Our mission and messaging at Mustard has always been centred on Africa. Since our founding we have been striving to create brands that stem from the continent, with the intent of changing its perceptions. But is this action bigger than the strong views and beliefs we hold about narratives?

We believe that the most powerful initiatives in history, which have moved the most people, have all been story-led. We therefore believe that founders can learn from these movements, by building ventures with their narrative first. But can this thinking and approach only be applied to Africa?

In this episode, Andrew and Ndubuisi discuss Mustard’s story, mission and actions in depth, and ponder what comes first in our thinking: narratives or Africa?

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Statistically and practically speaking, entrepreneurship is all about failure. The vast majority of startups fail in a relatively short space of time, and even those that last only do so by successfully moving from one failure to the next.

If this is true, why do we tend to hold startup failures in a negative light? Why do we mostly only hear about them in the context of fraud and illicit activities. When was the last time you heard an inspiring failure story from any founder, let alone one in the African venture space?

In this episode we speak to Kevin Mutiso, founder of Oye, and formerly the founder of Alternative Circle, which is a startup that eventually failed. In our conversation Kevin shares how he processed his failure and moved to relative success because of it, and outlines why he thinks the topic is something that needs to be better discussed in Kenya, Africa and the world at large.

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Oye Website

Kevin on LinkedIn

Oye on LinkedIn

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Even as we have expressed an increasing desire for “authentic” as opposed to authoritative brands in the 21st century, our generally accepted model for building businesses has remained stuck in the past. Most of us are still asking exactly what authenticity means in this context, and how a founder can bake it in from the start when creating their venture’s identity?

In this episode we speak to Daby Osuji, a corporate go-to-market strategist and founder of a faith-based blog Quill and Cross, to discuss how she is conceiving brand authenticity for the latter by following and expressing her own passions, feelings and beliefs. We speak about how founding her blog has required Daby to lay aside elements of her strategist mindset to lead with why instead of what, vulnerability instead of professionalism, and even passion instead of money.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” - Simon Sinek

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Follow Daby Osuji

Website - Quill & Cross

LinkedIn - Daby Osuji

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The old saying goes that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but is this entirely true? When it comes to the area of design, can the word “objective” ever be used appropriately? In the realm of logo design, is there a standard to which all should aim to reach? And, are there principles and analogies from mathematic that we can apply to help us reach them?

In this episode we speak to the award-winning logo designer Kwaku Amprako, who believes there is an “objectively good” way to create logos, and is using his voice as a social media influencer and technology as a founder, to try and prove it. In our discussion with Kwaku we explore his logo philosophy, and using illustrations from theories relating to shapes, physics and mathematics, we try to ground it.

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Instagram @amprako.co

LinkedIn - Kwaku Amprako

Twitter - @amprako.co

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Web - gridit.io

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This week we revisit one of our most downloaded episodes, to re-assess the relevance of its takes on brands, in light of our recent conversations about African VC.

In this episode we spoke to Nigerian designer and brand influencer Mr. Funsho, to discuss his philosophy of branding, and how its value is perceived today by startups, industry veterans and everyday consumers in Nigeria. Does the culture of Nigeria and others across the continent believe returns can be made by focusing on brands and communication? And, how true is the quote below with regards to the continent today?

“As was the case at the turn of the decade, there remains a stronger enthusiasm for building African brands. But the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.” Thebe Ikalafeng, former CMO of Nike Africa and founder of Brands Africa

Follow Mr Funsho

Instagram: @MrFunsho

LinkedIn: Funsho Felix

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The African VC space - like almost all others around the world - will see a general decline in 2023, due to monetary policy changes. But did the industry have solid fundamentals to begin with prior to the effects of these changes? Does the overwhelming presence of multilateral organisations and development finance institutions as investors in the space suggest that it did not? And if not, into what state is it likely to bounce back?

In this episode we deeply question Africa’s VC industry with Mark Kleyner, the co-founder of Dream VC, which is an accelerator for existing and aspiring investors in Africa that is aiming to professionalise the space. From the data and Mark’s experience, we cover topics that often go unmentioned including the professionalism and readiness of African and foreign investors in the region, the justified and unjustified optimism surrounding the industry, and the prevailing politics, ideologies and media narratives that are actually holding the ecosystem back.

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Follow Dream VC

Website

Dream VC's - junior LIVC Program

Dream VC's - flagship IA Program

Dream VC’s - Linkedin / Twitter

Follow Mark Kleyner

Mark’s - LinkedIn / Twitter

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Crystal Palace F.C. recently became the first club in the British Premier League’s history to appoint an official creative director, in the form of Mailroom talent agency’s founder Kenny Annan-Jonathan. The move appears to be a relatively novel trend, with US sporting teams such as the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers having only secured people in similar roles within the past three years; but is it one that we can expect to last. Is Kenny likely to be the first and last creative director in British sports?

In this episode of Reframed we speak to Kenny Annan-Jonathan in his first long-form interview since his Crystal Palace appointment, about the changing dynamics between sports, brands, culture and global audiences. Why did Nike’s campaign with fictional football team A.F.C Richmond sell out? Why is Qatari-owned PSG’s football shirt seen by some streetwear more than sportswear? And, what happened in 2018 to cause Nike’s Nigeria football jersey to sell out across an array of demographics?

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Follow the Mailroom

The Mailroom: http://www.mrca.online/

Instagram: @mailroom

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The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were perhaps the most recognisable faces in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s respectively amongst young people. However, in today’s influencer era one could argue that Kim Kardashian is on top, or at least thereabout.

In this episode we speak with Orlando Baxter, a veteran US comedian known for his Drybar comedy specials, to discuss the road to becoming an influencer. We know that fame, and the paths to it, and reasons for it, have changed over the last 20-30 years, but just how much of this change can be attributed to social media versus the natural attitudinal differences of younger generations. Has social media fundamentally altered the paths to fame (and fortune), and - if so - has it done so largely for better or worse?

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Veteran comedian and former high-school teacher Orlando Baxter, has uniquely played and related with audiences all around the world and in every continent except Antarctica. Known for his Drybar comedy specials, his most recent of which has amassed over 10 million views, he has appeared on late-night shows including TBS’ Conan Show with Conan O’Brien, TBN’s Mike Huckabee Show, and BET’s “50 Central”.

Follow Orlando Baxter

Website: orlandobaxter.com

Instagram: @orlandobaxtercomedy

Tiktok/FB: @orlandobaxter

Facebook: @orlandobaxter

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