Tips for Practice
- Startup Daily
- Almost every business book on the shelf tells you: ‘How to raise capital’, ‘How to pitch’, ‘How to scale’. They all say the same thing. ‘Go get investment.’ But what they don’t tell you about is the noose that comes with it; the flypaper. Whatever way you turn, those investors will be there; waiting for their payday.
- Benjamin Dada
- Startup advisors are experts with specialised insights, experience, or training within specific industries. They offer guidance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to founders. Their role involves validating concepts and providing essential business insights. This early-stage guidance ensures you steer clear of common pitfalls encountered by those who've traversed this path before.
- Ventures Africa
- Companies seeking smaller rounds often turn to the crowd in hopes of turning fanfare into equity. And several startups have also emerged in the last few years to facilitate crowdfunding, such as GetEquity and WeFunder. Howbeit, crowdfunding has proven to not be a silver bullet, as many companies have struggled even with retail investors.
- Benjamin Dada
- The allure of venture capital comes with a price – a price paid not only in equity but in the form of relentless pressures, compromised autonomy, and the pursuit of often unrealistic expectations. Building a startup is a rollercoaster ride, and venture capital adds both acceleration and turbulence to the mix.
- Techbuild Africa
- There’s no denying that acquiring new customers is significant, but so is nurturing your current customer base, since these old customers have spent a certain amount on your goods or services over their lifetime, which is termed, customer lifetime value (CLV). Customer loyalty is generally high in Africa, as relationships and trust are highly valued in many African cultures.
- Techcabal
- The African tech ecosystem has undergone significant transformation over the past five years. As these startups grow, adapt and scale their operations, there is an increasing need for them to become media-savvy, both locally and internationally. Becoming media-savvy is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity and a competitive advantage for entrepreneurs.
- DAI Magister
- Five years into helping growth companies raise larger rounds, we’ve seen enough to pattern-match the key ingredients that help get larger deals over the line, through up, down and sideways market conditions. Here are a few thoughts on the some of the key ingredients we think are paramount for CEOs to consider when aiming to raise their next larger round.
- Africa Business Insider
- Many link success with only money, power, and fame, but it is much beyond that. It is about discovering the individual’s sustainable source of motivation to get up every day and do the work and build resilience while fulfilling one’s goals.
- Techcabal
- One of the most critical factors for a startup’s success is its ability to attract, retain, and incentivise top talent. Below, we will explore the role of equity in incentivising employees at venture-backed startups in Africa, and delve into the best practices for equity discussions and agreements.
- Techpoint
- It is time to go back to the basics — a realisation that products and customers are the only sustainable lifeline a startup can have. Hence products and sales are very important and should not be ignored. Investment should only be a temporary buffer and not a means of sustenance. At the end of the day, irrespective of why the startup exists, sales and customer satisfaction are the lifeblood.