The seemingly simple act of purchasing a movie ticket online, a process most take for granted, masks a complex underlying system. This intricate "illusion" is the domain of Fusion Intelligence, a company spearheaded by Kolade Adewoye, which silently powers Nigeria’s—and West Africa’s—cinema industry. His journey began in 2018 at Filmhouse Cinemas, where he worked with their core operating software, Vista. A chance encounter with an $80,000 annual invoice for this software sparked a realization: a massive, invisible market dominated by foreign entities. This early insight was cemented during the chaotic Avengers: Endgame premiere in 2019, where the website crashed under the weight of transactions. Kolade, the sole support person, worked tirelessly for three days straight, sleeping at the cinema to assist staff and ensure successful transactions were honored. This period not only built his reputation as a reliable problem-solver but also cultivated the crucial social capital that would later open doors for Fusion Intelligence.

The genesis of Fusion Intelligence, described as a "night one" in 2022, was born out of desperation. After leaving a failing startup where he was unpaid despite generating revenue, Kolade gathered five similarly "broke and depressed" colleagues. Despite having no money to offer, his team chose to follow him, driven by a shared distrust of their previous CEO and a belief that "anywhere is better than here." With no capital and no formal name, survival was the immediate objective. Kolade leveraged his hard-earned reputation, relentlessly messaging contacts until he secured Fusion Intelligence's first contract: building a website for Imperial Cinemas in Osogbo for ₦800,000. This initial infusion of cash, which allowed them to each take home ₦50,000 after months of unpaid work, was a pivotal moment, affirming their choice and giving their newly named company, Fusion Intelligence, its first footing.

However, the path was not without significant missteps. Around Day 100, Fusion Intelligence secured a substantial app development contract with a major Nigerian bank, a project so complex it was unprecedented in the local market. Naively, they promised a six-month delivery, a commitment that proved to be their "biggest mistake." A year later, with a basic version still not ready, Kolade faced intense criticism from the bank, learning a "brutal lesson about the gap between ambition and execution." The project eventually launched with bugs and ultimately flopped, leaving a lasting sting. This experience pushed Kolade to re-evaluate their business model. Inspired by the book Subscribed and the desire for predictable income in Nigeria's volatile economy, he decided to pivot from project-based agency work to developing proprietary software products that businesses would license monthly. Given his deep understanding of the cinema industry, it became their initial focus.

Around Day 500, Fusion Intelligence faced its "worst week" – a series of cascading crises that threatened to dismantle everything they had built. Their movie decryption software, Convoy, failed during a Cafe One screening, causing significant embarrassment. Simultaneously, Kolade had to make the difficult decision to let go of a key team member due to underperformance. A potential investor also decided to pass on them, and to compound matters, a client's app suffered a major breakdown due to faulty code, and another client was lost entirely. Overwhelmed with frustration, Kolade recalled shedding "hot tears." Yet, his team rose to the occasion, working tirelessly on a Saturday to fix the Convoy issue, leading to new protocols like mandatory test screenings. This "hell week" reinforced their resilience, proving they could survive by taking "just one step forward, then another."

Today, at Day 1000 and beyond, Fusion Intelligence is no longer just an agency; it's a dominant force. Its software now powers over 55% of cinemas across West Africa. The company has diversified, providing solutions for restaurants like Cafe One, Kinglace Creamery, and Panarottis, and even building logistics systems for ABC Transport. Kolade's ambition is unequivocal: "control." He aims for a monopolist position in every market they enter, not by inflating prices but by offering unparalleled value that makes competitors irrelevant. This pursuit of consistent cash flow is strategic, intended to secure his team's future. With West Africa largely secured, the next phase involves distribution and scale across the broader African continent, with grand aspirations to become an "Oracle or a Microsoft" of business operations, built entirely from Nigeria. Reflecting on the arduous journey, Kolade humorously admits he might advise his younger self to "Don’t do it. Get a bank job," acknowledging the immense difficulty, yet knowing he would inevitably follow this challenging, enduring path.