Hi Saidi, You have nailed the head of the hammer, or is it hit the nail on the head ..... ah! wacha tu - umesema point! (apologies, my weekend was rather rough) We are still *way* far from seeing the kind of fierce support innovative business ideas gets in the USA. For most MBAs out there a successful venture is a quick avenue to big $$$ in finder's fees and/or upside in an IPO. Here in Kenya? Try getting an MBA to even look sideways at a business plan for a tech company ... let alone getting their assistance with developing an Info Memo or pitch to potential investors. So what can we say about that from a policy perspective? I don't know ..... it's kind of a chicken-egg situation here. We need to create an environment which will cultivate enough success stories so that the MBAs and the technologist can break down the Chinese walls that separate them and *really* get some serious action going. Brian On Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 3:39 PM, saidimu apale <saidimu@gmail.com> wrote:

From the Harvard Business Review: http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/taylor/2008/07/four_reasons_most_startups_f...

1) "make something people want"

- "What are people forced to do now because what you plan to do doesn't exist yet?"

2) "be willing to let [your] ideas change"

- "the founders of Reddit came ... with a plan to help people order fast food on their cell phones. When everyone agreed it wasn't exactly a killer idea, the desperate search for a new idea led to the launch of their successful company."

3) "Don't worry too much about money"

- "... today, unlike back in the mid-90s, you've got the MBAs working for the technologists, rather than the other way around.

4) "be benevolent"... act in the long-term best interests of customers, as opposed to the short-term best interests of [the business]

- "people will rally around you" with ideas, improvements, and word-of-mouth marketing

If only number 3) was true in Kenya. There's certainly not enough venture cap. flowing, and most certainly it's the technologists working/slaving for the MBAs (and policy wonks). The KICTAnet/Skunkworks divide.

Any policy prescriptions to be derived from the summary, especially around number 3) ?

Saidi

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