Samuel Ogunkoya: Empowering Thought Leaders to Share Ideas Effortlessly

For years, Samuel Ogunkoya wrestled with expressing his ideas in extended written form. At just 15, he submitted opinion articles to Nigerian newspapers but never saw them published. Later, transitioning from physiotherapy to product management, he encountered the same challenge: insightful concepts trapped in his mind. This frustration inspired him to create Inkriv-not to replace writers, but to assist individuals like himself in articulating their knowledge without the tediousness of traditional writing.

A Unique Journey Rooted in Idea Sharing

Ogunkoya chuckles when asked about the classic tech founder origin story. “Unlike those who dismantle radios to understand sound, I was never that curious about gadgets,” he shares from Luxembourg, where his infant daughter occasionally chimes in during our conversation. “I actually dislike electrical stuff.”

His passion was always about communicating ideas. As a teenager, he avidly read opinion columns in Nigerian newspapers like The Punch and The Nation and believed he could contribute his own perspectives on social and economic issues. Despite sending numerous pieces, he never received a response. “I wasn’t a skilled writer back then,” he admits candidly. “I spent more time reflecting and debating ideas internally than crafting polished prose.”

Eventually, Ogunkoya found his voice in poetry, with works published in international literary journals such as Kalahari Review. While short-form writing came naturally, long-form expression remained elusive.

From Physiotherapy to Systems Thinking

Ogunkoya’s initial career path was far from technology. Fascinated by intricate systems, he pursued physiotherapy rather than anatomy, as the former offered a more hands-on approach to problem-solving. “Anatomy is fascinating, but it’s not a clinical profession where you can directly impact people’s lives,” he explains.

His introduction to physiotherapy came through a family friend, sparking an interest in understanding human movement and devising tailored treatments that consider psychological and socioeconomic factors. “Physiotherapy taught me to look beyond the physical body and consider the whole person,” he reflects. This holistic perspective on complex systems would later influence his approach to technology and product development.

Bridging Healthcare and Technology

While studying at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ogunkoya connected with engineering peers who were building tech projects. Though he wasn’t keen on coding himself, he contributed through content writing for tech startups. “Many students did freelance content marketing, so it didn’t feel unique,” he recalls.

His real break into tech came unexpectedly through a patient who was a software developer. Impressed by Ogunkoya’s business insight, the developer invited him to join as a project manager, handling client relations and business operations. This role ignited Ogunkoya’s passion for tech product management, leading him to positions at a development agency, YC-backed startup Curacel, and fintech firm Periculum.

“I’m not your typical coder,” he says. “My journey is about finding ways to express ideas and contribute meaningfully to the digital world.” In 2023, love brought him to Luxembourg, where he works as an IT consultant for a major European media company-while simultaneously developing Inkriv.

The Challenge of Expanding Tweets into Articles

When ChatGPT’s API became available in March 2023, Ogunkoya and a friend created a physiotherapy diagnostic assistant, marking his first hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs). Inspired, he decided to build tools rather than just consume AI technology.

His personal struggle was turning brief Twitter thoughts on AI, creativity, and productivity into comprehensive articles. Existing AI writing tools fell short, often producing generic or robotic content. “Hiring a ghostwriter was too costly,” he explains. “So I envisioned a tool that could transform my tweets and mental notes into coherent, personalized writing.”

Crucially, he wanted the output to sound authentically like him. This led to experimenting with AI that learns from a user’s previous writing style, resulting in the birth of Inkriv.

Inkriv: More Than Just a Writing Assistant

As development progressed, Ogunkoya realized Inkriv’s potential extended beyond a simple AI writing tool. “I wanted to create something robust, not just a GPT wrapper,” he says. The platform employs a multi-agent system where several AI models collaborate to refine and enhance content quality.

Importantly, Inkriv targets knowledge workers-professionals aiming to share expertise-not fiction writers or personal bloggers. This focus ensures the tool supports clear, authoritative communication of specialized ideas.

Inkriv consists of three main features:

• Brainstorming Canvas: A visual workspace where users map out ideas and their relationships, assigning weighted connections to reflect the strength of associations. This helps reveal new insights and organize complex thoughts.
• Personalized Writing Space: An adaptive editor that continuously learns from user edits to better emulate their unique voice and style.
• Interactive Engine: Enables embedding dynamic elements within documents, such as calculators or simulations, allowing readers to engage actively with the content.

Reimagining Documents as Interactive Experiences

Ogunkoya envisions a future where documents are not static but interactive. For example, an article on pricing strategy could include an embedded tool letting readers input different price points to see projected outcomes in real time.

Audio integration is another innovative feature. Instead of cluttering text with lengthy explanations, authors can add voice notes that readers can play for additional context. Ogunkoya demonstrated this by creating a personal one-page article through a voice recording during a walk, which Inkriv transcribed and polished to match his style.

Looking ahead, he imagines a new file format-akin to PDFs but interactive and offline-capable-where readers can access multimedia content and embedded apps seamlessly.

Addressing the Quality Concerns of AI-Generated Content

Ogunkoya openly acknowledges the prevalence of low-quality AI writing, often referred to as “slop.” “AI will produce a lot of mediocre content,” he admits. “But tools like Inkriv, used thoughtfully, can elevate the quality and impact of writing.”

He emphasizes that Inkriv is designed to produce drafts that are about 80% aligned with the user’s voice, leaving room for human refinement. “We’re not aiming to replace writers with machines but to empower better thinking and clearer expression.”

A Humble Vision for Impact

Describing himself as an ordinary person, Ogunkoya rejects the hype around founder exceptionalism. “I’m just a regular individual trying to make a difference online,” he says. His mission is straightforward: simplify complex systems and help people communicate more effectively.

Success, to him, means enabling a billion ideas to be shared on Inkriv, with some becoming timeless references-like how Tai Solarin’s poem “May the Road Be Rough” is revisited annually. “I want someone’s Inkriv article to reach 50 million readers every year, changing lives.”

Ultimately, Ogunkoya’s work is about liberating thinkers who struggle to write, giving them tools to share their knowledge confidently and creatively. “My relationship with writing has transformed-I now focus more on developing ideas and less on the mechanical process,” he reflects.

He concludes by highlighting the enduring power of ideas: “Look at TED Talks-three billion views annually. Despite AI’s rise and the noise it creates, responsible users of AI tools will have an even greater impact.”

Not every founder’s story is dramatic. Sometimes, it’s simply about years of grappling with a problem and building the solution you wish existed.