Most startup advice sounds like this:
"Get users first."
"Validate demand."
"Launch fast."
For most startups, that's probably correct.
But while building LeeX, I've discovered a problem where the opposite may be true.
My name is Oscar Lee (Oscar I. Awowari), and together with my brother Elvis Awowari, who serves as CTO, we're building a city discovery platform called LeeX.
The goal is simple:
Create a platform where people can discover Businesses, Events, and Infrastructure in one ecosystem.
Sounds straightforward.
The challenge is not.
The Empty City Problem
Imagine downloading a city discovery app.
You search for restaurants.
Nothing.
You search for schools.
Nothing.
You search for parks.
A few results.
You close the app and never return.
That's the problem.
Unlike many products, local discovery platforms become valuable only when they already contain a large amount of information.
An empty city is a dead city.
Our Solution: Supply First
Instead of launching immediately and hoping users create content, we're experimenting with a supply-first strategy.
Before focusing on growth, we're building the city's database.
That means collecting:
- Businesses
- Event venues
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Markets
- Parks
- Stadiums
- Tourist attractions
- Transportation infrastructure
- Government facilities
The objective is simple:
Make the city useful before asking people to use it.
Why Infrastructure Matters
One thing that surprised me during research was how much attention businesses receive compared to infrastructure.
Most discovery platforms focus heavily on commerce.
But cities are more than commerce.
People search for:
- Universities
- Hospitals
- Airports
- Bus terminals
- Landmarks
- Parks
- Public facilities
These places influence daily life just as much as businesses do.
That's why Infrastructure sits alongside Businesses and Events as a core pillar of LeeX.
Starting Small
We're beginning with Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Not because it's the biggest city.
Because it's easier to build depth in one city than spread ourselves thin across many.
The current goal isn't downloads.
It's completeness.
The question we're trying to answer is:
How much structured city data is needed before a discovery platform becomes genuinely useful?
I don't know the answer yet.
But that's what makes building startups interesting.
If you've worked on maps, GIS systems, local search, marketplaces, or location intelligence products, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What would you do differently?
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