Nico Steyn’s career has never followed a conventional path. But then again, neither has his view of business.
Starting at M-Net at just 19, Steyn quickly distinguished himself not through formal training, but through initiative. Teaching himself to produce promotional content for the tv channel after hours, he caught the attention of senior leadership – a moment that would fast-track him into one of the youngest creative director roles in the country.
Soon after, he was sent to New York to learn from leading international networks Creative Directors, including MTV, Nickelodeon and ESPN. The experience shaped more than Nico’s creative instincts – it defined his approach to leadership.
“People need direction more than perfection,” Steyn says. “If you have a clear view of where you’re going, others will follow.”
That philosophy would underpin a career spanning TV and film production, animation, and multiple business ventures. By his own admission, Nico has launched “seven and two-half businesses” – a mix of successes, failures, and hard-earned lessons.
One of the most formative was a Cape Town nightclub and theatre cocktail venue concept he developed after stepping away from corporate life at 40. The venture ultimately failed financially.
“It bankrupted me,” he says. “But it taught me more about business than anything else.”
That experience – coupled with later work in animation and incubation – shifted Nico’s focus toward entrepreneurship itself. What he saw repeatedly was not a lack of ambition, but a gap in accessible, practical guidance.
“Entrepreneurs are expected to absorb complex business thinking very quickly,” he explains. “But most of the time, the way it’s taught simply doesn’t land.”
This insight became the foundation for My Big Startup, a platform Steyn developed to rethink how entrepreneurial learning is delivered. Originally built within a university incubator environment, the concept proved its demand early. In just six months, the platform produced over 30 000 hours of content, distilling insights from experienced coaches into shorter, more digestible formats.
The response was immediate.
“There’s a real appetite for practical, simplified learning,” Nico says. “Especially when it’s delivered in a way that people can actually relate to, and in their language.”
Today, www.mybigsmartup.com is evolving into a more structured, digital-first ecosystem. At its centre is a mobile-driven product designed around a 100-day sprint entrepreneurial journey. Each day delivers a concise, 90-second video, focused on a specific business concept, from strategy and marketing to operations and funding. The goal is not depth in isolation, but consistency over time.
“Entrepreneurs don’t need more information,” he argues. “They need the right information, delivered regularly, in a way that keeps them moving.”
Alongside this sits a longer-form learning environment, as well as an AI-powered coaching layer being developed on the platform. The AI coach engages users through guided questioning, helping them clarify thinking and identify next steps; particularly valuable for those without access to traditional mentorship or live coach.
“It’s about scale,” Nico says. “There simply aren’t enough coaches to support the number of entrepreneurs we need across Africa. AI helps bridge that gap.”
The timing is significant. As South Africa continues to prioritise small business growth as a driver of economic development, platforms that can support entrepreneurs at scale are becoming increasingly relevant. Yet Steyn is clear that technology alone is not the answer.
“The real challenge is clarity,” he says. “Too many entrepreneurs are overwhelmed by noise. Too many opinions, too much theory. And language that doesn’t hit the mark with clear understanding. What they need is focus.”
That focus is reflected in his broader philosophy: simplify, distil, and deliver. It’s a mindset shaped not only by success, but by failure – and by years spent observing what works, and what doesn’t, across industries.
“If you can help someone take the next step with confidence, you’ve already added value,” he says.
For Nico Steyn, entrepreneurship is not an abstract concept. It is a lived experience. One that requires resilience, adaptability, and, above all, momentum: “Innovation isn’t something you do once,” he adds. “It’s something you need consistently.”
As MYBIGSMARTUP continues to develop, his ambition is straightforward: to create a single, accessible destination where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, and progress – without the barriers that have traditionally limited access to business knowledge.
It is a pragmatic vision, grounded in experience rather than theory.
And in a landscape where complexity often dominates, he is making a case for something far simpler, and potentially far more powerful.