The Danger of Living for the Applause

(In memory of Dave Norval, who taught me that silence is where real builders breathe.)

In 2018, years after the eTranzact lesson, Nsano received its first major award.

A partner we respected chose to recognize our work.

It was a proud moment for the entire team, as this was one of our first and hardest-won partnerships.

Cameras flashed, speeches flowed, and Nsano’s name carried through the hall.

But that same night, after the applause faded, I checked my phone and noticed that one of our major merchants had gone offline due to an API failure. Unnoticed by anyone in that room, hundreds of transactions were pending.

Standing in the corner of the hall, watching error logs accumulate while others celebrated, I was reminded:

Awards celebrate moments. Companies are built in motion.

The next day, I decided that Nsano would revert to our original stance: No awards, low visibility, no loud applause. We would quietly build products whose impact would make all the noise for us.

The system failure reminded me why I'd been hesitant about awards in the first place.

I have always believed that true validation comes from the value we create for customers, shareholders, and employees.

I felt that if we took all the awards and didn't have money at the bank or couldn't take care of staff the way we were supposed to, it meant very little.

I'd learned something critical: not looking for external validation frees you to focus on what truly matters: building products you are proud of, serving customers who trust you, and creating impact that lasts long after the applause fades.

Years before, Dave had told me about submarines. Most of their best work happens underwater. The world never sees it, but the impact is undeniable.

That became our philosophy: Hide and flourish.

We built quietly while the industry celebrated loudly. We'd learned that visibility and viability aren't the same thing.

To quote Dave, “The world can keep its spotlight. We’ll keep our shadows.”

The mark of a CEO isn’t in the awards you win. It’s in what survives after you leave.

External validation can be bought, negotiated, or packaged.

Real value can’t.

Over time, I’ve also learned that silence isn’t invisibility.

Nsano being a predominantly B2B service provider afforded us the privilege of building as quietly as we did.

B2C builders, who directly serve consumers, must be seen to survive.

For them, visibility is not vanity, it’s oxygen.

Nsano’s zero visibility stance softened over time, especially as we worked with partners on strategic initiatives and products.

We saw how strategic visibility could add some value for all. But even then, the lesson holds: let the ‘noise’ serve the work, not replace it.

Build quietly on the inside; communicate deliberately on the outside. The world doesn’t need to see your process, only your progress.

Dave was right. The best work happens when no one’s watching.

And the best builders love it that way.