Break your Brain
How to push your limits
Hey hey. Welcome to another dispatch of NDZ letters, where we bring you the latest SOS updates, job opportunities and insights on digital skills and remote work.
Can’t wait? Check out content at a glance:
1. State of Skills → #stateofskills
2. Resources → #remoteresources
3. Freelance Formula → #freelanceformula
4. Founder Files → #founderfiles
5. Job Openings → #jobs
6. Recently on NDZ → #recentlyonNDZ
7. Trainings → #trainings
8. Hackathons & Competitions → #hackathons
9. Accelerators/Incubators/Grants/Funding → #grants
10. Tech Events → #events
11. Quote of the Week → #quote
12. FootNews → #news
ICYM the last issue, read here
Founder’s Note
Have you ever experienced so much pain that you feel like something broke inside of you? That feeling of knowing you’re not the same person, whether for better or for worse.
This is an extreme example. But it’s exactly how it feels when you do hard things that make you feel uncomfortable for a LONG TIME. A lot of people don’t ever get to this stage.
A simple example of this is trying to use your less dominant hand to brush your teeth or write on paper. You’d feel this discomfort you can’t place your hand on, but it’s something you want to stop.
That, my friend, is feedback from your brain that you’re doing something it hasn’t seen before.
You feel this when you’re learning a new skill like playing the piano, guitar, or a language. You can imagine what the outcome is, but your body and mind are not willing. When you endure this discomfort for a long time, you come out the other side a different person.
This concept is called neuroplasticity.
When you’re learning a new skill, just know it’s going to be really hard at the start. It’s better to embrace that it won’t be fun. But it ALMOST ALWAYS gets easier because your brain expands to accommodate harder problems.
You’d look back to see you’ve learned so much, and you’re actually the definition of a cracked person.
So, my friend, pick harder skills to learn; it’s a superpower.
~ Thanni
State of Skills
Show workings 📌
If you want to be employable 👇🏾
Invest your time in tech this year ‼️
Your resume is not your CV 📍
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Unpopular Data Analyst career advice that actually works 📊
Remote Resource Worth Sharing
Strong Data Analyst Projects That Make You Stand Out — A curated set of three data analyst project ideas that go beyond dashboards, showing how analysts think through data, create business impact, clean and automate messy datasets, and predict future trends using real-world tools and scenarios.
Freelance Formulas
Learn and start monetizing 📌
What puts you ahead of most people 👇🏾
Freelance doesn’t reward working harder 📍
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Important lessons for freelance writer/content marketer 👨🏾💻
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Founders Files
Delegate task more ‼️
For first-time founders 📌
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Marc has this to say 🤔
If you’re fundraising in the African ecosystem, read this 👈🏾
Jobs
Recently on NDZ
We published a new blog “Top 5 Digital Skills Every Nigerian University Student Should Learn in 2026” It highlights the key skills students need to earn income, gain experience, and stay competitive beyond just a degree.
Last week’s newsletter “The Zeigarnik Effect” explains how leaving tasks unfinished creates motivation, helping you return with better focus to complete work more effectively.
Join our online forum to connect with other Zoners and stay updated on our events and training through our WhatsApp and Telegram channels.
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Trainings
Product Management Program (Free)
Hackathons & Competition
Accelerators/Incubators/Grants/Funding/Fellowship
Tech Events
AI in Action Now Conference 2026 (Jan 22nd, 2026)
BitDevs Lagos - January 2026 Edition (Jan 31st, 2026)
Tech Revolution Africa Startup Fest (Jan 30th - Jan 31st, 2026)
Lagos TechFest (Feb 16th - Feb 17th, 2026)
Osun Tech Festival (Feb 19th - Feb 20th, 2026)
Martech Africa (Feb 28th, 2026)
NCTS Legacy 3.0! (Feb 21st, 2026)
Quotes of the week
If you want to build something great, you have to be willing to be misunderstood for a long time.
~ Jeff Bezos