Building startup giants and thriving community, from Hubspace to AI with Melilizwe Gqobo | Podcast

‪@add-ideas‬ Today, we're talking with the mastermind behind Hubspace, Melilizwe Gqobo.

The tech venture scout and startup enthusiast is not just building startups; he's crafting empires for industries and reinforcing community.

Join us as we uncover the secrets to his success, from the groundbreaking days of Hubspace to his futuristic vision for AI and innovation within the ecosystem.

00:00 Intro
00:35 The difference between a founder and an entrepreneur
02:57 Approaching common challenges and experiences
04:37 The scramble for Africa and the unbanked
07:15 Answering 'Why now?' - Key lessons and opportunities
13:32 Entrepreneurial journey summary
14:40 Becoming the next successful venture
15:35 Before Facebook
17:46 Being first to market - The story of Hubspace
21:47 The township economy
27:31 The "protection" fee
31:41 Supporting founders
34:32 Mindset and motivation
38:19 How do we manage our time better?
40:52 Bringing community and taking up space
48:19 Innovation and AI
58:26 Key-takeaways
1:03:20 Outro
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RESOURCES
1. Acceleration Economy - Amazon’s AI-Powered Shopping Assistant Represents New Frontier in E-Commerce: https://accelerationeconomy.com/cloud...
2. BBC – Tesla to use humanoid robots next year: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz5...
3. Bolt – The story of bolt: https://bolt.eu/en/blog/the-story-of-...
4. Bridge Taxi Finance - The South African taxi industry: https://www.bridgetaxifinance.co.za/t...
5. Disrupt Africa – Hubspace: https://disruptafrica.com/2014/11/15/...
6. Forbes - To The Underrepresented Founder, You Are The Problem: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeseq...
7. Forbes – Who is a Founder: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greggfai...
8. Forbes – Why Facebook triumphed over all other social networks: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gilpress...
9. News24 – The rise and rise of the township economy: https://www.news24.com/news24/partner...
10. NPR – Hubspace: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsand...
11. Parliament of RSA - Multifaceted Approach Needed to Deal With Protection Fee and Business Extortion Syndicates: https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/mu...
12. Tech central – Bolt sees Africa as a big growth market: https://techcentral.co.za/uber-rival-...
13. The Verge – Nvidia $14 billion of profit in a single quarter thanks to AI chips: https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24...
14. The Verge - Nvidia will now make new AI chips every year: https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24...
15. WEF – Industry Agenda: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Around the Globe and Company Growth Dynamicshttps://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Ent...
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Follow Melilizwe Gqobo:   / melilizwe-gqobo-6229a729  
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