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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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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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Oye Website
Kevin on LinkedIn
Oye on LinkedIn
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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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Follow Daby Osuji
Website - Quill & Cross
LinkedIn - Daby Osuji
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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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Instagram @amprako.co
LinkedIn - Kwaku Amprako
Twitter - @amprako.co
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IG - @gridit.io
Web - gridit.io
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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
Follow Mr Funsho
Instagram: @MrFunsho
LinkedIn: Funsho Felix
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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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Follow Dream VC
Website
Dream VC's - junior LIVC Program
Dream VC's - flagship IA Program
Dream VC’s - Linkedin / Twitter
Follow Mark Kleyner
Mark’s - LinkedIn / Twitter
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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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Follow the Mailroom
The Mailroom: http://www.mrca.online/
Instagram: @mailroom
Follow Kenny Annan-Jonathan on LinkedIn
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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?
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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”.
Follow Orlando Baxter
Website: orlandobaxter.com
Instagram: @orlandobaxtercomedy
Tiktok/FB: @orlandobaxter
Facebook: @orlandobaxter
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"_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!
Follow Charlie Robertson:
Twitter: @CharlieTTEcon
The Time Travelling Economist (book): https://t.co/Tzx8GTQveh
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Socials: @onlybymustard
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