#36 - 5 Things To Do Before You Build Anything
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Welcome to all the new subscribers! Much love, and thanks for checking this out.
I use this newsletter to champion a diversity of thought, share my experience about how we can build products people love and deconstructing opportunities using data and insights.
Afrotech?
So the last two days I have been at the Afrotech digital festival which cares about including those of African and Carribean heritage who have been creators/makers but have often been excluded and not celebrated enough.
Organisations like UKBT champion led by example so that there can be more participation, visibility and community building.
I was fortunate to be on a panel with Trim-It Co-Founder and Cashmere Founder. (Both interesting startups to check the link)
Y Combinator Visualisation
You know Y Combinator, the company that bust Dropbox, AirBnB, Quora, Stackoverflow, etc. They really want to focus on sharing the lessons so that they can have the support they need. As you can see from the visualisation I created below, there has been a sharp growth in B2B and B2C with Hardware rising (probably driven by all the new tech).
Proud the see the @ThisIsYSYS collective at #AfroTechFest with @urennalexa @DarrenTenkorang @JayYoms and @AndysHVC https://t.co/Rncl2xeSIc
Let's Build Great Products
5 Things To Do Before You Build Anything
It was in this very week that I have spoken to people who only really started making moves when they had found a developer they could start with.
For me, this is way too late. If you’re ready to throw money down the drain then (you’re rich cuz!)
What if you could increase the chance of success by 80% though?
Sunday Reads
Fiverr acquires a startup that makes tools to help freelancers
So Fiverr is an online marketplace where businesses can hire freelancers they want. Well, now they have bought a startup building online tools that freelancers use to manage the client relationships. So they have moved further up the supply chain - smart move.
They understand that we are in the Gig economy
(remember Ikea made a move buying TaskRabbit)
Experience is the best teacher. Lessons from Trim-It founder
I came across this interview of Darren Tenkorang of Trim-It.
In a previous life, the train fares were the hidden cost.
For my early stage founders, a lot of your time can be spent looking after the finances, building a team and putting out fires (which means doing whatever needs to be done). Here’s his truth in a deconstructed interview
Helpful Tool(s)
Dream Big. Hustle Hard.: The Millennial Woman's Guide to Success in Tech:
Check out this book aimed at non-techies to help anyone really to get into tech