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Why Africa Needs Boring First with Bernard Laurendeau
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Bernard Laurendeau built Ethiopia's first licensed payment system operator, advised the Prime Minister's office on job creation, and now operates from Tokyo helping Japanese billions find their way into African markets. But he has a contrarian message: Africa needs to stop chasing sexy tech and focus on boring infrastructure first.
In this conversation, we explore:
- Why he respects unknown Lagos entrepreneurs more than Mark Zuckerberg
- How Ethiopia needs 10,000 new jobs daily to avoid catastrophe
- Why aid has been "market disrupting" for African development
- The difference between being a cultural chameleon and having real cultural intelligence
- His journey from management consultant to fintech CEO and back
- Why African entrepreneurs are the "Indiana Jones and MacGyvers" of business
Bernard shares candid insights about building in hostile environments, the importance of patient capital, and why African leaders need to become more comfortable with power. His unique perspective as someone who's navigated Ethiopian, French, American, and Japanese business cultures offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in emerging markets.
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