There is very little literature on business operations management, and product development methodology that actually helps African SMEs and startups to navigate their own operating environment with its local characteristics. Analysts struggle with frameworks and processes developed in highly industrialized contexts as a means to evaluate the strategies of businesses and solutions with local or regional ambitions.
The gap in information is particularly visible for mobile startups and technologists navigating the challenges of their own operating environment rather than that of Silicon Valley, which tends to dominate technology oriented business news and actionable content.
After meeting with Kenyan startups and technology oriented SMEs I am inclined to work on a plan to address this gap. I don’t yet know what form it will take. I know that the 2008/9 prepaid economy research badly needs updating in the age of digitalization, and this is a start towards mapping the mass majority’s digital operating environment on the mobile platform.
