tell without being familiar with your work. What seems to be missing in everything is metrics to prove impact, which I’m sure you have.

It’s not enough to have other people vouch for you and your work - Tech Nation needs to know what you did and what its impact was, in a measurable way (and stated clearly). For example, “@lasisi_samuel built the UX for [product], which led to [user impact (time savings, reduced churn, increased retention, etc.)] and [company impact (saved the company $x, generated $x, etc)].” Always tie your work back to measurable impact. If it will help your referrers, you can draft a few bullets of metrics and impact from the projects they’re familiar with, or that you worked on together.

3 Likes
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Are you applying for talent or promise?
For the evidence in mandatory criteria, Where you mentioned in the said article?

  1. For the event speaking, what’s the size of attendees? Is this regarded as a sector leading event. Workshop is not same as a conference. Think this evidence fits into OC2.
1 Like
8

Hello @Francisca_Chiedu , I’m applying for Promise.

Okay, I’ll move the workshop to OC2, Thank you so much.

9

Talks or conference speaking that have had a significant viewership. Conferences must be widely regarded as sector-leading events for your field with at least 100 attendees (not registrations). As a speaker you must be speaking on the main stage and the invitation to speak must not have been paid for by your organisation as part of any sponsorship. Leading a workshop or running a session at a conference is not sufficient. Evidence should include your speech with either a link to the video of you speaking, the programme of events displaying your talk or a reference letter from the conference organiser with explanation of why you were asked to speak.

2 Likes
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@Francisca_Chiedu lookig at what i have, do you advise i move No3 In Mandatory to ‘OC1 - Work beyond day to day?’
Do you think those 2 evidences in Mandatory will be sufficient?

Thank you for your help.