Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out
Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
Jimmy, Do nations such as the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc, not engage in such competitions? Is the goal of such competitions not to identify + build up local talent? Competitions must occur to IDENTIFY localized talent. These are persons who will be most fulfilled working to develop their localities in Kenya. LOCALIZATION to make life easier for every Kenyan (resident:) On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:47 PM JImmy Gitonga via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now.
Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric.
I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world.
One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet.
Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ...
Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
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KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- SMM *"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32*
Hi Muraya, I agree with Jimmy. I got into the whole Startup and Innovation space through such a competition. I have trained young people how to prepare and win such competitions - but once they win I have to carry the guilt of building someone up and not knowing what to tell them to expect in their future. Goals of competitions are really good on paper and zero in reality. Also we are not the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc - We are Kenya our context is different... Startups here are working on solutions to fundamental issues as opposed to these countries where they are past that and are working on incremental solutions. Also adoption and diffusion of innovation here in the Savannah takes longer and is harder than these countries you just mentioned. If they want to build local talent they should invest in the Community Innovation hubs that are doing it such as Swahili Box and Sote Hub and Lake Hub and Eldoret Hub... they should support other upcoming ones and the founders trying to make them a reality such as Nakuru Hub and Meru Hub. With kind regards Jeipea Believe in yourself then you can change your world ____________________________________________ Skype: john.paul.em Cell: +254735586956 On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 8:36 PM S.M. Muraya via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Jimmy,
Do nations such as the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc, not engage in such competitions? Is the goal of such competitions not to identify + build up local talent?
Competitions must occur to IDENTIFY localized talent. These are persons who will be most fulfilled working to develop their localities in Kenya. LOCALIZATION to make life easier for every Kenyan (resident:)
On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:47 PM JImmy Gitonga via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now.
Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric.
I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world.
One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet.
Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ...
Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
_______________________________________________
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KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- SMM
*"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32* _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Listers Jumping in late into this discussion. Ideas are a dime a dozen. You can google them for crying out loud! Let’s create businesses. Viable businesses that address problems. I’ve seen too many ‘entrepreneurs’ hawking ideas and asking you to sign worthless NDNCAs (Non-Disclosure & Non Circumvention Agreements) before they can share with you the greatest business idea since sliced bread. We have a rockstar mentality. We need to come back to earth. Most true entrepreneurs first build businesses even if its an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) before they seek funding. Building a business is a dog’s life. There’s a reason why we have more employees than business owners. Let’s educate and sensitive our young people that this is not Silicon Valley where very VC and his Grandmother is dishing out money like confetti. As for the White Box, mine is to wish the idea well. Ali Hussein +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad
On 23 Oct 2018, at 9:07 PM, John Paul Karijo via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Hi Muraya,
I agree with Jimmy. I got into the whole Startup and Innovation space through such a competition. I have trained young people how to prepare and win such competitions - but once they win I have to carry the guilt of building someone up and not knowing what to tell them to expect in their future.
Goals of competitions are really good on paper and zero in reality. Also we are not the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc - We are Kenya our context is different... Startups here are working on solutions to fundamental issues as opposed to these countries where they are past that and are working on incremental solutions. Also adoption and diffusion of innovation here in the Savannah takes longer and is harder than these countries you just mentioned.
If they want to build local talent they should invest in the Community Innovation hubs that are doing it such as Swahili Box and Sote Hub and Lake Hub and Eldoret Hub... they should support other upcoming ones and the founders trying to make them a reality such as Nakuru Hub and Meru Hub.
With kind regards
Jeipea
Believe in yourself then you can change your world
____________________________________________ Skype: john.paul.em Cell: +254735586956
On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 8:36 PM S.M. Muraya via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Jimmy,
Do nations such as the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc, not engage in such competitions? Is the goal of such competitions not to identify + build up local talent?
Competitions must occur to IDENTIFY localized talent. These are persons who will be most fulfilled working to develop their localities in Kenya. LOCALIZATION to make life easier for every Kenyan (resident:)
On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:47 PM JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now.
Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric.
I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world.
One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet.
Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ...
Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
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"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32 _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke
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Paul, No one is ever honored for failing to build up their own people. This is why locals who look down on their fellow Africans end up being disappointed in Westernized situations (including competitions). Note image attached in the email Wangari sent in the initial Whitebox.go.ke. Last comment in the image notes.. the Whitebox team and partners (whoever they are) will work with approved products or services GUIDED by procurement law. This is not about seeking foreign funds, but about utilizing local funds (in national and county budgets) to build up society (including local talent). Racism is not a factor here. Patriotism is. One of the competitions should target making the procurement process more transparent in counties and state corporations. The competitions we need are not the ones which draw locals who follow foreigners all over the place but the ones seeking input from intelligent villagers seeking to overcome (not run away from) problems in their localities. On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 9:07 PM John Paul Karijo <johnpaulem@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Muraya,
I agree with Jimmy. I got into the whole Startup and Innovation space through such a competition. I have trained young people how to prepare and win such competitions - but once they win I have to carry the guilt of building someone up and not knowing what to tell them to expect in their future.
Goals of competitions are really good on paper and zero in reality. Also we are not the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc - We are Kenya our context is different... Startups here are working on solutions to fundamental issues as opposed to these countries where they are past that and are working on incremental solutions. Also adoption and diffusion of innovation here in the Savannah takes longer and is harder than these countries you just mentioned.
If they want to build local talent they should invest in the Community Innovation hubs that are doing it such as Swahili Box and Sote Hub and Lake Hub and Eldoret Hub... they should support other upcoming ones and the founders trying to make them a reality such as Nakuru Hub and Meru Hub.
With kind regards
Jeipea
Believe in yourself then you can change your world
____________________________________________ Skype: john.paul.em Cell: +254735586956
On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 8:36 PM S.M. Muraya via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Jimmy,
Do nations such as the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc, not engage in such competitions? Is the goal of such competitions not to identify + build up local talent?
Competitions must occur to IDENTIFY localized talent. These are persons who will be most fulfilled working to develop their localities in Kenya. LOCALIZATION to make life easier for every Kenyan (resident:)
On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:47 PM JImmy Gitonga via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now.
Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric.
I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world.
One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet.
Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ...
Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
_______________________________________________
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- SMM
*"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32* _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- SMM *"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32*
JP, The initial site had s list of the known ICT facilities who you point out as possibly useful in supporting the applicants. There are changes/additions to the site including the secretariat and advisors. And as the CS cited during unveiling today now as Huduma Whitebox, there is a link on patent for KIPI. "We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government." Businesses are built off and on ideas - tech or analogue. Thus an avenue to harness ideas is welcome. May a Kenyan globe-shattering venture emerge. Especially from the unexpected corners of the nation. Now that the service is supported by staff at Huduma Centres. I am sure other nations are following and an Award is coming up soon! Be blessed.Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". On Tuesday, 23 October 2018, 21:08:58 GMT+3, John Paul Karijo via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Hi Muraya, I agree with Jimmy. I got into the whole Startup and Innovation space through such a competition. I have trained young people how to prepare and win such competitions - but once they win I have to carry the guilt of building someone up and not knowing what to tell them to expect in their future. Goals of competitions are really good on paper and zero in reality. Also we are not the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc - We are Kenya our context is different... Startups here are working on solutions to fundamental issues as opposed to these countries where they are past that and are working on incremental solutions. Also adoption and diffusion of innovation here in the Savannah takes longer and is harder than these countries you just mentioned. If they want to build local talent they should invest in the Community Innovation hubs that are doing it such as Swahili Box and Sote Hub and Lake Hub and Eldoret Hub... they should support other upcoming ones and the founders trying to make them a reality such as Nakuru Hub and Meru Hub. With kind regards Jeipea Believe in yourself then you can change your world ____________________________________________Skype: john.paul.emCell: +254735586956 On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 8:36 PM S.M. Muraya via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Jimmy, Do nations such as the USA, China, Russia, UK, Germany, Israel, India, Singapore, etc, not engage in such competitions? Is the goal of such competitions not to identify + build up local talent? Competitions must occur to IDENTIFY localized talent. These are persons who will be most fulfilled working to develop their localities in Kenya. LOCALIZATION to make life easier for every Kenyan (resident:) On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:47 PM JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards,Jimmy Gitonga@afrowave ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out... So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. Thanks. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/murigi.muraya%40gmail.... The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. -- SMM "Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Prov 16:32 _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/johnpaulem%40gmail.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wangarikabiru%40yahoo.... The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Jimmy, listers, It can assure you that execution will not be a problem. I have already received a good number of direct initial enquiries and expressions of interest from local innovators across multiple forums (not only ICT but engineering, agri, health / biotech) and they want the co-op launched like *yesterday*! It will be a willing member organisation and each member will be a *part owner* with shares. Founders will get special founding-member shares in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional. For those interested, please email me directly (pmaina2000@yahoo.com) to express your interest in membership and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya and whether interested as well. Interim requirements for members are broad for now (but this could change as we formalize) i.e. must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities. To qualify as a founding official, you must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application for the same). In all cases, please DON'T disclose any unprotected ideas or trade secrets until we have our constitution and idea protection framework in place. For those who have already messaged me, no need to resend as I'm still going through the messages. I am impressed by the enthusiasm so far which is very energising! Things will move *very fast* in the next few weeks as we formalize and register the organization, so don't hesitate to get on board right away if interested in joining as a founding member or official. Have a great evening. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 5:59:56 PM GMT+3, JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards,Jimmy Gitonga@afrowave ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out... So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. Thanks. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Haya Patrick, we have work to do. Have a good evening as well. Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave On Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 21:57 Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
Jimmy, listers,
It can assure you that execution will not be a problem. I have already received a good number of direct initial enquiries and expressions of interest from local innovators across multiple forums (not only ICT but engineering, agri, health / biotech) and they want the co-op launched like *yesterday*!
It will be a willing member organisation and each member will be a *part owner* with shares. Founders will get special founding-member shares in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional.
For those interested, please email me directly (pmaina2000@yahoo.com) to express your interest in membership and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya and whether interested as well.
Interim requirements for members are broad for now (but this could change as we formalize) i.e. must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities.
To qualify as a founding official, you must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application for the same).
In all cases, please DON'T disclose any unprotected ideas or trade secrets until we have our constitution and idea protection framework in place.
For those who have already messaged me, no need to resend as I'm still going through the messages. I am impressed by the enthusiasm so far which is very energising!
Things will move *very fast* in the next few weeks as we formalize and register the organization, so don't hesitate to get on board right away if interested in joining as a founding member or official.
Have a great evening. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 5:59:56 PM GMT+3, JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now.
Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric.
I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world.
One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet.
Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ...
Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link.
Thanks. Patrick.
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.?
3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG!
We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- with Regards, Jimmy Gitonga Web and Motion
Warm greetings Patrick! Yes, crazy proposition is - because certainly half the world would view it as such. Just envision the first African Coffee farmers coop. So save yourself and them too and just move on with your gig, some will catch on to you enroute! Ideas are gold... And even Governments are looking... Presidential Innovation Fellows | | | | | | | | | | | Presidential Innovation Fellows The Presidential Innovation Fellows program brings the principles, values, and practices of the innovation econo... | | | "We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government." The program is currently recruiting for a Fall 2018 cohort to continue this work. Potential new projects include: - How might we dramatically improve health outcomes by creating the world's largest research cohort through the All of Us Research Program at the National Institutes of Health? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs deliver better experiences to our nation’s veterans? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Department of Agriculture deliver better end-to-end services to its customers? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Transportation leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to make our cities and transportation systems safer? More Detail - How might the Department of Defense better collaborate with startups? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors better counter global disinformation and become more data-driven? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Commerce create jobs and economic impact by leveraging our federal investments in research and development? More Detail - How might we help U.S. Department of State better execute on policy priorities? More Detail - How might we help the Millenium Challenge Corporation continue to lead the fight against global poverty by empowering partner governments to better leverage data and technology? More Detail - How might we help the USMC modernize all areas of logistics: people, process and technology? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Veteran Affairs deliver more user-centered services and care?More Detail - How can a new Chief Data Officer (CDO) help the U.S. Department of State become more data-driven?More Detail Be blessed.Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". On Tuesday, 23 October 2018, 21:58:18 GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Jimmy, listers, It can assure you that execution will not be a problem. I have already received a good number of direct initial enquiries and expressions of interest from local innovators across multiple forums (not only ICT but engineering, agri, health / biotech) and they want the co-op launched like *yesterday*! It will be a willing member organisation and each member will be a *part owner* with shares. Founders will get special founding-member shares in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional. For those interested, please email me directly (pmaina2000@yahoo.com) to express your interest in membership and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya and whether interested as well. Interim requirements for members are broad for now (but this could change as we formalize) i.e. must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities. To qualify as a founding official, you must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application for the same). In all cases, please DON'T disclose any unprotected ideas or trade secrets until we have our constitution and idea protection framework in place. For those who have already messaged me, no need to resend as I'm still going through the messages. I am impressed by the enthusiasm so far which is very energising! Things will move *very fast* in the next few weeks as we formalize and register the organization, so don't hesitate to get on board right away if interested in joining as a founding member or official. Have a great evening. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 5:59:56 PM GMT+3, JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards,Jimmy Gitonga@afrowave ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out... So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. Thanks. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wangarikabiru%40yahoo.... The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Good morning listers! Some quick updates on the Kenyan Innovators Cooperative Society: The deadline for expressing interest in Founder Membership for the Kenyan Innovators Cooperative Society is 2nd Nov. 2018 at 23:59. We aim to have our first meeting soon after that in early/mid November. The Coop's primary purpose is to provide a simplified (and less risky) path to commercialization for local innovation and to unlock benefits of scale for innovators. We envisage three main revenue paths to start with: 1. Direct to market - which will involve selling some of the innovative products directly in different markets (both private and public sectors) - starting with Kenya. 2. IP licensing - where we offer a rich pool of well protected Indigenous Intellectual Property to willing strategic partners, anywhere in the world, for commercialization. 3. R&D Joint Ventures with Private sector, NGOs and/or Governments to find indigenous solutions to specific challenges where we jointly co-own the IP. The Coop is expected to have a pool of some of the most creative tech brains in the country (who will be highly motivated, as they get to share the profits) so there should be some good demand for this service across the continent. Revenue share will be linked to IP contribution to avoid freeloaders/joyriders and initial structure will be agreed by the founding team - and then subsequently refined - as/when needed - via AGMs. Vesting structure / tiers for member shares will be performance based (rather than time-based) to ensure highest quality membership, with innovators who offer market-relevant solutions that make money. Our goal is to build wealth for indigenous innovators and to inspire future innovators by proving in a concrete and sustainable way that innovation can be a path to success. To express your interest in Founder Membership please email me directly (pmaina2000@yahoo.com) - so we don't flood this list - and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya. For those who have already sent, I'll be confirming receipt shortly - if not done so already. Membership types & criteria: * Founding Member: Must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities. Willing to commit some time & effort to help grow the Coop. * Founding Official (limited slots): Must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim for the same (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application). Leadership skills. Willing to commit some time & effort to help grow the Coop in a leadership capacity. Founders will get special founding-member shares/perks in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional. Please forward this email to your other (local) lists, groups, professional networks and social media as well. The more the members, the stronger the Coop will be. "Creating sustainable wealth through unity and collaboration" will be our interim motto. Note: Please DON'T send me any unprotected ideas or trade secrets. There will be an official process for that once we have registered the Coop and have our constitution + idea protection framework in place. Be blessed and have a great day! Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 9:57:15 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> wrote: Jimmy, listers, It can assure you that execution will not be a problem. I have already received a good number of direct initial enquiries and expressions of interest from local innovators across multiple forums (not only ICT but engineering, agri, health / biotech) and they want the co-op launched like *yesterday*! It will be a willing member organisation and each member will be a *part owner* with shares. Founders will get special founding-member shares in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional. For those interested, please email me directly (pmaina2000@yahoo.com) to express your interest in membership and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya and whether interested as well. Interim requirements for members are broad for now (but this could change as we formalize) i.e. must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities. To qualify as a founding official, you must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application for the same). In all cases, please DON'T disclose any unprotected ideas or trade secrets until we have our constitution and idea protection framework in place. For those who have already messaged me, no need to resend as I'm still going through the messages. I am impressed by the enthusiasm so far which is very energising! Things will move *very fast* in the next few weeks as we formalize and register the organization, so don't hesitate to get on board right away if interested in joining as a founding member or official. Have a great evening. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 5:59:56 PM GMT+3, JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards,Jimmy Gitonga@afrowave ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000@yahoo.com> To: "kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out... So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. Thanks. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
participants (6)
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Admin CampusCiti -
JImmy Gitonga -
John Paul Karijo -
Patrick A. M. Maina -
S.M. Muraya -
WANGARI KABIRU