Through several ups and downs, our Nairobi family has come a long long way. Strangers have become family and we’ve found comfort in this incredibly diverse collective. A collective that holds through the most difficult of times.
2013 was a year of clarity. A year of saying ‘no’ more often and fervently chasing the ‘yes’.
Startup life, as the cliché goes, is a roller coaster ride and Kopo Kopo in 2013 was exhibit A. We went through all the classical pains – sleepless nights, rapid scale, difficult market conditions and some political risks that are unique to frontier markets. Our fundraising process deserves a book in itself and experiencing it from close quarters was education for me.
In the deep trenches of our world, it’s easy to be swamped by the sheer number of opportunities available on platter. It is perhaps truer of startup life.
In these trenches, I’m fortunate and thankful to have found a branch to hold on to. Constantly building things with the heart of a motorcycle mechanic and the mind of a surgeon, while total disregard to getting fingers in grease or blood. It’s an exciting tension to manage and I hope to carry the same excitement to each new relationship – professional and personal – in 2014.
2014 will be a massive, albeit different, leap of faith for Kopo Kopo and its extended family.
To another year of building good things with great people. Amen!
Thanks for reading!
Amrit Pal 