Introduction to Selar’s Remarkable Growth

In 2025, Selar achieved a milestone that many African startups only dream about, it paid out over ₦18 billion ($12.8 million) to creators across the continent. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that just a year earlier, payouts stood at ₦9 billion. That’s almost double growth within 12 months.

For a bootstrapped startup launched in 2016, this is no small feat. The journey of Selar proves that consistent iteration, listening to users, and mastering distribution can transform a simple idea into a thriving platform.

But here’s the thing, it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, the road was anything but smooth.

The Vision Behind Selar

Douglas Kendyson’s Founder Mindset

Unlike many founders who launch startups with detailed market theses and pitch decks, Douglas Kendyson started differently. In an interview with TechCabal, he admitted that he didn’t have a grand blueprint.

He wasn’t trying to “disrupt” anything. He was simply building something he wished existed.

That mindset turned out to be powerful.

Instead of forcing the market to behave a certain way, he allowed user feedback to shape the platform. The product evolved because real creators used it—not because a slide deck predicted behavior.

Building Without a Blueprint

In the early days, Selar wasn’t driven by complex analytics dashboards or aggressive investor targets. It was guided by:

• Real conversations with users

• Constant iteration

• Direct problem-solving

• Flexibility

Sometimes, not having a rigid plan allows innovation to breathe.

The First 100 Days: Early Reality Checks

The First Customer from France

Interestingly, Selar’s first customer wasn’t from Nigeria. It was from France.

Kendyson convinced a friend who had just released an EP to list it on the platform. His pitch was simple:

“People don’t just want to consume. They want to support.”

That insight became foundational. Creators don’t just need buyers, they need supporters.

The Harsh Truth About Distribution

But after onboarding that first user, reality hit.

Where were the rest of the customers?

For the first 100 days, Selar had engineers. Brilliant ones. But no one focused on growth. No one owned marketing.

And here came the painful lesson:

If you build it, they will not just come.

Sales and marketing aren’t vibes. They’re systems.

Engineering-Led Beginnings and Growth Struggles

Why Great Products Don’t Automatically Attract Users

Many technical founders believe that refining the product endlessly will eventually attract customers. That was Kendyson’s default mode.

Ship. Improve. Refine. Repeat.

But growth doesn’t magically appear because your code is clean.

Distribution is its own skill set.

The “Sales Are Not Vibes” Lesson

Turning friends into customers isn’t scalable. Community-building helps but without structured outreach, growth stalls.

By year three, despite consistent product development, Selar still struggled with scale.

That’s when things had to change.

Cheap Hires and Expensive Lessons

The Junior Hiring Trap

In early 2020, Selar hired two junior social media staff members at ₦20,000 each. The logic? Save money while growing.

Then came a junior engineer hire in 2021.

On paper, it looked cost-efficient.

In reality, it cost time, far more valuable than money.

The Real Cost of Saving Money

Kendyson realized something crucial:

When you hire too junior for critical roles, you pay with oversight.

• Constant revisions

• Endless feedback loops

• Rewriting code

• Delayed execution

Eventually, he increased the budget and let those hires go. It was painful—but necessary.

Lesson learned? Cheap can be expensive.

The Dubai Rebirth: Learning Growth the Hard Way

Working at Sarwa and Marketing Exposure

In 2018, Kendyson moved to Dubai and worked at Sarwa as a growth and software engineer.

That experience changed everything.

For the first time, he saw marketing taken seriously:

• Positioning strategy

• Partnerships

• Paid distribution

• Repetition and brand consistency

Growth wasn’t luck. It was engineered.

Applying Growth Strategies to Selar

By 2020, he left Sarwa and applied those lessons.

Cold DMs.
Consistent content.
Strategic partnerships.
Eventually—ads.

That period marked what he calls the “rebirth” of Selar.

It shifted from:

“We built something.”

To:

“People are actively using it.”

Revenue Milestones That Changed Everything

First ₦100 Million in Sales

In 2020, Selar crossed ₦100 million in sales. It felt surreal.

But success didn’t bring peace. It brought anxiety.

Crossing the ₦1 Billion Mark

The next obsession? ₦1 billion.

And when it happened, fear increased.

Why?

Digital products are inconsistent. A creator can have a massive launch this month and nothing next month.

Could revenue be repeated?
Was growth sustainable?
Were there enough creators?

These questions haunted the founder for years.

Managing Founder Anxiety During Rapid Growth

From 2020 to 2024, growth came with intense pressure.

When you have nothing, there’s nothing to lose.

But once you build momentum, the stakes rise.

That emotional reality is rarely discussed in startup headlines.

Success can amplify fear.

Business Model Evolution: Introducing Subscriptions

To reduce unpredictability, Selar introduced subscriptions in late 2020.

A Pro plan was launched at ₦8,000 (now ₦12,000).

This created:

• Recurring revenue

• Stability

• Predictable cash flow

• Improved feature tiers

While transaction fees remain core, subscriptions added resilience.

Product + Distribution: The Real “Secret”

When people ask about Selar’s success, the answer is simple:

Product and distribution. Over and over.

The product must:

• Solve real problems

• Deliver on promises

• Improve constantly

Distribution must:

• Be intentional

• Be repeatable

• Be scalable

Neither works without the other.

Partnerships and Sustainable Scaling

Instead of burning cash on reckless ads, Selar leaned heavily into partnerships and collaborations.

Partnerships allowed them to:

• Stay visible

• Access new audiences

• Build credibility

• Scale sustainably

Smart distribution beats loud distribution.

Selar’s Role in Africa’s Creator Economy

Selar plays a key role in empowering African creators to sell:

• Digital products

• Online courses

• Music

• Memberships

• Subscriptions

The platform supports payment processing, product hosting, and audience engagement.

You can explore more at their official website:
👉 https://selar.co

As the African creator economy grows, platforms like Selar are becoming essential infrastructure.

Key Lessons for African Startup Founders

Here are 7 powerful lessons from Selar’s journey:

1. You don’t need a perfect blueprint to start.

2. Product alone is not enough, distribution is king.

3. Sales and marketing require ownership.

4. Cheap hires can cost you more long-term.

5. Exposure to new environments can transform your thinking.

6. Revenue milestones don’t remove anxiety.

7. Stability requires business model diversification.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Selar?

Selar is an African e-commerce platform that enables creators to sell digital products and receive payments seamlessly.

2. How much did Selar pay out in 2025?

In 2025, Selar paid out over ₦18 billion to creators across Africa.

3. Who founded Selar?

Selar was founded by Douglas Kendyson in 2016.

4. How does Selar make money?

Selar earns primarily through transaction fees and subscription plans.

5. What major challenge did Selar face early on?

One of the biggest early challenges was distribution—attracting users beyond the founder’s immediate network.

6. What changed Selar’s growth trajectory?

Kendyson’s experience in Dubai, where he learned structured marketing and growth strategies, significantly changed the company’s direction.