That we are 117th out of 118 countries surveyed is damning. No question about that.
A few things from your article:
The massive informalization of our economy could, in fact, be a huge opportunity for people with startup ideas - EcoCash formalized our informal way of sending money.
Startups do not need to solve problems for formal business - EcoCash, Mukuru, WhatsApp, etc are solving problems for the ordinary person on the street, not formal business. In any case, formal businesses are too rigid and content with their current business models.
Holding the Ideas Festival in Nyanga is one of the bad ideas for growing startups because Nyanga is not accessible to the recent graduate or the ordinary guy on the street whom we should be encouraging to build a startup. Nyanga sends the message that getting funding is reserved for the elite (those that can afford to travel and stay in Nyanga). The festival should be held in places accessible to lots and lots of ordinary people, such as Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Mutare, etc.
That we are 117th out of 118 countries surveyed is damning. No question about that.
A few things from your article:
The massive informalization of our economy could, in fact, be a huge opportunity for people with startup ideas - EcoCash formalized our informal way of sending money.
Startups do not need to solve problems for formal business - EcoCash, Mukuru, WhatsApp, etc are solving problems for the ordinary person on the street, not formal business. In any case, formal businesses are too rigid and content with their current business models.
Holding the Ideas Festival in Nyanga is one of the bad ideas for growing startups because Nyanga is not accessible to the recent graduate or the ordinary guy on the street whom we should be encouraging to build a startup. Nyanga sends the message that getting funding is reserved for the elite (those that can afford to travel and stay in Nyanga). The festival should be held in places accessible to lots and lots of ordinary people, such as Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Mutare, etc.
Thank you for your detailed response. Startups are but a small part of the Ideas Festival. You are wrong about what Startups are supposed to do.