I’d love to build a private library in Kampala. With quiet spaces and comfort lounges. Of course with fine coffee, wine, whiskey & gelato plus quiet zones and lounges. With all the best sellers & latest books. Rent a book for your stay to get in or subscribe for a day/month.
I first came to Paris when I was 13. It was my Dad’s treat for a D1 in French. Came back in 2018 to find an investment banker to help my startup with fundraising. And now have one of the richest French families as our leading investor in
@RocketHealthUG
.
Full circle complete!
I’m lucky to have made it to 36.
In the last year I’ve
🎖Beaten a life threatening diagnosis.
🎖Won a court case in a foreign country.
🎖Raised $5m for Rocket Health.
🎖Become more mindful of caring for my mind, body, heart & soul.
People just be out there resigning from their jobs with immediate effect after getting their last salary.
No warning.
No notice served.
No payment for not serving notice.
No handover plan.
No exit interview.
We really need to address this bad manners in the job market.
I finally ended my 1-sided, 10-year relationship with
@StanChartUGA
Business banking.
Billions transacted but never, not even once, have they agreed to an overdraft, letter of credit, a salary loan or any kind of financing.
The last straw was their bread crumbing approach to
Shocks me young people are advised to choose ‘safe’ investments like 10% p.a on meager savings. When young, your capital is time, not money, swing for the f*ckn fences. Pursue outrageous outcomes early, if it doesn’t work, you can always choose safe, you’ve got time on your side.
Shocks me young people are advised to choose ‘safe’ investments like 10% p.a on meagre savings. When young, your capital is time, not money, swing for the f*ckn fences. Pursue outrageous outcomes early, if it doesn’t work, you can always choose safe, you’ve got time on your side.
🧵 alert…
Starting out a healthcare entrepreneur, I always thought that creating a better healthcare service was enough. It was the work. We,
@RocketHealthUg
, have pursued this with passion, technology, capital and innovative ideas but there was so much more to it …
🧵
In the beginning
@RocketHealthUG
all we did were teleconsultations for 5 years.
You could chat, voice/video call the Doctors for a consult 24/7 for just $3. And even those that couldn’t afford had it made available by development agencies, research institutions and grants.
Everyone with a cough, a sore throat, fevers, general body weakness and discomfort, PLEASE, at least get a COVID19 antigen test, better PCR test NOW and ISOLATE!
People used to talk sh*t about Covidex and now, they’re all praise. Let’s have more faith, trust and respect for home-grown innovation and expert inventors.
When I started out in business, I had the European mindset (business structure & process-driven), that evolved into the American mindset (scale & shareholder value-driven) and eventually now the Indian mindset (net profit & longevity-driven).
The management styles we read in books don’t seem to work in Uganda.
It appears that insistent micro-management is the only style Ugandans respond to. What has your experience been?
So…. I’m not sure why people are excited about MTN listing on the uganda stock exchange. Thread 🧵
First the bulk of investors will be institutional, minority for retail investors (you and I).
I never ever thought I’d one day be hosted on Desert Island Discs
@desertisland913
. Thanks
@kasyate
for the invitation. I grew up listening to it and the gripping tales of way more senior & accomplished members of society. But anyway here we are ... Enjoy the playlist!
If you run a business in Uganda, I’m here to remind you that you’re also running a school in the background.
The success of the business at the front will be determined by the success of the school in the back.
My notes in 2014 for what eventually became the
@RocketHealthUG
Pharmacy service in 2019. I was stunned reading this 7 years later and looking at what stands today.
There’s power in writing down your dreams/plans.
Life is short,
Break the rules
(they were made to be broken),
Forgive quickly,
Kiss slowly,
Love truly,
Laugh uncontrollably,
And never regret anything that makes you smile.
The clouds are lined with silver and the glass is half full.
(though the answers won't befound at the
I’ve learnt this, if you don’t set or defend your boundaries, people will walk into your life and take whatever they want whenever they want be it your peace, money, love, time, possessions, loved ones, dreams etc.
Dear IMF
We
@RocketHealthUG
are the owners of the image in your promoted tweet that you are using on your twitter handle. We require that non-commercial uses of our images be accompanied by an appropriate photo credit and a link back to the source image on our website.
The IMF Executive Board has completed the annual review of Uganda's economy & the first review of its reform program.
We are disbursing $125 million (second tranche of $1 billion approved in 2021) to support pandemic response & boost growth.
#IMFAfrica
A travel company… but for sports events only. Football, Rugby, F1, Athletics. Monthly installments for a full package for your dream sports event… Champions League, World Cup, Olympics etc.
Someone should build this.
We need a school for African startups/founders. We need to learn from the experienced and the experts how to navigate so much of the art and science of startups at different stages.
On this day, 8 years ago we launched a company
@TMCGLtd
that operates the
@RocketHealthUG
service.
It’s an immense honor building this venture with my co-founders, staff, investors & partners. My deepest gratitude goes to the clients that trust us with their health everyday!
Grief is, definitely, my worst human experience. The loss of a relationship/something/someone I truly care about.
It’s an intense sorrowful experience. It’s the irreversibility of it all, the never-coming-back of said thing/person. It’s the see-you-later-never, no chance to
The slippery slope of generosity.
Give once: you elicit appreciation;
Give twice: you create anticipation;
Give 3 times: you create expectation;
Give 4 times: it becomes entitlement;
Give 5 times: you establish dependency.
Stop giving: you become an enemy.
A few days ago, I heard of story of someone that had to travel to Nairobi every so often to buy his medicine refills because they weren’t available in Uganda. He hasn’t needed to do so anymore because
@RocketHealthUG
conveniently delivers these to his doorstep. My heart is warm.
“Live within your means”is possibly some of the worst advice you can get.
Within your means, you’ll never expand your network, experiences, opportunities and challenges.
Sometimes I think about taking a mid-long term leave-of-absence from Uganda.
The country insidiously traumatizes us. Something you can only realize when you part ways with what you’ve put up with.
Must-have Weekly meetings in a startup.
1. Commercial/Sales/Revenue
2. Finance/Cashflow/Working Capital
3. Human Resources/Productivity monitoring
4. Data Management/Analysis
5. Marketing/Branding/Partnerships
6. Technology/Product Development
7. Customer service/Quality
You raise a funding round and, all of sudden, many of the investors that turned you down on the trail want to talk to you again like their reasons for turning you down changed.
Or may be this is what pretty privilege feels like.
Today we delivered a
@Teladoc
(US Telemedicine) prescription to a patient in Uganda with
@RocketHealthUG
(Telemedicine + Last mile healthcare).
Global + Local telemedicine together seamlessly delivering last mile healthcare. We’re at the cusp of something transformational.
⚠️ Beware ⚠️
When ‘they’ don’t know what they don’t know they’ll say your growth was as a result of …
Luck
Deals
Timing
Schools
Privilege
Nepotism
Connections
Neocolonialism
Back channeling…
Its been 1month since
@RocketHealthUG
launched healthcare services on USSD *280#
No. of Sessions -28K
Unique users - 17K
Most popular services by selection
Consultation with a Doctor - 42%
Lab - 20%
Subscription - 14%
Pharmacy - 13%
Clinic - 11%
#RocketHealthOnStar280Hash
PRESS RELEASE: The
@MinofHealthUG
has noted that a number of people are administering oxygen to COVID-19 patients within their homes and other ungazetted places.
The public is advised to desist from this dangerous practice with immediate effect.
#STAYSAFEUG
The
@RocketHealthUG
team is just incredible. 4,600 bottles of Covidex getting delivered. 920 orders of 5 bottles each, all sold via in less than 5 hours at the most affordable price in the market. Already working on securing more stock.
All your orders are already packed for delivery.
Thank you for giving us a chance to serve you.
Vist to order for;
-COVIDEX & other pharmacy products,
-Lab tests,
-Vaccinations,
-Doctor consultations over phone.
All the services are delivered to you.
If any gov’t in Africa wants to leapfrog its economy, the greatest hack is tech. It creates insane globally accepted wealth in the shortest of timespans.Just deliver: subsidized superfast internet, tax exempt smartphones&IT hardware, a pipeline of Devs/startups, last mile power.
#Startup
Lesson: When your startup gets into the mid game, there will be copy cats, imitators, fake friends. One’s job is to mind one’s own business, build mastery, and attain an UNASSAILABLE lead.
Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery.
It took 5 years to match the salary I left behind when I moved full time into the startup. Even then, there were staff hired that earned more.
Venture building takes a lot of personal sacrifice. It’s a looong game but all you need is 1 blockbuster win and you’re set for life.
For the record a lot of Pre-series A/Pre-breakeven and even post profit but Pre-series A founders don’t earn up to $2500.
Many take a pay cut so they have more $$$ to hire more people or pay someone they really need more.
But no one talks about that bcos it’s not banter worthy
All in all,
Employers need to do better - formal contracts, policies, fair treatment.
Employees need to do better - respect contract obligations, professionalism, reputation.
We all can use a better job market both ways. In your position, do better.
Are you an early stage health tech startup in Uganda?
I’d like to plug you into a potential funded Pharma incubation/collaboration program?
DM co. name, 3 line description and email.
EXCITING NEWS!
Rocket Health is proud to announce the close of a $5 million Series A Funding led by Creadev to accelerate East Africa's Expansion
Read statement for details:
Men, please start talking to someone, friends, anyone or a professional about the weight that you carry to safeguard Mental Health.
#MentalHealthAwareness