The sharpest developers end up working for the non-profit sector : agreed.
I think the problem we have here is because we think that cash is the only capital you need. I totally disagree. What we need is one killer app that someone/s will make that will be so successful that it will make him/her leave their daytime jobs because it is paying better.
Someone can start a project online, lease some hosting space, upgrade later to a dedicated server as biz grows. That will be the fairy tale that we need. ]]>
m sure we all look forward to a time when writing a solid business plan becomes more profitable than writing a sexy grant proposal"
"A success story! A hugely successful East African (not South African) start-up. It doesnâ€t matter whether itâ€s acquired by Google, or has its own successful IPO. This sector needs a Wow! story within the next two years. Thereâ€s nothing like a well publicised “fairytale†of a few bright kids from Nairobi or Lusaka making millions to spur the imagination of both potential investors and developers alike"
I have come to the knowledge that after a certain period of time, it is no longer about talent and brains but about opportunity. The only way that the success stories will come from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is when the talent meets opportunity. Otherwise "less talent" will meet the very same opportunity and while "less talent" will not have the killer app or execution they will have the opportunity to roll out and with rolling out comes the revenue... if any, then the refining of the product or service and eventually the service is entrenched and revenues grow. Techies need to stop meeting with techies in this respect.Techies need to learn additional skills or partner with individuals who can package the products and services to appeal to "the opportunity". The other thing is that they must not hang too tightly to the their concept product in a manner that will stifle "the opportunity". Grow your network...knock on those "ooh it will be impossible to get a meeting with person X" doors. Ask for 30 min.....if you can't sell the value of your product or service in under 30min...then either theirs a problem with your presentation but more often that not it will be with the product. Work your elevator pitch. Be flexible and run with the punches, but at the end of the day, cover your bases and be smart.
That said, we are looking forward to be the "WOW" for Kenya.You will be in the loop HASH :-)]]>Two points from both your post and Sean’s
“HASH pointed out many of the sharpest coders end up working for multinationals or NGOs. What’s just as worrying is that many of the more ambitious tech entrepreneurs also find it easier to tailor their killer apps for the non-profit sector. I’m sure we all look forward to a time when writing a solid business plan becomes more profitable than writing a sexy grant proposal”
“A success story! A hugely successful East African (not South African) start-up. It doesn’t matter whether it’s acquired by Google, or has its own successful IPO. This sector needs a Wow! story within the next two years. There’s nothing like a well publicised “fairytale†of a few bright kids from Nairobi or Lusaka making millions to spur the imagination of both potential investors and developers alike”
I have come to the knowledge that after a certain period of time, it is no longer about talent and brains but about opportunity. The only way that the success stories will come from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is when the talent meets opportunity. Otherwise “less talent” will meet the very same opportunity and while “less talent” will not have the killer app or execution they will have the opportunity to roll out and with rolling out comes the revenue… if any, then the refining of the product or service and eventually the service is entrenched and revenues grow. Techies need to stop meeting with techies in this respect.Techies need to learn additional skills or partner with individuals who can package the products and services to appeal to “the opportunity”. The other thing is that they must not hang too tightly to the their concept product in a manner that will stifle “the opportunity”. Grow your network…knock on those “ooh it will be impossible to get a meeting with person X” doors. Ask for 30 min…..if you can’t sell the value of your product or service in under 30min…then either theirs a problem with your presentation but more often that not it will be with the product. Work your elevator pitch. Be flexible and run with the punches, but at the end of the day, cover your bases and be smart.
That said, we are looking forward to be the “WOW” for Kenya.You will be in the loop HASH 🙂
]]>a) innovators have an outlet,
b) develop the technology absorption capacity – and that is important because most corporation in Kenya rely so much on turnkey solutions such that even if you came up with an innovative piece of software it would be a problem integrating it into there existing process.
c) More option for innovators because not all innovators are entrepreneurs
10yrs ago most companies did not have a CSR component to there business and then it became fashionable – we can make it fashionable for companies to invest n R&D
]]>i loved your article however.
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