4. “Nairobi is still in the ascendant phase of its hype
cycle, so failures have tended to be overlooked. The
impact and tech crowds share an interest in promoting
a romanticized narrative that technology can solve
Africa’s woes.” –
Jonathan Kalan ‘The Silicon Savannah: Of Vanity
Capital & Vanity Companies’ (Afrinnovator.com, 2012)
5. “There’s hype and then there’s business… Not every
mobile app is actually a company, nor is every techie
an entrepreneur.”
Andrea Bohnstedt, Not all are cut out for business (The
Star, 2012)
7. “There were (and still are) grand hopes of super
growth in technology based enterprise in Kenya by
virtue of this [fiber optic]; this is not wrong; I think the
only wrong thing is that it was assumed this would
happen overnight!.” –
Will Mutua ‘Stop Trying to be Silicon Valley’ –
Afrinnovator.com, 2010
8. Myths & Money
• Some things simply take time: We can’t be
‘silicon valley’ all at once
• Myths: Real, sustainable businesses will stand
the test of time; the hype & fad will fade (If
you haven’t check out Jim Collins’ ‘Built to
Last’)
• Money: It’s about efficiency, again with
time, will bring reorganization - smart
investments will attract smart money
9. Models
• There’s a whole section dedicated to this in
my book. Top 3 lessons from studying
China, Israel, SV ecosystems:
1. Top-Down vs Bottom-Up approach
2. ‘Soft matter’ vs ‘Hard matter’
3. Ultimately – culture, culture, culture
10. Habitat for Innovation
• Favorable rules of the • Open business
game environment/knowledge
• Knowledge intensity sharing
• High quality & mobile • Interaction between
workforce industry &
• Results-oriented universities/research
meritocracy institutes
• Climate that rewards risk • Collaboration among
& tolerates failure business, govt, nonprofits
• High quality of life
• Specialized business
‘infrastructure’
‘Hard’ vs ‘Soft’ Matter
The Silicon Valley Edge: A Habitat for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,Chong Moon Lee et al, Stanford University Press