You Don’t Need a degree to Succeed: Lessons from My Journey
Introduction – The Cult of the Degree
Growing up in Cameroon, like in many parts of Africa, we were taught to worship the diploma. The higher the degree, the greater your chance to succeed. Our parents sacrificed, our families prayed, and society applauded every new certificate as though it was the passport to life.
I lived this belief.
I earned one bachelor’s degree, then another in Management and SME Development. I went further: a Master’s in Accounting and Finance in Douala, and later an MBA in Finance from the University of Wales. Over the years, I collected more than 40 professional certifications—risk management, compliance, internal audit, project management. Online, I added more than 100 badges and diplomas.
On paper, I had everything an “ideal” professional could need.
And yet, when I created Africa Venture Group, when I stepped fully into the world of entrepreneurship, I realized something that shook me: none of these degrees guaranteed success. What kept me moving forward were not my certificates, but my personal skills, my courage, my intuition, and the lessons I had absorbed from mentors and real-life experiences.
Education matters. But the worship of diplomas can be a trap.
Part I – The Awakening
The Meeting That Changed My Perspective
Years ago, I was working on one of the biggest SAP digital transformation projects in history, launched by Schlumberger. It was a massive endeavor, a project that involved tens of thousands of employees and leaders.
During this time, I became friends with one of the top three global SAP managers. He led one of the two hemispheres of SAP worldwide—managing over 20,000 men and women.
Naturally, I admired him. I studied his leadership, his decisions, and I approached him as a mentor. Then, one day, in a candid conversation, I asked about his background, his certifications, his academic journey.
His answer stunned me: he had only one certification. One.
And it happened to be in risk management and compliance—the very same certification I held as a lifetime member. I, who had stacked over 40 certifications, was face to face with a leader commanding 20,000 professionals with just one.
At that moment, I understood something that no classroom had ever taught me: success is not measured by the number of diplomas you hold, but by the weight of your competence, your skills, your vision, and your ability to lead.
Part II – The Culture of Degrees
In Francophone Africa, the diploma is everything. Society equates your worth with your certificates. A man with five diplomas is revered more than one who built five companies. Parents push children toward accumulation: license, master, doctorate, repeat.
But when I observed the Anglophone world—whether in the U.S., the U.K., or even Anglophone Africa—I noticed a difference. There, people valued competencies above diplomas. They asked: What can you do? What problem can you solve? Not: How many degrees do you have?
This contrast changed me. It humbled me. It also set me free.
I realized I could stop chasing diplomas as trophies. Instead, I could pursue knowledge that sharpened my skills, strengthened my intuition, and prepared me for the realities of business.
Part III – My Personal Education Journey
The Accumulation Phase
My academic path was long and rigorous.
I remember nights in Douala, poring over textbooks for my Master’s in Accounting and Finance. Later, in Wales, juggling MBA courses with my responsibilities. Then came the certifications: internal audit, compliance, project management, fraud examination, information systems. Each one brought a new badge, a new recognition.
It gave me confidence, yes. It also gave me discipline and exposure. But it also gave me a false sense of security—the idea that the more I collected, the more I would succeed.
The Realization
When I launched Africa Venture Group, reality struck. Clients did not ask about my degrees. Partners did not care how many letters followed my name. What mattered was: could I deliver? Could I solve their problem? Could I build trust?
I had to rely on things no diploma had taught me: intuition, courage, creativity, resilience.
Part IV – The Entrepreneurs Without Degrees
Throughout my journey, I have met entrepreneurs who shaped entire industries without ever setting foot in a university classroom.
I recall conversations with market leaders in Nigeria and Ghana who built multimillion-dollar companies from scratch. In Cameroon, I met traders who never finished high school but who mastered logistics, finance, and negotiation better than many MBAs.
Their common trait? Hunger. Adaptability. The courage to take risks.
They reminded me of something essential: degrees are tools, not foundations. Skills, vision, and resilience are the true foundations
Part V – The True Skills of Entrepreneurship
So what does entrepreneurship require if not degrees?
- Courage – The boldness to start without waiting for perfect conditions.
- Resilience – The ability to fall, get up, and adjust.
- Intuition – The gut sense of when to pivot, when to hold steady.
- Mentorship – Learning from those who have walked the road before.
- Humility – Knowing you can learn from anyone, degree or no degree.
- People Skills – Building trust, negotiating, collaborating.
- Vision – Seeing a possibility where others see scarcity.
These cannot be packaged in a diploma. They are forged in experience, in community, in trial and error.
Part VI – Lessons from Africa Venture Group
When I founded Africa Venture Group, I stood on the edge of uncertainty. No investor lined up at my door. No prestigious award cushioned the risk. What I had was a vision: to empower entrepreneurs, to create platforms, to build bridges between African talent and global opportunities.
It was here that I discovered the pure meaning of doing more with less.
With limited resources, we built partnerships. With small beginnings, we created ecosystems. With no guarantee of success, we relied on faith, resilience, and boldness.
Every step was a test of skills—not diplomas. And every victory was proof that entrepreneurship is less about what you studied, and more about what you can do.
Part VII – A Word to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
If you are reading this as a student in Yaoundé, a young graduate in Abidjan, an aspiring entrepreneur in Lagos or Accra, hear me :
Do not despise education. Learn as much as you can. But do not worship the degree. Do not wait for diplomas to validate your dreams.
The world does not pay for your certificates. It pays for your competence, your courage, your solutions.
Start with what you have. Learn from mentors. Build your resilience. Acquire knowledge that equips you—not just titles that decorate you.
Because success in entrepreneurship is not written on paper. It is written in action.
Conclusion – Beyond the Cult of Degrees
My story is not anti-education. I value learning. I am grateful for every degree I earned, every certification I obtained. But I also know their limits.
Education gave me tools. But entrepreneurship demanded something deeper: faith, courage, resilience, creativity.
And so my message is this:
- Pursue knowledge, not just diplomas.
- Value mentorship as much as classroom teaching.
- Cultivate personal skills—communication, adaptability, leadership.
- Be humble enough to learn from those without degrees.
- Remember that entrepreneurship is built on action, not certificates.
One day, you too may look back and realize: your degrees opened doors, but it was your courage that kept you inside the room.
Because you don’t need a degree to succeed as an entrepreneur. You need vision, resilience, and the willingness to do more with less.
YannicK KOUNGA
Learner in Progress, Entrepreneur Student