Konnichiwa! On this episode I sit down with Moses Kemibaro, one of the people who actually built Kenya's internet industry. He got his first computer at 11, was selling internet connections in Mombasa before most people knew what it was, started what became OLX in East Africa, and got hired by a global company purely off the strength of his blog. We also get into the morning he opened his laptop to find his entire team had resigned overnight.
We talk about:
– Growing up in Mombasa and watching his dad rebuild from nothing after the East African Community collapsed
– Why parents create a world for their kids but don't build them for the world
– Getting a ZX Spectrum at 11 and being told to build the games instead of buying them
– Selling prawns to Tamarind out of a Suzuki and realising he could sell
– Living in the British Council when the money ran out
– The early ISP days, Africa Online and how rugby got him hired
– Three Mice, Dotsavvy and the birth of Kenya's web industry
– The Squad Digital raid: losing his clients and then his entire team in one week
– Whether there's any pride in poverty when someone triples your salary
– How a blog he wrote for free got him headhunted by Naspers
– Undercharging himself and learning what international companies actually pay
– Building Dealfish into what became OLX and then Jiji
– InMobi, moving to India, imposter syndrome and getting cut ten months later
– Toxic leadership at Opera and the day he decided to leave
– Turning a personal brand into a business funnel
– The ride-hailing minimum fare fight nobody is asking customers about
– Why he thinks most business leaders still don't see what AI is about to do to them
Hope you enjoy the episode.
Best,
Team Coffee Pump
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Find Moses Kemibaro:
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The content of The Coffee Pump Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coffee Pump Podcast, its affiliates, or any associated entities. Nothing discussed in this podcast should be construed as professional advice in any field, including but not limited to legal, financial, medical, or business matters.
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