Revenue is not the only yardstick of success. A company can be valuable long before it makes a single sale.
Think about Dangote Refinery, for years, it wasn’t refining, selling or making revenue. But the value they were creating was so strong that at one point it could be priced at $20 billion before selling its first drop of oil.
This is the trap many entrepreneurs fall into, they think if revenue is slow, the business is failing, and this is not always the case. If you are building the right structures, creating products, and solving problems, you are building value.
Revenue is important, but value is what sustains you. Build value first. Then the money will come.
Dr. Smith Ezenagu is the Chairman of Esso Group, a diversified conglomerate shaping real estate, finance, education, and media. Dr. Smith Ezenagu is recognized as a real estate & investment mogul, life coach, and private equity expert. He leads Esso Group and its subsidiaries: Esso Properties (awarded Nigeria’s Most Innovative Real Estate Company in 2024 and recognized as the best real estate company in Nigeria), Esso School of Enterprise (the leading institution equipping entrepreneurs), and Esso Capital (delivering smart, trusted financial solutions across Nigeria).
