Swarm17 PostPartem and a Mix of Other Afterthoughts.

It's day two of the swarm summit and the intense and involving events are taking their toll. I need to get some feedback from the leadership team about the summit. I venture into the twittersphere and At least at that point they are pleased. 

And rightly so. The choice of new venue was brave and as far as we can tell, well attended. The Square Space is one that we have visited before after some suggestions from others who are involved in similar ventures. 

The team with which #swarm17 was designed and prepared is also a formidable one. It consists of select group of staff from HiveColab as well as a team of sponsors and supporters such as MTN, Dignited, Andela Hive Colab and Seacom. 

The event is also taking place in the shadow of another (Economic Summit) event...no this event at least as far as I can see will cast its own shadows. It is going to consist of two days of 'grassroots heavy' engagement from people who matter and will do so by tackling:

1. Policy

2. Connectivity 

3. Diversity: Time to ElevetHer? 

4. News and Media 

5. Social Media (New Media): Turning the World Upside Down 

6. Investment 

7. Startup Sense 

8. Finance and Technology 

9. The Digital Marketplace 

9b. Sponsors Space 

10. Hardware Innovation 

11. What it takes to be Top Female Innovator: Giving her a square of her own in a clearly masculine world and space. 

These summaries are my own but they are a useful measure of the scope of the activity that will take place. For most of our time here we will hear from that are getting their hands dirty in business.

There are a few hours left to the event and as before some conflict of timetables will take place. But those few dying minutes will be spent recreating the timetable for my own use as well as for TwitterRatti. In order to get the most of this we will dive right in and be fully immersed. 

On the home front the range of activities will also experience a slight disruption. Apart from the occasional gardening, I will venture into an the untapped space of construction. Perhaps this will make the trip back to workshop and summit land a little more attractive? So we emerge from hiding callous hands still throbbing armed with relatively smart phone and a glorified kabiriti (with a neat torch...for night time travel) and a sense of hope for a buzzy fun filled day where I might even get to talk about drones (in the hardware panel). 

I might be criticized for making reference to some of the speakers as heavy hitters but...this is what they are to me. People who distinguish themselves by being part of the creative space integrating with media in...putting it mildly troubled times. 

Silicon Hills Kampala with Fenix International.

This afternoon, we had the privilege of meeting with the crew at Fenix Intl. the event was called Silicon Hills Kampala. The title was ideal because for a long time we have been trying to find a suitable name for the gathering of technology workers that are concentrated and concentrating in the area. In New York they call it Silicon Alley, all emerging from the Californian Silicon Valley. There have been others building on this almost supernatural collection of expertise and business and cash around geographical regions. Michael Porter from the Harvard Business Review calls them Innovation Clusters.

 

The purpose of this gathering was to converge around technology to share ideas as well as celebrate the successes that Fenix Intl. has had in the last few years.

We had some great insights regarding the nature of Fenix Intl. it's structure and growth into last few years from their product development manager Luke Hodgkinson. Interesting ideas around development and change especially how the company moved and shifted gears from clients that were paying in installments for systems on one hand to the time when they 'moved on' and had to be replaced or introduced to other products. Also of note at least from the software leads was the idea that at some point the group transitioned from applications that were finance centered to applications that were device centered. 

Software developers that want to know what is in the hood of this company can play around with Django, Python and Bootstrap.

The keynote was delivered by TMS Ruge. He is co-founder of one of Uganda's leading co-working spaces -Hive Colab. He is also the brains behind Remit Uganda. A communicator, innovator and University of North Texas Graduate. They will be running SWARM events at Hive Colab in December. His task was to give us a covering and present a bird's eye view of the sector and it's challenges from funding to growth and scaling. The historic perspective reading the spaces as they stood and the people of note in the innovation circle were all useful ideas that were presented as was the call to think and create with Uganda in mind and the world as a market.

The panel moderated by the Chief Technical Officer for Fenix Intl. (Jit Bhattqcharya) was made up of some heavy hitters including Solomon King of fundi bots. Whose main interest was in the creation of more integrated and useful teaching methods that woulda increase the relevance of that which is taught in the classroom. He also expressed delight the ability of the Internet to democratize knowledge acquisition.

The young Musimire Mary helped shed some light on the presence of young women in technology and the importance of passion in the pursuit of personal dreams.

Timothy Musoke of Laboremus expressed the value of a good team and the good catch (employee) and the importance of getting the right connections. He also reminded us about the value of business and the heart of the entrepreneur who never gives up on matter what happens. He also helped shed some light on the funding opportunities that often exist with international partners.

Alastrair Sussock the brains behind Safeboda took us briefly through the process where good software has to match the needs of users and the place that governments can take in supporting business Innovation ventures.

The responses to the session were good as was the feedback and questions. Some of these ideas were expressed in the panel and the aspirations that emerged from their conversations. Probably most notable in the talk was a question regarding the 'role of the hussle' in business. This was asked in a place where circumstance forces many young people to take on a 'variety of Hussles' bringing about an inability to focus. The most important response from the Moderator was the idea that a good ecosystem must ensure that the developers focus on nothing else but development. This is probably the role of the venture capitalists or the seed funders who are tasked with financing the project thereby releasing the technical mind to do the necessary work.

A talk from the Uganda Investment Authority

We also had a brief address from the investment authority of Uganda from one of the Board Members-Fred 

Opolot. He encouraged attendees to visit the offices and gave us updates about the industrial parks whose design is meant to help give innovators some spaces of their own. In addition to this there is a purse of funds that will accompany this process. This is a plus because it is the direct involvement of government in the technology/innovation ecosystem whose life force can often be funning from government.

A probable reason for having the event.

This is the perfect event to use in the application of a lesson that should be fresh in the minds of those who have been engaging actively in discussions around the subject of marketing traction. What Fenix Intl. has done is effectively layout a marketing strategy that caters for a whole range of ideas and subjects. Firstly, they were able to celebrate their success. This is an internal thing. It also has external effects because it also draws in those who are in partnership. The second has to do with competencies. This is where Fenix gathers minds that are probably working in the same areas and establishes itself as a leader in the field. The third has to do with its ability to draw in talent. As a result of some of these interaction potential employees are able to interact with staff making the process of recruitment simpler.

The urgency

If there is any major takeaway from the event from this side of the table it is the need to make sure that passion is accompanied by profit and that our young people are not forced to sacrifice their skills on an exhausting altar of popularity in an age when they too have needs to meet. In short we need to make sure we can finance the best minds. If we do not we will lose them to foreign countries.

State of the ICT Sector (SOTIS)

In the light of the state of the nation address, we at the Hope First Group have come up with what we are
calling the State of the ICT Sector. The advantage that we have as a nation is that the Budget has just been
read as has the State of the Nation Address. If we were to summarise the state of the ICT sector as it stands now, we would say that it is HOPEFUL. So this is really two response or one articles in one. It is written in time
with the standard practice of the Intersection Magazine-which will be to release budget related material in the
season of Financials. When we last wrote we paid attention to the numbers and the idea that the amounts that were devoted to the sector would probably be great indicators of what direction steps we would need to take as a sector for progress.

The same ideas still stand. ICT is a great sector to be involved in because it cut across all sectors and can find itself benefiting indirectly from the monies that are released for others. This is why in one regard the move to computerize will be a positive development as it the presence of good computing skills.

The second idea that will drive the development of this sector is the idea that we are currently going through a wave of Innovation. This is only one aspect that drives business but its centrality and the dawn of the information age means that those with mobile and computing knowledge are finding themselves at the cutting edge of key innovation developments. So we suggest that those who are working in ICT also look closely to other sectors and find a way of harmonizing their developments with say Agricultural Sector, Health Sector and Education. These harmonies can be found on the local level but also on the global level with UN projects such as Development Goals that are designed to simplify global challenges by making them accessible on the local level.

One way in which the sector will benefit was reflected in a visit that i undertook to our local Historic Industrial Area.

In my search for co-working spaces we stumbled upon Design Hub Kampala. Seated comfortably on a large piece
of land and hosting over twenty businesses and start-ups in a vast open two thousand square meter space. Probably comparable in size to the Innovation Village but
standing out most notably by strategic location. Interviews with some of the experts in the area revealed that
this is just one of the many groups that is moving in to traditionally 'manufacturing industry zones and spaces'.
Others are the Square (Home of the transformational international transport giant Uber in Uganda) which is also providing space but also notably focusing a lot on the fashion industry. As well as
Studios on Seventh .

And why does this matter? Well traditional spaces that were designed mainly for industry and being transformed into
working spaces and specialized zones of industry and moving. In addition to this businesses are moving to places where
they can be more effective (with possibilities of lower rent costs and utilities). Innovation is also taking centre stage
and going where it is needed most.

As was the case in the year that past in our study of the ICT sector we noted that the most prominent group in
Uganda's ICT sector would be NITA-the group which was tasked with ICT Infrastructure related projects. This is still the
case in this year. The focus for this groups will be toward Certifications and Standards. We saw one positive
outcome and experiment with some attempts to roll out Wifi in key parts of the City. Most of the resistance
came when users were asked to register in order to use this service. The challenge for government in the shadow of the
elections of that year were related to trust, freedom and privacy. Naturally advocates of information freedom had
a filed day.

So on the whole we see good developments. But one should not have to search too hard for these kinds of moves.
This should be the norm rather than the exception. Partnerships with global behemoths are on the rise Google,
Facebook and others. This must be matched by local groups and businesses as well as government to create
 an environment that can promote the flow of skills from young people.         

Seed Funding and effects of grants on business practice.

The two podcasts (interviews) which I devoured with glee both have interesting perspectives regarding business. In the first there was a question regarding the difference between a project that is entirely designed around investment on one hand a project that seeks to merge an successful enterprise (in this case Safaricom) with others to seeking partnership not really innovation for innovation's sake. 

On the local scene you will find a few innovation hubs that operate under similar models. 

The passage of time allows a small businesses in this case hubs some level of trust which leads to a partnership with foreign group for funding opportunities of groups of four covering whatever buzz areas ring true of that season. Education, Business, Health, Climate Change. 

Two working spaces examined and dissected. 

Examples of these are Demo Africa (which has worked in the last few years in collaboration with HiveColab-a working space created by Jon Gosier), Pivot East (which has worked for about the same amount of time with OutboxHub located in Kampala). The aforementioned working spaces have different audiences and have attracted a different set of enthusiasts. The former is located in a business cluster (Ntinda) that attracts NGOs, Computer Firms while also being conveniently located near an affluent area of City. The latter on the other hand sits pretty close to the city business centre and has attracted varied interests from google to Intel and Firefox as well as Stanbic Bank. They both bring together experts who are given a chance to showcase their talents after which deals can be made. Youth driven, these have organized themselves into geek nights which take place once a month and ate designed to sharpen the skills of those who subscribe and have membership. Hivecolab has the advantage of being located right next to the ICT association (Founded by Boaz Shani) which is arguably the most influential association in the Country boasting a sizable subscription base. HiveColab has used its momentum to generate code projects exclusively designed to help encourage young women (Barbara Birungi) into the technology space. 

Competition and innovation. 

Both of these are competition based. But the hubs and the founders of those hubs usually have done the Hardwork of introducing the concept of innovation to companies which on demonstrating profit have been able to direct others into embracing the culture of innovation. 

Tracking start ups.

Success on the part of the start ups has made it almost impossible to trace and track the progress of many of these teams. What has proven simpler and what we as the Hope First Group plan to do is create a Personality Radar Similar to the TechRadar that was created and designed by Thougthworks. Our plan is to have a database that can help potential clients navigate their way through the creative space as it stands in Uganda. In terms or progress we devoted a small part in our fledgling magazine 'dubbed' Intersection Magazine to some of the individuals that have used the Outbox Hub as a business space in the last few years. Many have off course gone on to rent their own spaces. 

Effect of grants on business operation and practice. 

The second question was designed around the effect that grants can have  on business operation. The same can be said of funding in general but we could see how skewed the accounts can get when the business owner fails to separate between his income, expenditure and his profits. 

Two types of entrepreneurs? 

In my view there are two Types of entrepreneurs. The first is usually uneducated and unashamed. The second is normally educated and too skilled in knowledge to Do the ground work. In addition to this he does not wish to be viewed as a failure as he works his way through a city whose pushing sun takes no captives. Besides his education (costly as it is) is preparing him for the board room not the mail room. You could call it a struggle between street smarts and book smarts. That thin line that all business schools and schools of management struggle to deliver. 

Ease of investment monitoring.

As we mentioned before, I have lived in Uganda, Kenya and the U.S. grew up in Kenya as a refugee moved to the U.S for predominantly biblical studies and then to Uganda. 

As an outsider one always has a unique perspective regarding the general flow of things In country. So that it always going to be an edge that non locals have over locals especially when it comes to the willingness to get your hands dirty. The second consideration has to do with the ability to leave. The outsider generally feels like he has nothing to loose so he is at liberty on the whole to talk smack to the locals and the government without much fear of consequence. The local on the other hand has to be much more careful. 

Kenya was interesting because while there I was able to present a different perspective about life there but my refugee status never really let me settle down. 

The U.S was slightly different in that there were accorded to me more freedoms but these came at a cost and were accessible until the temptation came in to overstay my welcome. And to be fair to the Americans, they pretty much dish out the same vitriol to all those who overstay regardless of race. But then too the opportunities and the ease of investment varies and is determined to a large extent on citizenship and later on race and the dynamics that go with that. 

The same and possibly worse effects come into play in the U.K the foreigner often has to start from scratch even after training in prestigious local school and is prevented from the making a little more money by restrictions that are designed with the visa He acquires. You would think that we here in Africa would enjoy colonial servant status but this is harder to come by and it's been ages since we unwillingly got on those slave ships and traded in our royal relatives for cola nuts or ivory. 

So on the whole the ease investment for us comes with a whole lot of baggage. Should you manage to rise through the ranks of your University or make better use of your Rhodes Scholarship, chances are you will be sent back to improve the lot of your people even though your dreams are really elsewhere. Once back home you have to face the wrath of those you left behind because a las! You are no longer a local. 

Once officially back in the region you have to adjust to the local pressures which are often enveloped by historical leaders whose hold on power is firm and whose influence goes well beyond borders. Having breathed the rarefied air of freedom in the U.S or the U.K of at least aspects of it via DSL, you will have little or no room for compromise which will put you on a direct collision course with your local peers. The comfort of a seat on the leadership team of a human rights NGO might help for a while according you the benefits of some travel and access to great schools for your tots but soon this will vanish when hands and shaken and power shifts to generals or despots. In short, you have to negotiate across borders with sleek post colonial leaders many whose intentions you have to weigh against your own in an increasingly shrinking world.