Reframed by Mustard

Ep.043 - REVISTED | On second thought, is our purpose and work about more than just Africa?

social@bymustard.com (Andrew Sekandi, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 8 Nov 2023 04:30:00 +0000

Our mission and messaging at Mustard has always been centred on Africa. Since our founding we have been striving to create brands that stem from the continent, with the intent of changing its perceptions. But is this action bigger than the strong views and beliefs we hold about narratives?

We believe that the most powerful initiatives in history, which have moved the most people, have all been story-led. We therefore believe that founders can learn from these movements, by building ventures with their narrative first. But can this thinking and approach only be applied to Africa?

In this episode, Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss Mustard’s story, mission and actions in depth, and ponder what comes first in our thinking: narratives or Africa?

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Ep.042 - Do we need to embrace failure in the African startup space?

social@bymustard.com (Kevin Mutiso, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 1 Nov 2023 04:30:00 +0000

Statistically and practically speaking, entrepreneurship is all about failure. The vast majority of startups fail in a relatively short space of time, and even those that last only do so by successfully moving from one failure to the next.

If this is true, why do we tend to hold startup failures in a negative light? Why do we mostly only hear about them in the context of fraud and illicit activities. When was the last time you heard an inspiring failure story from any founder, let alone one in the African venture space?

In this episode we speak to Kevin Mutiso, founder of Oye, and formerly the founder of Alternative Circle, which is a startup that eventually failed. In our conversation Kevin shares how he processed his failure and moved to relative success because of it, and outlines why he thinks the topic is something that needs to be better discussed in Kenya, Africa and the world at large.

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Ep.041 - How to actually start with why, feel the fear, and do it anyway!

social@bymustard.com (Daby Osuji, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Even as we have expressed an increasing desire for “authentic” as opposed to authoritative brands in the 21st century, our generally accepted model for building businesses has remained stuck in the past. Most of us are still asking exactly what authenticity means in this context, and how a founder can bake it in from the start when creating their venture’s identity?

In this episode we speak to Daby Osuji, a corporate go-to-market strategist and founder of a faith-based blog Quill and Cross, to discuss how she is conceiving brand authenticity for the latter by following and expressing her own passions, feelings and beliefs. We speak about how founding her blog has required Daby to lay aside elements of her strategist mindset to lead with why instead of what, vulnerability instead of professionalism, and even passion instead of money.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” - Simon Sinek

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Ep.040 - Can we find objective beauty in maths, shapes and logo design?

social@bymustard.com (Kwaku Amprako, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 04:30:00 +0000

The old saying goes that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but is this entirely true? When it comes to the area of design, can the word “objective” ever be used appropriately? In the realm of logo design, is there a standard to which all should aim to reach? And, are there principles and analogies from mathematic that we can apply to help us reach them?

In this episode we speak to the award-winning logo designer Kwaku Amprako, who believes there is an “objectively good” way to create logos, and is using his voice as a social media influencer and technology as a founder, to try and prove it. In our discussion with Kwaku we explore his logo philosophy, and using illustrations from theories relating to shapes, physics and mathematics, we try to ground it.

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Ep.039 - REVISITED! Brands in Nigeria, brands in Africa, does the reality match the rhetoric?

social@bymustard.com (Funsho Felix, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:44:22 +0000

This week we revisit one of our most downloaded episodes, to re-assess the relevance of its takes on brands, in light of our recent conversations about African VC.

In this episode we spoke to Nigerian designer and brand influencer Mr. Funsho, to discuss his philosophy of branding, and how its value is perceived today by startups, industry veterans and everyday consumers in Nigeria. Does the culture of Nigeria and others across the continent believe returns can be made by focusing on brands and communication? And, how true is the quote below with regards to the continent today?

“As was the case at the turn of the decade, there remains a stronger enthusiasm for building African brands. But the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.” Thebe Ikalafeng, former CMO of Nike Africa and founder of Brands Africa

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Ep.038 - African VC and the justified and unjustified optimism surrounding it

social@bymustard.com (Mark Kleyner, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 4 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The African VC space - like almost all others around the world - will see a general decline in 2023, due to monetary policy changes. But did the industry have solid fundamentals to begin with prior to the effects of these changes? Does the overwhelming presence of multilateral organisations and development finance institutions as investors in the space suggest that it did not? And if not, into what state is it likely to bounce back?

In this episode we deeply question Africa’s VC industry with Mark Kleyner, the co-founder of Dream VC, which is an accelerator for existing and aspiring investors in Africa that is aiming to professionalise the space. From the data and Mark’s experience, we cover topics that often go unmentioned including the professionalism and readiness of African and foreign investors in the region, the justified and unjustified optimism surrounding the industry, and the prevailing politics, ideologies and media narratives that are actually holding the ecosystem back.

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Website

Dream VC's - junior LIVC Program

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Mark’s - LinkedIn / Twitter

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Ep.037 - How is creativity being leveraged to connect sports and brands with cultural moments?

social@bymustard.com (Kenny Annan-Jonathan, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Crystal Palace F.C. recently became the first club in the British Premier League’s history to appoint an official creative director, in the form of Mailroom talent agency’s founder Kenny Annan-Jonathan. The move appears to be a relatively novel trend, with US sporting teams such as the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers having only secured people in similar roles within the past three years; but is it one that we can expect to last. Is Kenny likely to be the first and last creative director in British sports?

In this episode of Reframed we speak to Kenny Annan-Jonathan in his first long-form interview since his Crystal Palace appointment, about the changing dynamics between sports, brands, culture and global audiences. Why did Nike’s campaign with fictional football team A.F.C Richmond sell out? Why is Qatari-owned PSG’s football shirt seen by some streetwear more than sportswear? And, what happened in 2018 to cause Nike’s Nigeria football jersey to sell out across an array of demographics?

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Ep.036 - Becoming an influencer: how has social media changed the game?

social@bymustard.com (Orlando Baxter) — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were perhaps the most recognisable faces in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s respectively amongst young people. However, in today’s influencer era one could argue that Kim Kardashian is on top, or at least thereabout.

In this episode we speak with Orlando Baxter, a veteran US comedian known for his Drybar comedy specials, to discuss the road to becoming an influencer. We know that fame, and the paths to it, and reasons for it, have changed over the last 20-30 years, but just how much of this change can be attributed to social media versus the natural attitudinal differences of younger generations. Has social media fundamentally altered the paths to fame (and fortune), and - if so - has it done so largely for better or worse?

Veteran comedian and former high-school teacher Orlando Baxter, has uniquely played and related with audiences all around the world and in every continent except Antarctica. Known for his Drybar comedy specials, his most recent of which has amassed over 10 million views, he has appeared on late-night shows including TBS’ Conan Show with Conan O’Brien, TBN’s Mike Huckabee Show, and BET’s “50 Central”.

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Ep.035 - Why is Africa still not globally competitive, and could it use attention economics to grow faster?

social@bymustard.com (Charlie Robertson, Ndubuisi Kejeh) — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

"_Africa is a resource-rich continent, specialising in fuel, mineral and agricultural exports… [It] exports proportionally more primary products than most other regions… However, African countries currently do not have a competitive advantage in any sectors [high up the value chain]._”

This quote written by the OECD in a March 2022 report, is a depressing truth when we consider that many African states have been in this position since the continent’s independence era, during the 1950s and ‘60s.

In this episode we discuss this statement’s accuracy and the continent’s underlying barriers to growth, with renowned macroeconomist and author of the ‘Fastest Billion’ and ‘The Time Travelling Economist’, Charlie Robertson. Additionally, we speak through the usual decades-long macroeconomic stages of growth, and ponder whether building global brands centred on Africa’s growing cultural exports might enable its states to leapfrog them!

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Twitter: @CharlieTTEcon

The Time Travelling Economist (book): https://t.co/Tzx8GTQveh

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Ep.034 - MUSTARD journey update - venture launches, raising and 'Barbie budgets'!

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 9 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Andrew and Ndubuisi use this episode to expose the goings on behind the scenes at MUSTARD. They take stock, reflect on the team’s growth to date, and outline some of the plans for venture launches and initiatives for the tail end of the year.

Where are we on the journey to build the first global consumer brands that stem from Africa? What do we aim to do over the next three months, and what is the one thing we will focus on this month? In this episode we answer these questions while divulging our learnings, pain points, and the things that have helped kept us in working on our mission for over decade.

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Ep.033 - Dev agency "investor" models: the beef between founders and engineers

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 2 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

As the cost of engineers has risen and stable apps have become more important to early startup success, surely the growth of dev agencies allowing founders to pay for product builds with equity instead of cash has been good news? Not so according to Prateek Sanjay, who has referred to dev agencies that call themselves “investors” as “scammers”. Furthermore he stated “LinkedIn needs to kick you snake oil artists off this platform for the use of deliberately misleading marketing on first-time founders.”

In this episode of Reframed, we use anecdotes to explore the often contentious relationship non-technical founders have with dev agencies, give our take on the model, and detail our difference as a “Venture Agency”.

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Ep.032 - Can celebrity appeal and money beat narratives in our attention economies?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s attention-focused commercial landscape does a celebrity co-founder or investor guarantee success? Would Mo Salah and an Egyptian startup equal global success? If so, why did Beyonce - one of the biggest female artists of all time - and Ivy Park fail? When the money and audience attention for a venture is so large, are there other clear factors that can lead to its downfall?

Andrew and Ndubuisi try to answer the above, while discussing the growing number of celebrity consumer brands and the role narratives, authenticity and coherence play in their performance.

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Ep.031 - The hero’s journey: how founders and Africa can use it to their advantage

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

We have all experienced and been made aware of the hero’s journey story arc, whether or not we have actually yet come across its name. Its story outline is present in the films we’ve watched, the books we’ve read, and it is likely behind any tale we’ve heard, whether true or false, especially if we found it particularly resonating. With all this in mind, what is the hero’s journey, and if it is so powerful and prevalent a storytelling tool, could we use it to add weight to our venture narratives?

In this episode Ndubuisi and Andrew outline and demystify this framework, reframe what success for the protagonist means in this context, and state why every venture founder should authentically leverage their hero’s journey, especially those hailing from Africa and other frontier markets.

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Ep.030 - How we think narratives can play a key role in capital raising

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Despite what some might eloquently pronounce in a TED talk, when it comes to the nitty-gritty of raising capital, is there any place for something as ‘airy-fairy’ as narratives?

Speak to enough founders who have been involved in the exercise, and you will likely find that most refer to capital raising as one of the most gruelling things they have done. Additionally, most will advise that the process is chiefly a numbers game. That being said are there ways that a founder can swing the numbers greatly in their favour? Could it be practical for us to expect prospect conversion rates of higher than 50%? And do we need to reframe the exercise from a game of raising to one of resonance? Andrew and Ndubuisi speak through it all in this episode and try to reframe our thinking.

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Ep.029 - Do we struggle to picture Africa in a global setting, and does this hold Africa back?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 5 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

What comes to our minds when someone mentions “Africa”? Assuming most have moved past thoughts of Band Aid, have these been replaced with those that are more commercial in nature? Are there any inspiring brands from Africa that come to mind, and - if so - are we more likely to consider them so through an “impact” lens or a competitive one? Are all of Africa’s countries still living in the future potential box, or have some graduated in our minds to the place of potential partially or fully realised? Do we picture the continent as a significant player on the international stage, or at the very least a region that is relevant to global commercial conversations?

In this episode Andrew and Ndubuisi reflect on these questions, and discuss them in light of a listener asking whether our Reframed content actually has an Africa-focus.

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Ep.028 - What are ‘authentic’ brands, and how are Africans relating with them?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The term ‘authentic brand’ has become a cliche over the last two decade or so, to the point that some imply that most brands that were built beforehand were and are lacking in it. But does anyone every really start a company with the aim of being inauthentic? Can the story of a venture ever feel genuine, unless it is based on a real person? And with that in mind, is there any difference in approach between a personal brand and a venture brand?

Ndubuisi and recurring guest - brand influencer Mr. Funsho - discuss these questions, while touching on the relationship Nigerians and Africans have with these modern authentic brands, and some from yesteryear.

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Ep.027 - Apple's Vision Pro: how products can reveal a brand's real philosophy

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

At Apple’s most recent WWDC event the Vision Pro - their new augmented and virtual reality headset - was finally revealed, which many commentators believe will bring about mass consumer adoption in its space.

The Vision Pro is not the first AR or VR product. Most recently Facebook changed its name to Meta and began investing billions in an effort to define and conquer this industry, in October 2021. However, up until the Vision Pro’s mention, and despite Meta’s massive gamble, most were doubtful that VR would be popularised any time soon. But why?

When two companies that have all the money and best talent in the world at their disposal build a product in the same space, what causes the product of one to generate mass appeal and that of the other to not? The Vision Pro and other Apple efforts seem to show that extreme amounts of money, time and intentionality are not all that is needed?

In this episode Andrew and Ndubuisi think through this, and discuss how often a company’s products and manifested actions, can reveal more about their core philosophy than anything written in their marketing campaigns.

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Ep. 026 - On second thought, is our purpose and work about more than just Africa?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

For as long as we can remember our mission and messaging at Mustard has been centred on Africa. We have been striving to create brands that stem from the continent, with the intent of changing its perceptions. But how does this mission relate to our strong and persistent thoughts on narratives? Does our belief that all ventures should be built with their narrative first apply only to Africa? Which of these elements is the more fundamental to who we are and what we do?

In this episode, Andrew and Ndubuisi speak about all of this. Exploring their recent thoughts and past experiences, they consider whether or not Mustard and its work is about more than its mission to build the first global brands to stem from Africa.

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Ep.025 - When it comes to products - is there anything new or ‘innovative’ under the sun?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 7 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

We often encounter investors, people in tech media and others members of the public, who speak passionately about wanting to invest, cover and revere startups who are making genuine product innovations. But from the viewpoint of an electrical and electronic engineer (Ndubuisi Kejeh) and computer scientist (Ricardo Tannus), just how often is innovation occurring in the consumer product space? Is this regard is there much - if anything - new under the sun?

In this episode Ndubuisi is joined again by recurring guest Ricardo to discuss innovation, and how - regardless of new developments in AI - the playing field in technology for product builders may be flatter than others make it out to be.

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Ep.024 - Are we just about brands and perceptions, what about products?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 31 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

We talk about brands a lot at Mustard, so much so, many we come across struggle to believe that we were started off as a group of engineers focused on building physical products with founders. Furthering their disbelief, we are now aiming to drop the mention of products in our strapline: ‘better products, better brands and perceptions for Africa’.

In this episode Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss the reasoning behind this messaging tweak, and in the process question whether companies’ purpose should be led by their audience, or if companies should lead audiences in their purpose? In the real world of business is ‘Start with Why’ great or impractical advice?

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Ep.023 - Can Africa compete? Or will AI developments push Africa further behind?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 24 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Regardless of whether or not you think AI will eventually destroy humanity, you would likely agree that key parts of our technological landscape are being shifted by it. But given that Africa is perceived to have a less developed technology space than the West and most other parts of the world, can we foresee Africa playing any part in the what people are calling the AI revolution?

Ndubuisi and Andrew discuss where they think many African states are today in terms of their macroeconomics and ability to technologically compete. Furthermore, they outline what they consider to be the real issue, beyond AI or any other potential future developments, which is keeping the continent from having a role in global advancements.

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Ep.022 - Fast-moving AI and the philosophy of its regulation

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 17 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Most will likely agree that Open AI’s Chat-GPT has quickly changed the technology landscape, but its rapid integration to SaaS tools and mention of getting a connection to live Internet data has caused many in the space to shout for regulation.

Renowned tech investor and commentator, Chamath Palihapitiya recently wrote an article arguing that “Federal oversight is necessary—not just to keep people safe, but also to scale technology in a sustainable way.” Some disagree vociferously with his point, but it begs the question of whether AI technology or even the internet and social media can be free, open - without regulation - and safe?

In this episode Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss this point, and take the time to sift through some of what they consider to be media misinformation on the current and future possibilities of artificial intelligence.

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Ep.021 - How your narrative sets your company culture, direction and 'soul'

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 10 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode Ndubuisi and second-time podcast guest and Catena co-founder Ricardo Tannus, think through the conclusion of Tripp Mickle’s book ‘After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion-dollar Company and Lost Its Soul’. According to Tripp, the passing of Steve Jobs and “Ive's departure in 2019 marked a culmination in Apple's shift from a company of innovation to one of operational excellence, and the price is a company that has lost its soul.”

With regards to a company what is, or can be considered as, its ‘soul’? Where does it come from, how is it developed; and, if it is as fundamental and essential to a company as a human soul, how easily can it be changed or influenced?

We give our thoughts on these, link them to our thesis and broad view on company narratives, and discuss how we often fail to recognise these elements and their effects in our commercial and personal lives. Also, we outline if agree with Tripp’s conclusion on Apple!

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Ep.020 - Africa's unusual and unused competitive advantage

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 3 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Africa exports proportionally more primary products than any other region in the world according to the OECD, and stated in their March 2020 report titled *‘How Africa can move up the value chain’*. However, despite its prevalence at the bottom of the value chain, with respect to its abilities at the top of the value chain, the OECD stated that ”*African countries currently do not have a competitive advantage in any… sectors.”*

Could this explain why Ghana sells cocoa but not chocolate? And, could it mean states will be unable to participate in, and gain the higher margins of, an increasingly brands-oriented global economy? Or, are the OECD and many other macroeconomists thinking one-dimensionally?

Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss what they consider to be Africa’s powerful and proven global competitive advantage in this episode, and how it could and should be leveraged to give African companies a presence at the top of the value chain.

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Ep.019 - Building global brands for Africa: our reflections so far

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

About a year into us launching our idea-stage investment vehicle to build the first global consumer tech brands to stem from Africa, Ndubuisi and Andrew take stock and speak frankly on some of the issues that have been faced so far.

Topics covered include: the early issues we faced trying to incorporate a vehicle to invest in the ideas of people as opposed to existing companies; why Africa still does not have consumer brands significantly recognised in international markets; Africa’s competitive advantage; and, why we call ourselves a ‘Venture Agency’?

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Ep.018 - Telling Nigeria’s fighting story to the world through Dambe

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

If you know your combat sports you would have likely heard of Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA), one that has been made globally popular by the UFC, which was only founded in 1993. Alongside MMA, there are other fighting styles such as Thailand’s Muay Thai, which have come to popularity in recent memory. However, are there any to have yet come out of Africa? And, if not, are there any that exist within the continent that are worth mentioning?

In this episode we speak with Max Kalu, founder of African Warriors Fighting Championship, who believes there are. His venture aims to bring to prominence Dambe: an ancient form of boxing native to the Hausa people of Nigeria. But Max’s aim is not just to make Dambe known to the rest of Africa. Using strategic PR, content production and storytelling, he is working to bring Dambe to worldwide audiences, and firmly root it as a fighting style in the global mainstream.

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Ep.017 A decade (or so) of Africa VC - the story behind the stats

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this week’s episode we speak about Africa VC data and stories with Abraham Augustine, a blogger, researcher and senior reporter at TechCabal, the Lagos-based online publication chronicling innovation and technology developments across the continent.

We can’t say precisely when venture capital activity in Africa began, but can say that telecommunication growth, global media’s recognition of m-Pesa’s success, and the ‘leap frog’ narrative has been around since the start of the last decade.

Stats showing yearly increases relating to the continent’s tech investments, company valuations and VC funds have set the main media narrative, but is there another story beneath this? How has the industry grown to benefit startups and generate returns for investors since its beginning? And, has it built the fundamentals it will need to stand firm at the end of the cheap money era?

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Revisited 002 - Why is design rarely considered in Africa?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 3 Apr 2023 10:20:00 +0000

This week we are revisiting one of our oldest and most listened to podcasts “Why is design rarely considered in Africa?”, to breakdown our arguments segment by segment.

Most would admit that the brands identities and communication of companies founded in Africa, on average don’t quite match up to their counterparts in Western countries. However, in this revisit we focus in on the discussions pertaining to why this even matters. Do businesses in Africa actually need moving brands for them to grow commercially? Also, with Africa’s population numbers, do businesses in Africa even need to consider leaving the continent to find other consumers?

If you like this or any of our other episodes, please remember to follow, review and share our podcast to help us grow! Also do follow us and leave comments on our socials - @onlybymustard.

Ep.016 - What is a venture’s most important asset? Its people, product or brand?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Although many say that people are the lifeblood of any business, do our conscious actions in this area tend to match our words? Michael Seibel, co-founder of Twitch, stated that he only unlearned and started to "better [understand] how important a team is as opposed to an idea”, after he had sold his company and been working with over 700 others as a partner at Y Combinator.

Can we say unequivocally that a company's people will always be its most important asset, regardless of its industry, age or size? Or are there situations where a company's product or brand should trump its human resource? We discuss this with special guest Ricardo Tannus, founder of Catena, a non-standard Brazil-based talent search company.

LinkedIn: company/onlybymustard

Find out more about Catena: www.catena.work

Ep.015 - Brands in Nigeria, brands in Africa - does the reality match the rhetoric?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:01:17 +0000

“As was the case at the turn of the decade, there remains a stronger enthusiasm for building African brands. But the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.” This was stated in 2020 by Thebe Ikalafeng, former CMO of Nike Africa and current founder and CEO of Brands Africa. But does it still hold true in 2023?

We’re joined by Instagram personality and Nigerian brand authority @Mr.Funsho, to discuss just this. With Mr. Funsho being among the most followed voices on the topic of branding on the continent, having over 78k followers, Ndubuisi takes this opportunity to get his opinion on the rhetoric and reality of brand thinking in Nigeria today.

Ep.014 - Fast-growing millennial water brands and flying pigs!

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Although it was only founded in 2018, Liquid Death - an irreverent beverage brand that sells one product: mineral water - quickly grew to be valued at $700m with $130m in revenue by the end of 2022.

Given its secret can't be taste (because water is tasteless!) Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss their thoughts on what has been behind the rise of Liquid Death, and how its founder, Mike Cessario, has seemingly made pigs fly!

Ep.013 - Attention economy: is there something going on with celebrities and private equity?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 6 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Kim Kardashian took the unprecedented move to co-found a PE firm in September 2022. Within six months we've seen at least two other celebrities - former NBA and tennis stars Carmelo Anthony and Venus Williams respectively - take similar steps. Are we seeing the next logical commercial steps in the attempt to commercialise attention, or just reading too much into it all?

In this podcast, Andrew and Ndubuisi are asking whether we are seeing the early part of a trend, or just reading too much into it all?

Revisited 001 - How we came to believe in narratives

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000

How did a group of engineers go from thinking “if you build it they will come”, to “a brand is more important than the product”? In light of Ndubuisi’s recent interview with FLO London, we are revisiting our first podcast episode and breaking it down, to better understand the experiences over the years that shaped our thinking, philosophy and mission.

Visit the bymustard.com/news or our socials (@onlybylondon) to read the full interview with FLO London.

Ep.012 - What can the FTX scandal tell us about the power of narratives?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Although the primary concern surrounding the FTX scandal must be its team’s mismanagement and alleged fraud, is there also something we can learn from it about the influential power of stories and perceptions? How did Sam Bankman-Fried grow FTX into a company that was courted by the rich and famous, and valued at $32 billion less than three years after its founding? In and among the mess, is there a proverbial ‘baby in the bath water’ that we should keep, or should everything be thrown out?

Ep.011 - Could Africa's celebrities and startups combine to dominate?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 6 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Africa’s biggest brands today are not companies, but rather individuals in the areas of music, film, sports and entertainment, who have built large audiences and influence both inside and outside of the continent. With the celebrity VC and founder still a relatively new phenomenon even in the US, are there ways in which Africa’s most influential people and tech ventures could synergise today, to dominate globally tomorrow?

Ep.010 - Are young & successful founders the real unicorns?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Most successful founders are older than we think. The average age of those who founded the world's fastest growing tech companies is 45, and statistics show us that the likelihood of a founder’s success increases with age until about 60. If this is true, why does the young, 20-something and successful tech founder seem to be everywhere? Are the real 'unicorns' the young and successful entrepreneurs in the tech space, whose stories are made famous by the media?

Ndubuisi and Andrew open up about their long and ongoing experiences as founders, and examine how the popular perception of the successful 20-something tech founder might have arisen.

Ep.009 - ChatGPT and the philosophy of work and general AI

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss the presently popular application and talking point: Open AI's Chat GPT. They explore their thoughts on Chat GPT the application, the philosophy of artificial intelligence, and what AI development might mean for the future of work and education.

Please follow, rate and share the podcast if you enjoy it, and follow our journey on social - @onlybymustard

Ep.008 - Adam Neumann: the power of storytellers; lines between blagging and belief

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss A16z’s $350m investment in Adam Neumann’s Flow venture in August 2022, and the uproar it caused in the media landscape. The two explore reasons why Adam was able to raise again after his dishonourable and public discharge as CEO of his founded company We Work. Do his excellent storytelling abilities have anything to do with it, and what is the difference between speaking your vision of the future, premature blagging, and straight up lies?

Please rate and share if you enjoy the podcast, and follow us on social @onlybymustard.

Ep.007 - Could an African brand be both 'genuine' & global?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss the seemingly sensitive topic of trying to put African brands into the global mainstream. Could such a brand exist and at the same time still be legitimately "African", or are those thinking in the space asking the wrong questions?

Ep.006 - What's behind our name & Africa focus?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 6 Jul 2022 07:15:00 +0000

Ndubuisi and Andrew sit down in this episode to discuss the passion and faith that initially led them to entrepreneurship in the Africa space, and continues to drive them in difficult times. A good and frank conversation comes out after a particularly challenging week!

Ep.005 - Poison FaANGs & Africa's place in Future Tech

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss big tech's past attempts to fundamentally change the financial flows in economies, and what they perceive to be the fundamental foothold these companies have on Africa's tech ecosystem.

Ep.004 - What are Idea-stage Investments?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

After working with our heads down for a year or so, we have (finally) returned with a new episode. In this episode we discuss the new approach we have developed for us to work to achieve our mission of changing perceptions of Africa. Ndubuisi and Andrew discuss what was behind our team’s idea to build an investment vehicle, aimed at making what we call ‘idea-stage' investments.

Ep.003 - Why is design rarely considered in Africa?

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Mon, 31 May 2021 14:02:23 +0000

Has the early or oligopolistic state of some of Africa's consumer markets led to a poor focus on brand communication, or are there other things at play? Andrew Sekandi and Ndubuisi Kejeh from the Mustard team discuss their thoughts on the essence and under appreciation of communication in entrepreneurial, corporate and other contexts.

Ep.002 - From corporate warrior to ventures & narratives in Africa

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:05:08 +0000

Continuing in the 'getting to know us' vein, Mustard's founder Ndubuisi and Chief evangelist Andrew speak on the latter's past life as a corporate warrior. Andrew goes into what led him away from the more operational and pragmatic professional services industries, to the riskier - and often times with Mustard - more philosophical, African ventures and narrative space.

Ep.001 - How engineers came to believe in narratives

social@bymustard.com (Mustard) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 22:25:27 +0000

Mustard's founder Ndubuisi and Chief Evangelist Andrew kick-off the Pass the Mustard podcast by speaking about the Mustard (formerly De Charles) genesis story. The story covers how geeky engineers obsessed with building products, came to experience and believe in the power of narratives.