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🌍 Exciting News! 🌍 We're thrilled to host this thoughtful webinar on cross market opportunities between Africa, the Middle East, and Ireland! Have you ever thought about doing business across the different EMEA geographies? Or simply learn about the latest developments in markets such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Nigeria? Come join us on the 19th of July, Friday, at 12pm Dublin/London/Lagos time for an hour of great conversation and networking! --Please share this with your network and anyone else who might be keen-- Our panel discussing the topic include: Eimear Costigan: Senior Market Adviser (Technology), Sub-Saharan Africa - Enterprise Ireland Emeka Chukwureh: Head Customer Flexibility Solutions - ENOWA, NEOM Akinwande Akinsulire: Head of Startup Support - Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) Cikay Richards: CEO of Lyra in Africa And will be moderated by: Leyla F Karaha: Techstars Community Leader and Founder of YourY Network | Social Entrepreneurs Edward Emmanuel: Founder of EE Digital Capital We look forward to seeing you on the 19th! -- Register to attend at https://lu.ma/otuobyoy --  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝!
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥
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Despite robust economic growth, Africa🌍 is grappling with a significant issue: its prosperity isn't being evenly distributed 💰👪🏾 Financial inclusion, which is the ability to access and utilise formal financial services effectively, can be a key enabler to this! According to the latest World Bank Development Economics Data, Sub-Saharan Africa has 33% of adults owning mobile money accounts, compared to 10% globally, but only 55% of adults in the region have any form of non-cash remittance financial access. Though this rose by 12% in the past six years, nearly half the adult population (45%) still lacks access to any essential financial services. This is below the 71% average for other developing regions 💱 The gender gap is particularly striking.. Only 49% of women have access to financial services compared to 61% of men. This disparity is often due to limited access to mobile phones and identification documents, which are crucial for setting up and using financial accounts 📱👩🏾💼 When it comes to savings, the data reveals more 😲 39% of mobile money users actively save using their accounts, but overall saving rates in the region is only 56%. Meaning a whopping 44% lack access to any sort of savings instrument. Moreover, only 14% of adults can access $50 in emergency funds in 30 days should their main income source get disrupted! But it's not all bleak. The rapid adoption of digital wallets and mobile money offers a promising pathway for broader financial inclusion. With easier and cheaper access to smartphone data plans, digital wallets are becoming a mainstream solution for financial transactions - think direct peer to peer exchange + micro savings/loans etc. The expansion of digital wallets, as seen with M-Pesa in Kenya, demonstrates the transformative impact these tools can have. By 2025, digital wallets in Africa are expected to generate $15 billion in revenue, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 24% 📈 🚀 But addressing underlying barriers such as the gender gap, digital literacy, enabling affordable data plans, and connecting existing eco-systems and stakeholders on the ground - is a must! Drawing lessons from other developing regions, Brazil's experience with its Pix (Banco Central do Brasil) payment system helped increase financial account ownership from 56% in 2011 to 84% today. Developing an inclusive digital finance ecosystem, fostering a pro-competition environment, and deepening collaboration between incumbent financial institutions and fintech startups are crucial from our Latin American and Asian examples 🇧🇷 🌎 With inclusive financial practices, we can empower individuals and businesses across Africa to participate fully in their economic upside and drive sustainable resilient growth. Are you involved in the space and trying to make a difference? Give us your take on financial inclusion and Africa's rise!  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝!
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 "Murakaza Neza!" or "Welcome!" in Kinyarwanda, introduces Rwanda 🇷🇼 , a country of breathtaking hills, landscapes and a vibrant populace of just over 13 million. As of 2023, this nation boasts a flourishing 50 billion dollar economy, rapidly positioning itself as one of Africa's premier investment hotspots 🌍. This surge in interest is no accident; Rwanda's forward-thinking policies and welcoming business climate, encapsulated in the initiative "Doing Business in Rwanda," are key drivers of its allure. Why Set Your Sights on Rwanda? It’s almost a breeze for entrepreneurs. Initiating a venture in Rwanda is refreshingly simple. The nation stands out on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index (2022), ranking 38th globally and second in Africa—a testament to its streamlined entrepreneurial landscape 💼 Incentives Galore! Rwanda rolls out the red carpet for investors with perks designed to ease business operations right from the start. Highlights include a two-year trade licence waiver for new SMEs, complimentary business registration, and an efficient six-hour online registration process. Add to that a one-stop centre for investor support, no foreign ownership or capital flow restrictions, and capital gains tax exemptions, and you've got an irresistible package 💰 There’s robust Infrastructure incoming and wild tech ambitions. Rwanda prides itself on its dynamic private sector, ambitious infrastructure projects, and industrial parks that nurture commerce. Moreover, the nation is on a mission to cement its status as Africa's tech nucleus, with initiatives like the Kigali Innovation City—a $1.9 billion venture poised to be a crucible of ICT excellence🏗️🚀 The Rwandan economy has kaleidoscope of opportunities, with its tentacles spread across education, healthcare, IT, and financial services, presents a fertile ground for diverse investment ventures 📈 More Than Just Profits: Social and Environmental Vision Rwanda's investment appeal transcends financial metrics, offering a chance to be part of a society committed to both social progress and environmental stewardship: Youthful Vigour: With 70% of its population under 30, Rwanda is a hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship reflective of Africa’s overall demographic dividend. A young population looking to capitalise on the opportunities as a potential hub of East Africa and beyond🌱 Eco-Conscious Development: The Rwandan government's vision for a climate-resilient and carbon-neutral future by 2050 is bold and clear. We can see traces of this no nonsense approach after it became one of the first countries globally to ban single use plastic bags and bottles since 2008! Through pioneering a carbon market framework, Rwanda incentivises sustainable business practices and technology investment, balancing economic expansion with ecological and social harmony. This carbon trading initiative not only motivates businesses to minimise their carbon footprint for financial gain but also aligns with global efforts to combat climate change, setting a commendable example for other nations 🌳♻️ We’re hopeful at EE Digital Capital about the impact policy and direction from the top has in addressing societal and environmental issues. Rwanda serves as a stunning example of how frontier and emerging economies can galvanise the private sector and steward capital into sectors of interest and bastions of opportunity. We’ll continue to watch this space 🌟  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝!
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 Investing and supporting the right companies will play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of global climate change 🌍 🍀 🌊 The world is grappling with rising sea levels and declining water supplies, which are directly affecting the livelihoods of millions of people across the globe. Africa, despite being responsible for less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is unfortunately, highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.. For example, over 110 million people in Africa were directly affected by climate and water-related hazards in 2022, resulting in economic damages of over 8.7 billion EUR. Likewise, the Emergency Event Database reported approximately 5,000 fatalities, with 48 percent attributed to drought and 43 percent to flooding. However, the true toll is likely much higher due to under-reporting. Investing in climate action, and by extension, companies addressing climate change, will be crucial in addressing these repercussions in Africa. Thankfully, investments into the local industry are already picking up! 📈 As of end-December 2022, the African Development Bank had approved 34 projects for which it has deployed 920 million EUR equivalent in CIF resources in addition to 1.99 billion EUR equivalent of its own co-financing deployed into climate change initiatives on the continent. Likewise, venture capital recorded a cool US$800 million deployed into African climate action startups for all of last year! Africa's abundance of renewable energy resources, available land, and young population make it an attractive investment destination for climate action 🌄 The opportunities in the continent are drawing investors who are determined to bring about meaningful change for global climate issues.. Another example of this has come in the form of ‘carbon sinks’ on the continent. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), carbon markets are trading systems in which carbon credits are sold and bought. Of which, carbon sinks are the physical embodiments that can help accumulate and store carbon, removing it from the atmosphere, and accumulate carbon credits in the process! Africa, with its rich mosaic of natural ecosystems, could potentially build carbon credits into the continent's next significant export 🌿 🍃 And with it, the tech solutions that can enable its fostering, maintenance, and management. All developed and deployed locally 💻 🤓 👧 🛠 In the recent COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, more deals were announced as part of the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), with an aim to raise US$6 billion by 2030. At EE Digital Capital, we’re at the forefront of these opportunities, seeing first hand how the right levers of capital can make lasting changes on the ground. And Africa’s role in our global pursuit of sustainability, though yet fully realised, is definitely on its way 🚂 🚂 #africa #tech #climatechange  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝!
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 All young companies wish to grow into corporate success machines eventually 🏢⚙️🤓 With it comes a lot more resources to tackle everything from research, product development, communications, and operations. These resources also allow them to specialise. Expertise in each given role, to carry out a particular task to its best ability. What you get is a juggernaut, cogs in a well-oiled machine that keeps the engine humming, and going at speed in the direction of the executive team ⏩⏩⏩ But what corporations struggle with is precisely what start-ups excel at! Operating at the bleeding edge requires deftness, being able to switch direction at a moment's notice, and make decisions at sufficient speed. Traditionally, start ups are known to be nimble, quick, and agile 🐈 😼 Ever-ready to meet the needs of its market and customers. A flatter hierarchy also allows decisions to be made a lot faster! So you're looking to 'get things done', with less layers of management, and interference. But alas, the growing pains stage of a start-up requires specializing, and the days of the generalist founding team gets numbered. Leadership being funneled off into their specific departments to be built up. So if start-ups want to become corporations eventually, what should corporations take away from start-ups? Stay tuned as we explore how large organisations can learn a thing or two from budding young companies, of which ironically, they were fully on top of when just starting out ⛰️  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 Customer Journey Mapping 🗺️ is a simple exercise of charting the day-to-day of your end-user or purchasing decision maker personas 👷♀️💱 On a technical feasibility level, the journey map of an end-user helps to formulate the paradigm of how a proposed solution would have to function, in order to address some of the key issues faced on that journey. Admittedly, creating a journey map for some purchasing decision makers may not be necessary. For example, the life of a CFO or procurement manager and its limited interaction with your proposition may show itself as less relevant. With this, a Value Proposition Canvas should suffice. But ultimately, Customer Journey Mapping helps to further empathise with your lead characters, and figure out the potential areas, or 'touch points', that your proposition would need to perform on. In the parlance of Digital Transformation speak. Your 'AS-IS' and 'TO-BE' states 📈 Similar to the Value Proposition Canvas, Customer Journey Maps should be updated when new relevant information surfaces. Where would this information come from? Again, from the conversations and tests that you carry out with your prospective customers. These iterations continue to be the name of the game, until at least reaching Product-Market fit. Of which, your core end-user and purchasing decision-maker assumptions would have been right on the money. How much time have you spent on testing and updating your end-user and purchasing decision-maker assumptions?  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 It was a great opportunity to run through the Lean Canvas framework with participants of the incredible HSE Spark Innovation Programme in Dublin, Ireland! A programme seeking to help on-the-ground healthcare professionals in Ireland, discover the art of the possible. So why Lean Canvas? Mainly to encapsulate the key assumptions and hyptheses that would make a new product/service/venture tick, into a 1-page tool, that continues to get validated over time. The importance of building the 'muscle memory' equivalent of getting used to exploring the spectrum of components that make up the canvas. And then stringing it all together. There were some incredible challenges and problems being explored by this cohort! And at EE Digital Capital, we're looking to stretch the boundaries and change the status quo of what could be. For People, and Planet. Brilliant work by the organisers that also included EIT Health Ireland-UK, Health Service Executive, The Guinness Enterprise Centre, Sapien Innovation Hopefully, the start of many great things to come 💡 ✨ 
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 The Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) is a powerful tool that helps you in your quest to reach the first 2 of your core 'fits': Problem-Solution fit, and Product-Market fit. The fact that it gets much less press than its more famous cousins, Lean Canvas, and Business Model Canvas, is a shame. When harnessed correctly, VPC iterations will help you hone in on the key issues that make a prospective customer tick. Getting deep under the hood. To the root core of human-centric needs. So how do we utilise VPC? Start off by determining the customer segment you're targeting, and the main personas in that segment. Sometimes we get a minor 'conflict' at this stage between Lean Startup and Design-Thinking enthusiasts. Why start with markets before use-cases? As with everything, each case may differ. But determining broad high-level market trends and sizing at the outset helps to avoid drilling into use-cases that may not be commercially viable, even though they tick all the usability boxes. So after segmenting your markets and the customers that represent it, you can begin to dissect the key personas that would represent end-users, and purchasing decision makers. Sometimes, these personas may end up being the same person, or end up being represented by multiple persons that make up a decision-making unit. The devil is in the details. So refinement is key, as you find out more through conversations and testing to help identify key stakeholders in the usage and purchasing process. And with that, you can begin to build up your VPC by jotting down the pains faced, jobs to be done, and delights being sought, for each of your highlighted personas. By knowing what your personas intimately want and need, you're in a much better position of matching those needs with the proposed build of your solution. So do not skimp out on this exercise! I repeat, do not take it lightly! Sure a Lean Canvas exercise is good for eliciting Problem-Solution fit on the surface, but VPC can take you into the depths. The refinement and iterative process of VPC continues as you seek to debunk key assumptions and white hot risks that may make or break the business. Understanding your personas, and being accurate in that understanding, is absolutely key here. And with that, we go to the next step of Customer Journey Mapping.  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 We've heard from companies scaling up to meet customer demand, about the flaws and set-backs of producing a Minimal Viable Product (MVP). Mainly, that the MVP was never fit for purpose. It seems unable to stand the stresses of onboarding more, doing more, or simply biting off more than it can chew. But that's precisely it. An MVP was only ever meant to meet the 'minimum' paying criteria of your customers to get the ball rolling. Moving onward to an actual product release takes a lot more planning, and may even require starting another build from scratch. Building upon your MVP without incorporating for future design and functionality, will have you building upon flimsy fundamentals that could bite you down the road, in the form of technical debt. But you had to build and ship your MVP to customers because "time was of the essence"! And we totally get that. If we had to pick however, we'd choose to build and ship the MVP with some reasonable forecasting, but prioritising your customer segment's immediate needs. And then come back to the drawing board when the pressures of scaling up begin to mount. Cross the bridge when it comes, as they say. That's when you'll have to make important decisions on how to proceed with your product development road map. So when the time actually comes for a full product release, don't be afraid to take a long hard look at the road that lies ahead, and making some difficult decisions now, rather than later.  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 We've all heard from entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and literature such as 'The Lean Startup' about the need of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). But where does a prototype and MVP actually begin or end? For MVPs, we only develop specific functionalities that a customer segment perceives as valuable. Features that represent the broad base of what your customer segment would be willing to take out their wallets for. And stripping back all the excess. But how would you determine this minimal set-list anyway? That's where rapid prototyping comes in. Low-code or no-code 'dumb' solutions that test the overall premise of your proposition with the target customer segment, while keeping cost-effective. The trick is to keep yourself at this prototype stage for as long as you can before starting to build an actual MVP. Because coding to build an MVP takes a lot more effort and resources, while also being a lot more costly to correct. So you want to have more certainty on what your customer is actually willing to pay for, before you commit the resources to build your MVP. Of course there are exceptions to this, but the need to stay cost-effective and lean clearly remains. Especially in this macro-economic climate. How are you navigating your prototyping and MVP process?  𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 @ 𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 |
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