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Lessons from the rooms.

A letter most Tuesdays on founders and the rooms they rise in. Every one lives here too: testing ideas, hiring, funding in Africa, and staying in the game.

What you getOne letter, most Tuesdays.A true story from the rooms and one thing you can try that week.
Who it is forFounders, and the people who back them.And anyone building a room of their own.
The promiseShort and honest.A few minutes to read. Unfollow any time with one click.
From a recent letter

Five years and more than 5,000 founders later, I have finally admitted that the programs we are known for are the least important thing we do.

Read it in full

Every article.

15 pieces
The first time you have to let someone goOn leadershipThe first time you have to let someone goNobody prepares you for the day you become the reason someone loses their income.11 August 2026 · 2 min readThe local founder's unfair advantageOn marketsThe local founder's unfair advantageThe funding numbers make it look like being local is a disadvantage. Look closer at what you actually hold.29 July 2026 · 3 min readYour first hire will make or break youOn hiringYour first hire will make or break youWhen there are three of you, one person is a third of the company. Choose accordingly.27 July 2026 · 4 min readWhen the side hustle becomes the main thingOn the leapWhen the side hustle becomes the main thingThe hardest season of building is the one where you are doing two jobs badly and cannot yet let either one go.24 July 2026 · 4 min readYour first 1,000 users, with no budgetOn tractionYour first 1,000 users, with no budgetNobody is coming to discover you. The first thousand are won one conversation at a time.22 July 2026 · 3 min readThe co-founder conversation nobody has early enoughOn co-foundersThe co-founder conversation nobody has early enoughYou will talk about the product for months before you talk about each other. That order costs companies their lives.21 July 2026 · 3 min readWhat really happens at Startup Bar?On the roomsWhat really happens at Startup Bar?Picture this.16 July 2026 · 2 min readOn buildingSolutions in search of a problemThe quiet killer of African startups is falling in love with your answer before you've understood the ache. Why problem-first thinking beats building in the dark.6 July 2026 · 6 min readOn validationThe Overbuilt Dream vs. The Validated RealityMany entrepreneurs build elaborate solutions in isolation, only to discover their customers want something simpler. Why starting with WhatsApp and M-Pesa beats a polished MVP.6 July 2026 · 3 min readOn equityWho's Building Africa's Future?77% of $3.5B raised in Africa went to expat founders. Africa has the talent. The gap is aligned trust, equitable capital, and platforms that truly see its own.6 July 2026 · 3 min readOn mindsetWhy Is Building Startups Frustrating?The four traps that burn founders out, from building to prove a point to chasing grants when you need customers.6 July 2026 · 3 min read

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