🧪 Build What’s Next, Not Just What Works

Hi there,

From pressure-testing business models to common execution traps, DIY market research to R&D for long-term leverage – we’re here to add value at every stage of your innovation journey:

1. Startup Phase

2. Growth Phase

3. Scale/Sale Phase

Pressure-Test Your Business Model Before You Try to Scale

Don’t rush to scale — build a business that runs without you first. Although he’s in real estate, Rich Fettke, co-founder of RealWealth and author of The Wise Investor, says in this video that it pays to stress-test your business before expanding. 1) Start by listing all the places where you’re the bottleneck. 2) Create systems and SOPs around each repeatable process. 3) Give your team full context, not just tasks — let them think like owners. 4) Gradually step out and let your ops take over. You’ll know you’re ready to scale when the machine hums without you.

The Leanest Way to Product-Market Fit in South Africa

Getting early sales doesn’t mean you’ve nailed PMF. As the VC firm 54 Collective explains in this deep dive, real product-market fit means your solution solves a painful problem so well that customers stick around without being pushed. 1) It’s not about short-term spikes — it’s about long-term retention. 2) Ask: Are users coming back? Referring others? 3) Study churn, usage patterns, and organic engagement. 4) If you’re still the one chasing traction, you’re not there yet. PMF means your product is doing the work.

Common Execution Traps That Kill SA Startups Before They Scale

In venture, ops can make or break you. That’s why Ugandan FinTech operator Moses Maurice Mugerwa lays out the actual systems that help African payments startups scale. 1) Standardise your key workflows — from onboarding to reconciliation. 2) Build feedback loops into every team’s process. 3) Get your compliance stack tight early, not when regulators come knocking. 4) Document everything: Clarity beats speed when growing fast. You don’t need flashy features — you need ops discipline.

Are you in the start phase? Have questions? Hit reply and let us know how we can help.

Strategic Partnerships: A Pathway to Sustainable Success

Going it alone is risky, but the right partnership can supercharge your reach. High-growth B2B consultancy firm NDK Group outlines here how strategic partnerships drive scale. 1) Start by mapping your ecosystem: who already owns trust with your target customers? 2) Approach with aligned goals, not just asks. 3) Create mutual value: distribution for one, product innovation for the other. 4) Formalise delivery expectations. Growth doesn’t mean doing more alone — it means choosing the right allies.

DIY Market Research: The How-To Guide

You don’t need a fancy agency to know what your customers want. UK consumer insights platform Voxpopme created this great guide on how to do real market research on a startup budget. 1) Start with one question: What decision are you trying to make? 2) Use free tools (Typeform, Google Surveys or in-app polls) to gather targeted responses. 3) Look for patterns, not opinions — focus on pain points and desired outcomes. 4) Turn insights into action by testing messaging or pricing changes. Research shouldn’t sit in a doc — it should drive moves.

Developing a Go-to-Market Strategy for Your Tech Venture

You can’t outsource GTM — it has to be founder-led. In this video, TK Kader, founder of ToutApp (acquired by Marketo) and former SVP of Strategy at Marketo (during its $5bn sale to Adobe), lays out the 2025 framework he uses with scale-stage SaaS teams. 1) Start by picking a single audience and positioning your product around their most urgent problem. 2) Choose one acquisition channel and dominate it before adding others. 3) Build messaging that speaks to that audience’s worldview, not just your feature set. 4) Then test, refine, repeat. GTM isn’t a launch event. It’s a system.

Need help growing faster? Maybe it's augmenting your team, or perhaps coffee with one of our growth experts — either way, hit reply and let’s find your solution.

Continue Building Brand Authority as a Scale-Up

You can become the trusted voice in your space. Moz and SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin says in this video that SaaS founders build brand authority that compounds over time by 1) showing up where your audience already spends time, not just where your brand wants to be seen. 2) Share insights that solve real problems — not just product links. 3) Contribute to the conversation before you try to lead it. 4) Stick with it. Authority isn’t claimed — it’s earned through consistency.

Using R&D to Create Long-Term Startup Leverage

R&D isn’t just for labs; it’s how scale-ups stay ahead. Although mainly focused on spinning out from university labs, this Y Combinator piece gives a framework for how founders can turn structured R&D into a strategic edge. 1) Set aside time and budget for long-term experiments, not just near-term wins. 2) Treat ideas like a portfolio — test fast, cut fast, double down where it works. 3) Make internal knowledge sharing part of the process, so lessons scale too. 4) Don’t just optimise what you’ve built — invent what’s next.

Exit Strategy That Attracts Investors (Not Just Acquirers)

Exits don’t happen by accident. They’re engineered. EU and Africa startup investors Pitchdrive explain in this article how to prep your business to attract serious buyers. 1) Start by defining what type of exit you’re aiming for: strategic, financial, or secondary. 2) Build clean, scalable ops and governance — sloppiness kills deals. 3) Clarify your growth levers and show why they’ll keep compounding. 4) Make your exit story part of the pitch, not a surprise at the end.

Want to scale faster? We have people who are comfortable with the discomfort of the scale phase. Hit reply and let us know how we can augment your team.

Have your say…

🌟 BIG NEWS!!! The Innovators Den, 29 May

Cape Town, are you ready?

The Founders Den is evolving — say hello to The Innovators Den!

Why the change? We realised that the name Founders Den no longer captured the full power of the room. The people shaping innovation aren’t just starting companies — they’re scaling them, funding them, designing them, and building the tech that powers them.

The Innovators Den is for the doers, the builders, the thinkers, the leaders. For the ones who don’t just dream about what’s next, they make it happen!

🗓️ Save the date: 29 May

✉️ This is an invite-only experience, reserved for a curated group. Get Ready for a night of fun with a panel discussion, entertainment, breakout rooms and some great food and drinks.

No pitches. No panels-for-the-sake-of-it. Just energy, insight, and people building what’s next.

If you think we missed you on the first round of invites, apply for your seat below:

Hit reply if you think we’ve hit or missed the mark, tell us what you’d like to see or hear more of and, just in general, what would really add value to your journey…

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