Pheneas

A documentation of how we built @juaflowai into the largest service delivery AI Layer from Nairobi.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

I’m turning this account into a build log for @juaflowai
From what we ship, the deployment we f*up. Customer problems. Product decisions. Releases. Experiments...
Also, allow me to occasionally complain about the consequences of my own decisions 😭

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@Kimieyenie Oh that's quite instresting, is this something you've come into contact with?

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

Africans should stop building start-ups

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

I have observed that a majority, especially the loudest say start-up when their descriptions mean SME.

Like it or not, a startup is a cash burning machine not a money maker.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

It's fascinating how clueless Kenyans On X are about startups

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

Because, a majority not all, are looking for a DERISKED start-up -> clear repeatable business model, product direction, market etc... by definition, that's a mature business not a start-up.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

Over 90% of "startup investors" in Nairobi are actually not startup investors.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

My suggestion, let's build profitable SMEs, then build enough and PATIENT RISK CAPITAL for start-up experimentation.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

There's barely enough risk capital. Ironically, many of the loudest “build startups” preachers have never invested in one.

We still depend on western capital 🤦🏿‍♂️

Most of our problems need profitable #SMEs, not companies designed to burn capital at scale.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@PeterOkwara @juaflowai Interesting, do you get real people signing up and not verifying?

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

We suspend unverified @juaflowai accounts every 7days and remove them after 30days.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

Any dev/Eng. who has invested in a Kenyan Start-up?

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@AnkanXplorer Real Intelligence. What @CorticalLabs is building.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@WarriorRapid @brian_yehnda 🫵🏿

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@sintax_KE Mganga hajigangi

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@brian_yehnda How much are you making? How much are you raising

Share link to product

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@PeterOkwara @juaflowai Crazy, can I get more on this? How did you mitigate?

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@juaflowai We've suspended over 50 accounts in the last 60days.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

Once a startup has found pmf and proven a repeatable, scalable model, then that's no longer a startup but a mature business.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

A startup cannot survive on revenue

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

A Startup is an experiment seeking a solution to a high growth opportunity. Financially, experiments consume money and make none.

It starts to generate revenue in later maturity stages and even then depends largely on external capital.

Anything without this behaviour is an SME.

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@fredmumu2 Qwen too, sometimes

[Pheneas @ceojuaflow]

@DarrelFrater DM