Writing

Thinking Out Loud About Building Products

Feb 26, 2026LinkedIn Post

Power Distance: The Return of the King

Exploring how Hofstede's Power Distance Index shapes product design — why intermediaries are trust architecture in high-PDI markets, not friction to eliminate.

Product StrategyEmerging Markets

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Feb 25, 20263 min read

Germany Scores 83, Ghana Scores 4: How Time Orientation Shapes Product Design

Hofstede's long-term orientation reveals why product patterns that work in Germany fail in Ghana — and how to design for a different relationship with time.

Product StrategyEmerging MarketsCultural Design

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Feb 24, 20263 min read

Why Product Launches Fail in West Africa: The Individualism Gap

Western launch playbooks assume individualist users. In collectivist West Africa, the decision-making unit isn't the individual — it's the community.

Product StrategyWest AfricaCultural Design

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Feb 23, 20262 min read

If Building Is Getting Cheaper, How Much Time Should We Spend Planning?

AI is collapsing the cost of building software. But if building is cheap, does planning still matter? More than ever — but differently.

Product DevelopmentAiStartups

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Feb 20, 20262 min read

Your Design Audit Doesn't Work Here: Product Standards Beyond High-Income Markets

Design audits built for San Francisco don't apply in Lagos or Accra. Here's how product standards need to shift for emerging markets.

Product DesignEmerging MarketsFintech

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Feb 19, 20262 min read

Do You Really Need an App? The Case for WhatsApp-First Products in Africa

Before building a native app for African markets, consider whether WhatsApp could be your primary product channel. Here's why it often should be.

WhatsappAfricaProduct StrategyFintech

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Feb 18, 20262 min read

Stop Splitting Product and Engineering Leadership at the Early Stage

At seed and Series A, splitting product and engineering leadership adds overhead, slows decisions, and misaligns incentives. Why one person should own both.

StartupsLeadershipProduct Engineering

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