Business Strategy Fundamentals

After reviewing more pitch decks these past few days, I see African fintech founders are still flogging the dead horse that is "banking the unbanked" as a lazy fundraising pitch. From Yaounde to Cape Town, it’s the same story, another mobile wallet, payments app, another promise to bring financial inclusion to the masses. Truth is: most Africans are not unbanked because they lack access; they’re unbanked because they lack income. A new app won’t change that. The Brutal Truth Lack of Disposable Income – People don’t need more fintech solutions; they need more money. Without increased economic productivity, most “financial inclusion” solutions remain useless. Broken Unit Economics – Many fintechs rely on unsustainable VC fueled growth, acquiring “users” who don’t generate revenue. Regulatory Capture & Infrastructure Gaps – Governments protect banks and telcos dominate mobile money. The real bottlenecks are systemic, not just about "access." Startups often underestimate how slow, expensive, and political it is to scale across markets. Real Problems & Better Solutions Income-Generating Fintech – Instead of just moving money, fintech should help people make money. Platforms enabling gig work, SME financing, and export-focused businesses can drive real financial inclusion. A fintech that helps informal traders access larger markets, rather than just helping them "save." Decentralized Credit & Alternative Lending – Traditional credit models don’t work in Africa. Instead: Use supply chain data, mobile behavior, and transaction flows to build more dynamic credit models. Integrate fintech into cooperative lending structures like tontines or village savings groups, where trust already exists. B2B Payments & Trade Infrastructure – Cross-border trade needs work, killing SME growth. Fix it: Build better escrow and invoice financing tools that help African businesses transact across borders securely. Verticalized Fintech in High-Impact Sectors – Fintech should power real economic activity, not just payments. Agritech fintech: Give farmers access to dynamic pricing, supply chain finance, and better insurance. Healthcare fintech: Enable embedded payments and credit for medical services, helping people afford care without predatory loans. Logistics fintech: Provide financing for truckers, warehousing solutions, and real-time supply chain support. Infrastructure-First Fintech – If power, internet, & ID verification are problems, solve those first. Payments without stable connectivity? Build USSD-based financial services. Weak credit infrastructure? Build platforms that help lenders pool risk and share credit data across borders. The era of cheap fundraising gimmicks is over. African fintech must shift from vanity metrics to real impact, solving income generation, trade inefficiencies, and credit access at scale. I'm tired of saying this, founders who build with these in mind won’t need to beg for funding; investors will come looking for them.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Start with the Patient, Not the Plant Medical cannabis is medicine, not wellness or lifestyle. Your product must serve a real need consistently & safely, backed by data. Understand patient journeys, work with clinics & doctors, & embed yourself in the healthcare system, not outside it. Build GACP First, Then EU GMP or Equivalent Too many try to chase EU GMP without mastering GACP. Good Agricultural & Collection Practices are about how you grow. EU GMP is for post-harvest processing & pharma-grade quality control. Get the basics right, document everything, & then scale. Make Regulation One of Your Strengths If you don’t understand the regulatory landscape, you don’t have a business. Know your country’s cannabis laws, narcotics classifications, export rules, & patient access pathways. Compliance is not a department, it’s part of your product. Never Outsource Your Integrity There will be pressure to cut corners, overpromise, or take shortcuts. Don’t. One contamination, one false claim, one deal with a bad distributor and your business collapses. In cannabis, reputation takes years to build and seconds to lose. Trust the Local Team If you operate in another country, listen to the people on the ground. Local growers, engineers, regulators, and logistics teams know more than a remote HQ ever will. Many failed projects stem from ignoring local intelligence. Control the Supply Chain Medical cannabis isn’t just about growing. It’s about controlling drying, processing, lab testing, packaging, export clearance, & more. Own your chain or verify every part of it. You cannot afford surprises with patient-use products. Avoid Chasing the ��Next Big Thing” There’s always a new hype, CBD for pets, infused snacks, luxury creams. These trends rarely survive strict medical regulation. Stick to your core business. Deliver clean, consistent, compliant flower or extract. Then grow. Document Everything This industry runs on traceability. You need clean SOPs, batch logs, validated results, cultivation records, & patient outcomes. If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen. If it’s not auditable, it’s not exportable. Raise the Right Money Work with investors who understand the timelines and risks. You need partners who can handle a 3 to 5-year return horizon and still back compliance over short-term revenue. Misaligned finance will kill your project faster than pests. Know When to Say No Sometimes the smartest move is to walk away. If the laws are too grey, your partners untrustworthy, or the facility isn’t ready, pause. Medical cannabis must be built with discipline and maturity. Forced projects fail. Focused ones succeed. Please ask me how to build or fix your cannabis business if you are unsure, stuck, or scaling. I’ve worked in this space for 9+ years, and I have seen what works and what wrecks good ideas.

Today's episode will make you better at developing a strategy, and evaluating other people's strategies. Roger Martin is one of the world’s most sought-after experts on strategy, and the author of "Playing to Win", one of the most popular (and most actionable) books on learning the art of strategy. He’s written extensively for the Harvard Business Review; consulted for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including P&G, Lego, and Ford; and written 11 other books on strategy, leadership, and clear thinking. In our conversation, we cover: 🔸 The five key questions you need to answer to develop an effective strategy 🔸 How most companies get strategy wrong 🔸 How to avoid “playing to play” instead of playing to win 🔸 Real-world strategy examples from Figma, Lego, Procter & Gamble, and Southwest Airlines 🔸 Why you need to either differentiate or be the lowest cost 🔸 Shortcomings of current strategy education 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gTyPQZus - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKWWm-Fp - Apple: https://lnkd.in/gCing92Q Some key takeaways: 1. Strategy is an integrated set of choices that compels a desired customer action. 2. Great strategists aren’t born; they’re made through practice. Even if you see yourself as more operational than strategic, remember that strategy is a skill that anyone can develop over time. Just like any skill, it improves with practice. 3. To win in business, you must be either a low-cost provider or differentiated. If you’re neither, competitors can “bully” you and take market share. Two questions can help you figure out whether you’re winning in these ways. First, could you match competitor price decreases and remain more profitable than them? If not, you’re not a low-cost provider. Second, could customers essentially flip a coin between you and a competitor? If so, you’re not differentiated enough. 4. Use the Strategy Choice Cascade to define and implement effective business strategies. This framework consists of five essential questions: a. What is our winning aspiration? Clarify what you aim to achieve with your strategy. This guides all subsequent decisions and actions toward a clear objective. b. Where will we play? Select specific markets, segments, or niches where you will compete. Focus is crucial; trying to be everywhere can dilute effectiveness. c. How will we win? Determine your competitive advantage. You must either offer customers superior value or operate at a lower cost than competitors in your chosen areas. d. What capabilities must be in place to win? Identify and build capabilities that are critical for executing your chosen strategy effectively. These should be distinctive strengths that set you apart from competitors. e. What management systems are required to ensure the capabilities are in place?

Someone asked me what I think about marketing strategy — and it’s a tough question because good strategy isn’t just about frameworks or fancy decks. It’s about connection to real outcomes. Here’s how I think about building marketing strategies that work: 🔹 Start with the business goal. If you don’t understand what you're solving for, your strategy will miss the mark. What outcome are you driving toward? 🔹 Create strategies you can actually implement. Don’t build plans that require resources or skills you don’t have yet (unless you're only strategizing, not executing). Strategy should match reality — then stretch it. 🔹 Stay inspired. Consume a lot: newsletters, competitor analysis, random scrolls down Google rabbit holes. The more you absorb, the more creative you get. Inspiration expands your thinking. 🔹 Do your research. Unlike inspiration, research is focused. It’s about validating ideas, understanding the market, and getting data that backs your decisions. When you layer inspiration, research, and practical execution on top of a clear business goal — that’s when strategy moves from idea to impact. And when it’s not working? Iterate. Tweak. Try again. That’s the real playbook. #MarketingStrategy #GrowthMarketing #ContentStrategy #ExecutionMatters #StrategyAndTactics #LearningInPublic

CFO: The board wants to see the plan for growing ecom in 2025 ASAP. CMO: Ecom growth doesn't matter. It’s about profit growth across channels. Retail expansion and a shift from bottom-funnel performance marketing are how we do that. CFO: That’s a bold statement. Ecom has driven most of our growth for years. Seems foolish to jump ship. CMO: Ecom is hitting its limits. It represents just 5-7% of our market’s total potential. It’s the easiest slice to access—spin up a Shopify store, run some ads, and boom, you’ve got a business. That’s what we did. But now it’s crowded, with rising costs and shrinking margins. CFO: So, you’re saying ecom can’t scale anymore? CMO: Not without retail expansion. The other 95% of the market is where we grow next. Retail buyers aren’t swayed by ROAS. They want brands that bring new customers and boost aisle profit—not just compete on price. CFO: And you’re saying performance marketing won’t get us there? CMO: Not alone. High-ROAS ads often turn off retail buyers—they’re too transactional and promo-heavy. That’s where brand building comes in. CFO: So, brand building isn’t just about customers—it’s about creating pull from buyers too? CMO: Exactly. A strong brand makes us a must-have for retailers. It’s built through every touchpoint. You see it in the numbers—retail generates the most contribution dollars and has near-unlimited scale potential. CFO: But doesn’t brand building take time? The board wants results now. CMO: Not really. A strong brand lifts everything—better margins, more organic revenue, and inbound demand from retail buyers. It’s the rising tide that makes every channel perform better. CFO: This feels like a big shift in strategy. CMO: It is. For years, we’ve focused on bottom-funnel performance marketing. It drives quick revenue, but it’s kept us stuck in the smallest slice of the market. To break out, we need to balance performance with brand building. CFO: What does that balance look like? CMO: Shift more resources to reaching net new people with content that increases the probability they automatically choose and buy our brand when they come in-market, given that 95% of people who see our media are not in-market. CFO: How do you know it’ll work? CMO: I’ve done it before. In the early days at my prior brand, we relied entirely on performance marketing. It worked—until it didn’t. We hit a ceiling. Costs rose, and margins shrank. When we focused on building the brand, it unlocked retail, which unlocked massive growth. CFO: And what happens if we don’t evolve? CMO: We stay stuck, fighting over scraps in 5% of the market. But if we shift, we unlock retail, scale profitably, and grow across all channels. CFO: Alright, I see it. Let’s make 2025 the year we stop spinning our wheels and start building something bigger. CMO: You're talkin' dirty AND I LIKE IT.

70% of CEOs say their strategy is clear.  (Only 10% of their teams agree.) That gap? It’s where misalignment lives.  Where priorities get lost.  Where momentum dies. If you’re scaling a company, there’s nothing more  dangerous than thinking your strategy is clear—  when it’s not. 👉 That’s why my Wheel of Strategy matters. It breaks strategy down into 4 essential areas. And challenges you to answer 20 dead-simple,  high-impact questions: 🧭 Purpose & Direction  1. Why do we exist? Who actually needs us?  2. What’s our mission in one clear sentence?  3. What do we believe that drives how we operate?  4. Where do we want to be in 3 years?  5. What would success look like if nothing held us back? 📊 Market & Advantage  6. Who is our highest-value customer?  7. What pain are they feeling every day?  8. What’s changing in our industry? How do we stay ahead?  9. Why do people choose us—or not?  10. What can we offer that’s hard to copy? 📈 Goals & Metrics  11. What are our top 3 priorities right now?  12. What does success look like this quarter?  13. What’s the one number that matters most today?  14. How do we review progress each week?  15. What milestone will tell us we’re winning? ⚙️ Actions & Tactics  16. What must we deliver in the next 90 days?  17. Who owns each outcome? By when?  18. What’s currently blocked? How do we fix it fast?  19. What quick wins will build momentum now? 20. When and how will we check in and adjust? No fluff. No 50-slide decks.  Just strategic clarity—fast. Save this sheet. Use it in your next:  — Leadership meeting  — Quarterly reset  — Or offsite If you and your team can’t answer  these questions confidently... It’s time to go back to the strategy table. Because real alignment doesn’t come from  louder messaging. It comes from sharper thinking. Want a PDF of my Wheel of Strategy? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dZh8BPwM ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more strategy insights. — 📢 Want the secrets the world's TOP CEOs use to unlock 10x growth? Register for my FREE workshop Thur, Sept 11, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time: https://lnkd.in/dXPcFgrG 📌 And our next CEO Accelerator starts Oct 1st. 30+ Founders & CEOs have secured their spot. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/dsUPveDv

Your business strategy is worthless if your team can't execute it Want to know why 90% of organisations fail to execute their strategies successfully? It's because most leaders jump straight to execution without building proper foundations. The solution? The Strategy Pyramid. Here's how to use it to turn your vision into reality: 1/ Start with Purpose (Your Foundation) Your purpose is the foundation that everything else builds upon. ↳ Define your mission: Not just what you do, but why you do it. ↳ Establish your core values: They're not just words, they're your compass. ↳ Clarify your vision: Where you're heading in the long term. 2/ Develop Your Strategy (The Bridge) This is where purpose meets practical planning. ↳ Identify your strategic intent: What specific moves will win in your market. ↳ Understand your drivers: What market opportunities you'll seize. ↳ Secure your enablers: The right people, technology, and resources. 3/ Focus on Execution (Making It Real) This is where strategy becomes reality through focused action. ↳ Set clear targets: Turn big goals into specific, measurable actions. ↳ Track performance indicators: Use numbers that tell the truth. ↳ Create a strategy map: Keep everyone aligned and moving forward. Ready to build yours? ↳ Start with purpose. ↳ Add clear strategy. ↳ Execute with precision. Remember: Success isn't random. It's building your pyramid, one level at a time. The key is to start with strong foundations before rushing to action. ➡️ Tell me in the comments: What's your biggest challenge when it comes to implementing your strategy? ♻️ Share this post to help other leaders build stronger strategies. ➕ Follow me, Jen Blandos, for actionable daily insights on business, entrepreneurship, and workplace well-being.

I used to train budtenders to increase average basket size. Then I realized I was training them to lose customers. Three months ago, I sat in on a transaction that changed the game: Our "top performer" convinced a first-time customer to buy a $60 eighth when they came in for a $15 pre-roll. The numbers looked great. The customer never came back. Meanwhile, our "underperformer" spent 10 minutes educating a nervous newcomer, recommended a single $10 gummy to start, and earned a customer who now visits twice a week. The difference wasn't sales skills. It was relationship skills. I rebuilt our training from the ground up: - Always suggest the premium option → Match products to actual needs  - Add-on at every transaction → Educate for the customer's journey  - Maximize today's ticket → Build tomorrow's regular Instead of only focusing on upselling techniques, we added on customer education. Instead of pushing premium products, we taught needs assessment. Results after 90 days: Average ticket increased 8%. Customer retention increased 34%. At C3 Industries, we train budtenders to be educators, not salespeople. Your team's performance isn't measured in today's transactions. It's measured in tomorrow's relationships. Stop training for the transaction. Start training for the customer. #BudtenderTraining #CannabisEducation #RetailDevelopment 

Leadership Lessons from Africa: Building Business Resilience in Uncertain Times   As global markets navigate these periods of uncertainty, I find myself reflecting on my years leading businesses across Africa— where managing volatility isn't just a skill; it's about survival.   In 2024 in Nigeria, markets have seen the 5th benchmark interest rate hike to curb inflation; there have been 11 power grid collapses; the currency has lost 70% of its value against the dollar since May 2023. Within this environment, businesses adapt and innovate. Some even thrive.   Here are five lessons I learned:   1. Political Uncertainty: Success means playing the long game. In one role, I operated through three different administrations. Maintaining relationships across the political spectrum while upholding strong governance is crucial. Our government affairs strategy had to go beyond election cycles.   2. Policy Shifts: We developed operating models that could pivot quickly.  Import Tariffs would change without warning. We always had backup plans ready—whether carrying extra inventory or activating alternative business lines.   3. FX availability and price: Survival meant securing the cash first, then solving for profitability. We had multiple supply chains with different risk profiles and developed flexible pricing strategies that could adapt. Not without significant pain.   4. Infrastructure Gaps: At one company, poor power supply birthed a solar business. In another, we built roads to our factories (one across a swamp!). A gas availability problem created a thriving alternative fuels business: waste, rice husks, palm kernel shells to energy. This fed the factories and created employment for local communities. Infrastructure challenges forced innovation.   5. Market Constraints: As purchasing power drops, companies have responded with "sachet economics"—offering smaller pack sizes… (an environmental headache)….. to maintain affordability   We learned that resilience isn't about avoiding challenges; it's about building systems that can absorb shocks and adapt quickly.    Luckily, most global CEOs will not face these multiple onslaughts, but will be building resiliency strategies to navigate today's uncertainties.   What strategies have helped build resilience in your companies?   #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #GlobalBusiness #Resilience #Innovation #EmergingMarkets  

It took 30 years to reach a £4.1 billion valuation. I could have done it in 15 with these lessons: No one tells you how many mistakes and hard lessons entrepreneurship will teach you. If I could start again, I would want to take these 25 lessons with me. They are the result of 40+ years of building and scaling businesses: 1. Copy then pivot ↳ Take what works, adapt it, and make it better. 2. Hire your replacement early ↳ Get out of the weeds early for faster growth. 3. Think evolution, not revolution ↳ Small, steady improvements beat risky leaps. 4. Guard your integrity ↳ Reputation is built slowly over years and lost in seconds. 5. Build businesses, not jobs ↳ If it only works when you’re there, it’s not scalable. 6. Fail fast and learn faster ↳ Own your mistakes. They teach you the most. 7. Listen to the frontline ↳ Your best insights come from the people closest to the customer. 8. Choose partners like you choose a spouse ↳ Shared values matter more than a slick pitch deck. 9. Keep a “Not To Do” list ↳ Focus is saying no to more than you say yes to. 10. Stay relentlessly curious ↳ Keep asking “why?” It’s how you stay ahead. 11. Lead by example, not title ↳ People follow your actions, not your role. 12. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best ↳ A margin of safety is survival and risk management, not fear. 13. Make decisions fast, then iterate ↳ Overthinking kills momentum. 14. Get close to customers ↳ A customer visit will teach you more than a strategy report. 15. Brand is a promise, not a logo ↳ It’s built on how you show up when it matters. 16. Build resilience into your personal life ↳ Your business can’t outgrow your energy. 17. Go global with locals ↳ Hire people who know the culture and speak the language. 18. Money is fuel, not the destination ↳ Without purpose, profit burns out. 19. Leave the ego at the door ↳ Hire people better than you — and let them lead. 20. Small wins stack into big ones ↳ Compounding applies to habits as much as money. 21. Keep your energy for what matters ↳ Time is limited. Energy is even more valuable. 22. Measure what matters ↳ Don’t let the wrong numbers lead you the wrong way. 23. Give back early, not someday ↳ Share your lessons while you’re still learning. 24. Play the long game ↳ Protect trust. Prioritise longevity over speed. 25. Stay humble, stay hungry ↳ Success is never permanent. Keep pushing. Every one of these lessons came the hard way for me. But they don't have to for all of you. That’s why I wrote How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps,  So others could learn from my experiences. If you’re building something that matters, It will help. Order the book here 👇  https://lnkd.in/eRYDKXdT Which of these lessons resonated the most with you?  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. ♻️ Repost to share these with founders in your network.  And for more lessons on building and scaling businesses,  Follow me Richard Harpin.