Agosta,<br><br>Please expound, advise, update on the Kenyan tech community..<br><br>My thinking is somebodies (e.g.TransCentury types) in their right mind will NEVER invest in Kenyan youth | techies who worship the West -- who do not demonstrate PATRIOTISM - a PRACTICAL (not just emotional or ideological) value for Kenya or its activities in the EAC or COMESA.<br>
<br>Too many Kenyans are here today, then migrated tomorrow. <br><br>Most of us mentally colonized people (Africans mostly), lack Locally Respected Enterprise Cultures (LREC) to produce National and Regional if not Global Companies | Brand Names.. So we keep on producing Migrant "Nurses" to serve people who do not think too well of us. <br>
<br>Almost every decent software engineer I have interviewed over the past 2 or 3 years tells me they hate being involved in Government deals (sleaze & sloth) and the way business (bribery) is done in Kenya. Thus they would rather work for foreign firms. <br>
<br>It is not easy convincing them to work well (for 2 or 3 years) for at least one local firm intending to list on the NSE one day so they can learn to create and grow LOCALIZED wealth.<br><br>We will never understand Western problems as well as Westerners do, just like they will never undertstand African problems like we do.. So the Kenyan | African Firms worth most investments will be focused in providing localized | regional solutions -- to our rapidly growing populations.<br>
<br>Suspect this decade (2012-2020) will see Kenyan techprenuers whose firms create LOCALIZED wealth doing even better via the NSE. They are likely to have been in the local local tech business scene for at least 5 years and will be over 30 years of age.<br>
<br>This is not the USA | Silicon Valley where various Constitutional and Legal institutions work to check corruption and increase investor confidence. We need to build and invest in local firms that strengthen institutions that promote integrity. <br>
<br>Yes? No?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 8:23 AM, Agosta Liko <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:agostal@gmail.com">agostal@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Sam<br>
<br>
This is commendable, Paul Graham and the Y Combinator model can be<br>
very effective for Kenya.<br>
<br>
My thought has always been that for young guys to develop anything,<br>
someone has to jump in early, provide a place to work, food and even<br>
accommodation as they hack away for 3-6 months<br>
<br>
Once that is done, they have a product that works end to end, a few<br>
clients and they can move from these. I think the country has focus<br>
too much on VC's as opposed to developing a good angel network for<br>
enterpreneurs to tap for early stage money.<br>
<br>
The y combinator model protects entrepreneurs from being in a<br>
perpetual bootstrap mode... Where you have to keep running after<br>
development and website to earn your keep.<br>
<br>
Looking forward to seeing the tech community grow... Especially the<br>
"guy with and idea"<br>
<br>
Again, good stuff chief<br>
<br>
Liko<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On 5/21/11, Samuel Gichuru <<a href="mailto:gichuru@gmail.com">gichuru@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Listers,<br>
><br>
> I am glad to say that after meeting Paul Graham at Y Combinator I got<br>
> introductions to everybody else I would have loved to meet including Reid<br>
> Hoffman of linkedIn.<br>
><br>
> I can now confidently say that in the future Nailab might have a chance to<br>
> present smart innovative ideas to VC and Angle Investors together with the<br>
> likes of dropbox , airbnb and others in Silicon Valley.<br>
><br>
> PS Ndemo, I am disappointed that government bodies like KICTB keep sending<br>
> people all over the world and cannot facilitate a simple meeting or<br>
> connection despite the enormousness opportunity such networkings present to<br>
> the average Nailab entrepreneur or tech seating at the Ihub.<br>
><br>
> Sam Gichuru<br>
> Nailab<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 7:41 PM, Samuel Gichuru <<a href="mailto:gichuru@gmail.com">gichuru@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
>><br>
>> Hi..<br>
>><br>
>> I am visiting San Francisco and would have loved to visit Facebook, I<br>
>> understand Kenya ICT Board had a team that did a visit a while back and<br>
>> was<br>
>> wondering if anyone on this list was part of that team, I have tried<br>
>> reaching Paul Kokubo to no avail, some kidogo networking here will not<br>
>> hurt<br>
>> .. thank you<br>
>><br>
>> NB: I already have visited, Sales Force and is Scheduled to Visit Google,<br>
>> Y<br>
>> Combinator and a host of other companies, - Two office I cant find<br>
>> networking contacts are Facebook and Apple, your help will be much<br>
>> appreciated.<br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
>> Warm Regards,<br>
>> ------------------------<br>
>> Samuel Gichuru<br>
>> Nailab Director<br>
>><br>
</div></div>>> twitter: | @samgichuru <<a href="http://twitter.com/samgichuru" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/samgichuru</a>><br>
>> Blog: | <a href="http://www.samgichuru.com" target="_blank">www.samgichuru.com</a><br>
>> Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <<a href="http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru</a>><br>
<div class="im">>> Skype: Sam.gichuru<br>
>> Cellphone: | 0722-730565<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Warm Regards,<br>
> ------------------------<br>
> Samuel Gichuru<br>
><br>
</div>> twitter: | @samgichuru <<a href="http://twitter.com/samgichuru" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/samgichuru</a>><br>
> Blog: | <a href="http://www.samgichuru.com" target="_blank">www.samgichuru.com</a><br>
> Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <<a href="http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru</a>><br>
<div class="im">> Skype: Sam.gichuru<br>
> Cellphone: | 0722-730565<br>
><br>
<br>
--<br>
</div>Sent from my mobile device<br>
<br>
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