Pivot

This post includes one of my favorite items:  hummus.  It is also about an entrepreneur who recognizes the need to pivot due to customer feedback and becomes very successful. 

The article is from Entrepreneur and highlights the struggles of Jesse Wolfe and his firm, O'Dang Hummus.  

As we know from reading the article, he faced the same challenges other start-up firms have when competing in the food industry and retail sales.  The article notes that Mr. Wolfe overcame the initial issues of product development, testing, reevaluating, and getting on a supermarket shelf.  But he still did not meet his expectations. 

Unlike others who fail, he learned from his product testing and found another avenue.  It required him to significantly revise the final product, but he could have never done it without customer feedback. Sometimes we forget that the customer can offer insights others simply cannot see.  Mr. Wolfe heard them and acted accordingly. 

I think you will enjoy the article. It is authored by Jason Feifer.  Mr. Feifer does an excellent job carrying you through Wolfe's journey. 

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/341808

Technology at its Best or Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Short answer to the question above. I am not that smart.

From previous posts you know I read several business magazines.  This is one of my favorite articles in Forbes.  It combines extensive research, answering a burning question, growing an economy, and innovative adaption of technology all in one article.

One key point, you will never look at your mobile phone the same way again. 

The article is about Shivani Siroya and her challenges and success in launching Tala.  Tala makes small loans through a smartphone app.

Ms. Siroya’s background and experience are highly unique and positioned her to form Tala.  The article talks about partnerships she formed. The use of data on a phone to analyze customers was brilliant.  Several users of Tala are profiled. The stats on the impact of Ms. Siroya and her company are very impressive.

Title of the article: “The $100 Trillion Opportunity: The Race To Provide Banking To The World’s Poor”

Link to article:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2019/09/23/the-100-trillion-opportunity-the-race-to-provide-banking-to-the-worlds-poor/#3a1fd0f1d015