Articles
Thinking beyond the product
Translating…
3 October 2026
What the Ottoman Empire Can Teach Product Teams Today
History shows that power used to control can collapse, while power used to connect, collaborate, and respect local wisdom can endure. I’ve been reading about the Ottoman Empire and comparing it with European colonialism in Africa. The contrast made me wonder: What can the Ottoman Empire teach us about product organizations today? Maybe the next breakthrough in tech isn’t a new framework, but an old lesson from history.
3 October 2026
Betting Apps Have Everything to Go Wrong. Yet They Work: The Classic Product Design Paradox
The Classic Product Design Paradox: why do products with poor UX still succeed? Betting apps are a perfect example. Sometimes, the motivation behind a product (money, hope, convenience, or need) is stronger than the friction in the experience. What makes people tolerate a bad experience?
3 October 2026
Retention: Are Customers Staying Because They Want To, or Because They Have No Choice?
High retention doesn’t always mean high loyalty. Sometimes customers stay simply because they have no better option. The real test of a product is what happens when a better alternative appears. This is a reflection on the difference between customers who stay because they choose you and customers who stay because they have to.
3 October 2026
Invisible Product Decisions: When the Tool Built to Help You Remember Punishes You for Forgetting
I forgot the password to a locked Apple Note and lost the content forever. It made me realize that this is not just a technical limitation, but a product decision: Apple chose privacy and brand trust over recoverability. The bigger question is: how do we balance strong security with inevitable human error?
3 October 2026
How T-Series Quietly Beat Sony and Universal and Changed Bollywood Forever
The future of global content won’t be decided in California boardrooms. It will be streamed from Lagos, listened to in Lucknow, and monetized in Mombasa. Sony Music Entertainment still has the gloss. Universal Music Group still has the Grammys. But T-Series has the people. And in the end, it’s not who plays the loudest. It’s who makes you sing along.
3 October 2026
Bollywood’s Secret Ingredient: Music That Moves the Masses
For digital product teams, especially in Africa, Bollywood is a template for creative scale: Start small, hit hard: One great song can launch a film. One great feature can launch a product. Emotional resonance matters more than perfection. Cross-functional collaboration (like composers + singers + choreographers) creates magic, just like designers, devs, and PMs. Pre-release engagement: Drop your soundtrack (or beta feature) early. Let users help shape the story. Sustainability through emotion: Build products people feel, not just use.
