By Eddie Mugulusi
A Conversation That Stayed With Me
Recently, I had one of those conversations that lingers long after the boda dust settles.
I was speaking with a man who has run errands for me for three years — a good man, reliable, humble, and unschooled.
Orphaned young, pushed into manual labour instead of school, he had no protection, no privilege, no shortcuts.
Life could have easily crushed him.
But he survived.
And more importantly — he built.
The Land He Refused to Sell
He told me he began his boda journey in the 80s, back when boda bodas were bicycles, not motorcycles.
No fuel. No engine. Just sweat and willpower.
He worked.
He saved slowly — painfully slowly — and eventually bought a small piece of land in a distant village.
Nothing fancy. No lake view. Just land.
Today, that land is worth 40 million.
People have tried to buy it over the years, but he always gives the same answer:
“Me I don’t sell my stuff.”
That line hit me harder than expected.
He still lives simply.
Still hustles the same roads.
Still rides his boda in his 50s.
But that land?
He guards it like a vault.
His eldest son knows about it… but whether the boy will protect it the same way? He’s unsure.
And that’s where two worlds collide.
Builders vs Consumers: The Two Generations That Shape Wealth
Every family has two types of people:
1. The Builders
Builders start with nothing and create something over decades.
They:
- Hold onto assets
- Reinvest small wins
- Accumulate slowly
- Fear going back to poverty
- Respect every shilling
- Stick to one path for years
- Build quietly, without applause
They don’t chase trends — they chase survival.
And that discipline becomes their wealth engine.
2. The Consumers
Consumers inherit or start with ease, but lack the discipline that hardship creates.
They:
- Seek quick wins
- Spend fast
- Lose focus
- Get bored easily
- Sell assets without thought
- Collapse under pressure
- Confuse excitement with progress
They’re not bad people.
Just untested — and that lack of character is expensive.
Why Builders Win With “Boring”
Builders don’t start glamorous businesses.
No Instagram hype. No trendy ideas.
They choose:
- The ordinary
- The mundane
- The stable
They’re the ones who:
- Run the same workshop for 22 years
- Sell charcoal until they buy the whole plot
- Start with a bicycle and end up owning land
Builders don’t build fast — they build deep.
They don’t diversify — they solidify.
Consistency beats ambition every time.
The Builder’s Code: The Principles They Live By
Builders live by an unspoken code:
- Never return to poverty
- Protect what you own
- Don’t sell your assets
- Avoid shortcuts
- Respect every shilling
- Grow slowly
- Don’t expect life to be easy
These values become their gravity — their invisible engine.
It’s why a man with no education and no privilege ends up with something worth 40 million,
while someone with every opportunity struggles to hold anything for five years.
Why This Matters for Small Business Owners Today
Many modern entrepreneurs operate with a consumer mindset:
- Fast profit
- Fast excitement
- Fast discouragement
They start businesses wanting to take, not to build.
But small businesses aren’t built in excitement — they’re built in monotony.
Builders understand this.
Consumers don’t.
What Today’s Entrepreneurs Must Learn From Yesterday’s Hustlers
The boda man and his land are more than a story — they are a lesson.
He proves that:
- Slow works
- Discipline works
- Consistency works
- Boring works
You don’t need the perfect business idea.
You need the Builder’s Code.
If entrepreneurs today adopted even half of this mindset, they wouldn’t simply start businesses —
they would build businesses that last.
The Builder’s Code (Summary)
Hold.
Build.
Add.
Repeat.
Protect.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Faithfully.
Not because it’s glamorous — but because it works.
Follow the Builder’s Code, and you won’t need to chase breakthroughs.
The breakthroughs will find you.
Unlock your true potential 