Midweek Check-in: Build weird 🤪 stuff that work
'cos maybe your users are just too shy to ask for it! 😉
Hi-hi, Dear Innovator 👋
It’s the middle of the month!
* 😑 don’t lie sha, we’ll know
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Everyone usually says that it’s a bad idea to follow your unique and “crazy” passions, let alone make a whole company out it, buuuuutt, you’re not subscribed to this newsletter to get the opinions of normies 😏
Here are examples of “weird” solutions that just make sense in an unconventional way and have been thriving in the real world:
Uber for Tractors:
Launched in Nigeria in 2014, Hello Tractor , provides a digital platform connecting smallholder farmers with tractor owners for on-demand services. They celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2024, and are currently serving over 1.4 million farmers.Salubata:
This Nigerian company started in 2020, and their main focus is to transform plastic waste into customizable, modular shoes. Right now, they are actively operating, with their headquarters in the U.S . They also hold two global patents😍MoDe (Mobile-Decisioning):
This Kenyan startup, founded in 2010, offers small airtime loans that users repay when they next top up, even though it’s not an ISP. It uses algorithms to assess creditworthiness based on mobile usage, targeting users without bank accounts.
Your next solution doesn’t have to be a “normal” one. Push the boundaries. Do the weird thing. Who knows?! 😉
ICYMI…
There are other ways to solve Africa’s electricity problem beyond solar energy, and some Innovators have started looking into them 👇
In tech, not everyone is meant to code, and that’s A-ok 💁. Find your tribe here!
The Innovator’s Watchlist:
Thrill yourself with these innovation-themed entertainments 👇
This movie follows a few sharp hedge fund managers and investors who predicted the 2008 financial crisis before anyone else. They realised the U.S. housing market was built on a pile of bad loans, “shorted” it, and made a fortune while the rest of the world collapsed.
In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure and share insights on their eventual success.
Enjoy!