Startup marketing shouldn't be this hard...

Priscilla, Ukeme Daniel

15 May 2025 — 5 min read

👇🏾

In this Edition

Founder's Notes
Community Session Invitation
Ecosystem Updates

📮 Founder's Notes: Why Marketing Feels So Hard (And What to Do About It)

Marketing is tough for startups, of course. There’s no way around it. You’re juggling building your product, setting up your operations, managing finances, hiring, and somehow also trying to get your message out there—with very little budget and time.

But here’s the thing: that constraint forces you to get really clear on who you’re building for. Who’s the real user? Who’s actually paying? And where do those people spend their time? When you nail that down, marketing stops being guesswork. You can test, see what’s working, and adjust quickly without drowning in vanity numbers.

We’ve learned at The Beta Collective that one-on-one chats have been gold. Honestly, some of our biggest wins came from us messaging founders & prospects directly: “Hey, I saw your work—mind a quick chat?” Reaching out directly, having honest chats, and building relationships—it’s simple but it works. Sure, it’s hard to scale, but it keeps you connected to real needs and real people.

That’s why this month’s community session is focused on marketing for startups, especially those in the African ecosystem. We want to share practical ideas that you can use right away and learn from each other’s experiences. I hope to see you there.

Community

Updates from The Beta Collective Community by Priscilla

Join us for our Next Community Session! Marketing 101 for African Startups 🔥

Feeling unsure about how to market your startup? You're not alone and you're definitely not too early. Join us at The Beta Collective for a relaxed, beginner-friendly session that breaks down marketing into what actually matters for African founders just getting started.

We’ll walk you through the basics of positioning, messaging, choosing the right channels, and attracting your first customers—with real-life African case studies and zero fluff. Whether you're still figuring out your idea or trying to build your first audience, this session is for you.

🗓 Date: Thursday, May 29th, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM WAT
📍 Location: Google Meet
🎟️ Tickets: Free

💡 What to expect:

Simple, jargon-free explanations of marketing fundamentals
Examples from real African ventures
A chance to ask questions in our live Q&A

👉 Register now and get the clarity and confidence to market your startup from day one.

Ecosystem

News, Events, and Updates by Jesse

News

Powering East Africa’s Digital Growth, 260 km of Fiber Goes Live

KAMPALA — May 13, 2025

The East African tech landscape just received a significant shot in the arm. Bayobab, the infrastructure powerhouse spun out of MTN, has just lit up a brand-new 260-kilometer fiber artery connecting Uganda and Kenya. This isn't just laying cable; it's weaving a tighter digital fabric across the region, promising faster speeds, greater reliability, and fresh opportunities for the burgeoning startup ecosystem we're all so invested in.

What This Could Means for the African Startup Ecosystem:

Accelerated Product Development: Reduced latency and higher bandwidth finally free teams from overprovisioned international links. Startups can now build and deploy sophisticated web and mobile apps, real-time dashboards, and AI services without frustrating lag or unexpected downtime.

Lower Connectivity Costs: Competition and route redundancy will drive down wholesale bandwidth prices. Early-stage ventures—many of which spend 20–30 percent of their budget on connectivity—could see costs fall by at least 10 percent, freeing capital for product iteration, marketing, or team expansion.

Boosted Investor Confidence: Global VCs and corporate funds tracking East Africa now have one more infrastructure assurance. The corridor’s alignment with existing rail rights-of-way also lowers deployment risk for future expansions—whether extra fiber strands or edge-compute nodes.

Funding and Resources

Take Off with the Paper Plane Program 2025💰🌍

Are you an African startup with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ready to soar? The Paper Plane Program 2025 is your launchpad! This initiative is designed to connect ambitious African startups with pre-seed and seed funding, boost their visibility across the continent, and link them with key players in the regional ecosystem.

What's on Offer:

Six-Week Intensive Journey: Selected startups will embark on a transformative six-week program packed with expert-led workshops and personalized mentorship.
Fully Funded Immersion in Qatar: Gain invaluable insights and connections during a fully funded trip to Qatar, culminating in participation at Open Startup's Global Immersion Week (GIW25).
Pitch to Investors: GIW25 provides a prime opportunity to pitch your startup to potential investors.
Explore Regional Partnerships: Connect with other startups, mentors, and industry leaders to forge strategic alliances.
Global Growth Potential: Position your business for international expansion.

Who Should Apply?

Pre-seed or seed-stage startups.
Incorporated within the African continent.
Offering a tech-enabled solution addressing global challenges.
Demonstrated market validation and business progress.
Aiming for international scalability.

Benefits:

Hands-on learning approach.
Access to funding opportunities and connections with Venture Capitalists (VCs) and accelerators.
Ecosystem immersion experience.
Networking opportunities within a vibrant African community.

Did we provide value?

We would appreciate feedback on our newsletter, what information did you find useful? How can we improve so that we continue to provide value to people like you? Please use the icons at the bottom of this newsletter to like and send a comment. 🙏🏽