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5 days ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
If you missed last week’s newsletter, catch up here. Any financial institution that launches what it believes to be a game-changing feature on April Fool's Day is deeply unserious. I could sugarcoat it, but after two days of rest, I’m feeling troublesome. Hello there, Sterling Bank. Did anyone see Sterling’s announcement? Free transfers? Cool. What’s for lunch?
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1 week ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
Today’s (unscheduled) newsletter is written by Nnanna, who I’ve referenced in previous newsletters here and here. Also, subscribe to his Substack: Fintech is Easy. It’s really dope.
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1 week ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
If you missed Friday’s newsletter about Gokada’s life-or-death $200k raise, catch up here. It’s been four years since Nigeria launched the eNaira with the deeply unoriginal slogan: “Same Naira, more possibilities”, shamelessly ripping off borrowing GTCO’s “Same Orange, More Range.”If it doesn’t feel like the eNaira has been around for years, that’s because when products fail to gain traction, they enter a weird limbo where time stands still.
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2 weeks ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
Trump’s tariffs aren’t here yet. Subscribe for free:“Nigeria is God’s experiment with the impossible.” — Dele GiwaIt’s comforting to know that Nigeria isn’t the only theater of the absurd. This week, Trump’s tariffs tanked global markets, until a CNBC news report claimed the tariffs were being lifted, sparking a short-lived rally. The White House called the news fake, then, just 24 hours later, suspended the tariffs for everyone except China. I know. It’s a lot. Breathe.
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2 weeks ago | 
open.substack.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
Trump’s tariffs aren’t here yet. Subscribe for free:“Nigeria is God’s experiment with the impossible.” — Dele GiwaIt’s comforting to know that Nigeria isn’t the only theater of the absurd. This week, Trump’s tariffs tanked global markets, until a CNBC news report claimed the tariffs were being lifted, sparking a short-lived rally. The White House called the news fake, then, just 24 hours later, suspended the tariffs for everyone except China. I know. It’s a lot. Breathe.
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2 weeks ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
“Who first buy car na him dey drive old model,” is one of those cheeky pidgin proverbs that sits right beside Aesop’s “sour grapes.” The idea, if you haven’t already parsed it, is simple: don’t envy people who get nice things before you. By the time you’re ready, their shiny toys won’t be so shiny anymore. Crypto gamblers enthusiasts call it copium.
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3 weeks ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
Follow us on Twitter. I’ll come up with a good reason later. Around 2019, the tech ecosystem’s consensus was that Nigeria’s commercial banks weren’t particularly good at banking. This was the dominant narrative. And honestly? There was some truth to it. Disruptive innovation thrives on identifying the blind spots of incumbents and offering services that are niche at first, but eventually overthrow the olds. But in our rush to upend the old order, did we ask why things were the way they were?
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4 weeks ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
PR People Need to RelaxDoes tech PR have a clarity problem? On Wednesday, I read a headline about a startup that secured $4 million to “power clean energy financing in Africa.” No clue what that meant, so I kept scrolling. A few hours later, while driving past Ikoyi, I saw the company’s ad: loans for setting up solar power. That, I understood.
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1 month ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
“A Toad Does Not Run in the Daytime for Nothing”Not subscribing is free, but so is subscribing. Choose wisely. That’s what I imagine Pete Edochie was saying to himself while scrolling through Instagram on a random afternoon in late November 2024, as yet another wave of baddies foreigners and IJGBs touched down at Murtala Muhammed International Airport for Detty December. Lagos always puts on a show for the holidays, but 2024? Different gravy.
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1 month ago | 
notadeepdive.com | Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega
I’ve been gone for two years but the shenanigans have largely remained the same. Glory to Hanuman!Congrats, you’ve already made one good decision today! 🎉 Now go all in: subscribe for free and get your regular dose of smart takes, mild chaos, and the occasional ‘I told you so.’Let’s get into it. Make ESOPs great again!Here’s a rough idea of how startups work: a passionate founder has an idea that will change the world and create billions of dollars in value.
