Comments for WhiteAfrican

Comment on The Case for Connectivity (part 2) by hash

hash — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:55:40 +0000

Slowly, by slowly chief. We’ll get there, thanks for your support.

Comment on The Case for Connectivity (part 2) by Jimmy Gitonga

Jimmy Gitonga — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 09:49:33 +0000

Mzee, uko mbele. No one said it would be easy. I have noticed the nay-sayers are decreasing, kama kawaida. All the best. I know I need this technology. "Let me look for funds ... "

Comment on The Case for Connectivity (part 1) by jke

jke — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 04:18:05 +0000

Well, hardware internet connectivity is still sexier than water and sanitation, and in particular sanitation that goes beyond the pure provision of toilets. So please rest assured, there is a worse side when it comes to unattractive (but very necessary) businesses. 🙂

Is there any other way to raise an invest, maybe a method from the WASH sector that works there and maybe also works in other infrastructure projects like MOJA? Is there any way for a different approach, where the infrastructure costs are maybe crowdfunded or financed in another public approach so that the future users also feel more ownership for it? What comes after connectivity? Community?

As for connectivity as the main marketing hook: Yes, such a valid point. In WASH I would say it’s comfort/security (vs. the provision of toilets or building a sewer network/treatment plant – no one can relate to that but having a relief on the toilet is a feeling that is marketable), so in the end it comes down to selling emotions and maybe that is where Moja & the Choo biashara share something more than just being relative unattractive businesses (vs. any e-commerce startup).

Comment on Affordability and the Future of the Internet by hash

hash — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 11:24:35 +0000

Kevin, I’m sure someone could find better data sources than we did for this initial view, I hope there’s a researcher out there looking for a project and will want to sanity check all of this. The overwhelming insight is that it takes a lot more for us in Africa to earn our ability to be online than it does those living elsewhere.

Comment on Affordability and the Future of the Internet by Kevin Khaemba

Kevin Khaemba — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 09:59:02 +0000

Why is the average hours worked per week too low for Kenya? Even for US where the hours per week is actually 34.5 you have, for unknown reason– well you’ve tried to explain there) taken 40 to use for calculation purposes. Africa as a whole we’re doing badly but for Kenya I honestly think we’re well better than you present here

Comment on Affordability and the Future of the Internet by Kamau Wanyoike

Kamau Wanyoike — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 07:36:17 +0000

Wow. This is sobering. And saddening to say the least. When will we ever lift ourselves off at this rate?

Comment on Reflection on 5 Years of BRCK by Steve M.

Steve M. — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 01:52:51 +0000

Erik,

It has been a long wait for the latest post!

Really happy to get this update on the progress made on BRCK (as well as seeing what you are up to these days).

One of the things I am taking away from all this is the insight as to what it takes to deliver success – to see what your team has been grinding through, continually iterating towards the next goal – giving our market what it doesn’t know it needs yet…

Comment on Startup Governance in Silicon Savannah by Mr. Majani

Mr. Majani — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 23:22:02 +0000

Remember there are THREE sides to every story: this side, that side, and the truth.

That being said, I still maintain that the coverage of this issue was overblown in the wrong direction. The only real public facing issue was that there was an unforgivably long outage at Angani. The leadership wrangles are a completely normal step in startup life and we’re wrongly given the most attention.

Comment on Startup Governance in Silicon Savannah by robert yawe

robert yawe — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 07:18:12 +0000

Hi,

Thanks for your factual and un-emotional response to this issue I hope the rest of the startup ecosystem will listen to the message.

regards

Comment on Startup Governance in Silicon Savannah by CertainKenyan

CertainKenyan — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 07:45:57 +0000

Thank you for sharing your perspective on this, much appreciated. Though i don’t you have really addressed the issue at hand. The board might have been right to do what they did. The founders might also lack management skills but was the actions taken by the board the best plan? Why not do things professionally and do a proper hand over? Why not help the co-founders by building their capacity to make a better company? or even why not mentor them to build the next amazon? If indeed the board had good motives to build a sustainable, profitable company then other alternatives would have presented instead of the actions that had followed. I believe it was not a professional board but rather one with a point to prove about who is the boss with a mentality of i have the money and we do with it as a I please.