Cheat Sheet for Running a Startup in Africa is one entrepreneur's
journey in establishing and running a technology startup in Africa. The
journey travelled from conception to the realization of a tangible
business can be arduous in an African environment where the culture of
innovation and technology entrepreneurship has yet to fully take root.
In this journey, an entrepreneur faces many odds, including a lack of
support from family and friends, gaps in government policy and policy
implementation, and the fear of loss of intellectual property. There are
also gaps between pronouncements by government officials and actual
support for innovators. Even where to pilot technology can be a
challenge and when one is fully ready for the market, investment money
is usually not assured. As the author demonstrates, the extent to which
'risk capital' exists in Africa is minuscule compared to other parts of
the world. And while a number of donors and investors support such
startup businesses, the demand far outstrips the investment money
available. Moreover, not much of such investment money comes from within
the continent, a major indictment for leaders in Africa!
The entrepreneur has to face it all, including poor technology uptake in
organizations, and the pressures that come with a lack of or
unpredictable income in the face of the ever-increasing cost of living!
It is not a wonder that some quit the journey and opt for tried and
tested avenues of earning an income: jobs! With such an eventuality, it
is the people who lose! In such cases, gone is the potential that
innovation holds for creating wealth and opportunities for economic
growth, and more!
Cheat Sheet for Running a Startup in Africa, though told from a
personal experience, offers insights for one to brave the arduous
journey towards realizing one's dream! According to the author, all this
should be undergirded by the passion to serve humanity! The book offers
practical advice for entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors!
