Ecosystem Strategy Development

The government of Rwanda has banned secondhand clothing imports, seeing them not just as garments, but as symbols of an imbalanced global trade system that has long undermined local industry and identity. For decades, used clothing from wealthier nations flooded African markets. It was cheap, yes, but at a deeper cost. It stifled homegrown fashion, created dependency, and sent the message that what’s “used up” elsewhere is good enough for us. With tariffs raised by up to 1,150% and a full import ban on the horizon, Rwanda is making a statement: it’s time to invest in our own. Designers like Sonia Mugabo are stepping into the spotlight, championing the Made in Rwanda movement and redefining what pride in local fashion can look like. But let’s be honest: the shift isn’t easy. For many low-income families, secondhand (or mitumba) was the only affordable option. Even new, low-cost imports remain out of reach for some. So the question becomes: how do we balance dignity, sovereignty, and access? Still, this move is about more than clothing. It’s about reclaiming value chains, rebuilding local manufacturing, and reminding the world that Africa is not just a consumer of global fashion- it’s a creator of it. A powerful and complex move. One that deserves attention far beyond the runway. #MadeInAfrica #Rwanda #Fashion #Sustainability #EconomicJustice #Africa

These days everyone wants to be a #SuperApp but only a handful have managed to succeed. Those who have share one common denominator: monetization. Let’s see how it can be done. Here is my summary of the most successful strategies: 1.  An ecosystem play – as opposed to providing mere access to an array of different services – with seamless, integrated, end-to-end experience across all aspects of modern life. 2.  #Payments as the undisputed underlying layer that acts as a connecting base for the multitude of offerings on the platform. 3.  A wide range of integrated payment methods catering for different use cases and target audiences (P2P, BNPL, money transfer, instant payments, online payments, QR codes, etc). 4.  Low customer acquisition costs as a direct result of the platform play and then up-selling and cross-selling of high-margin financial offerings (i.e. lending, investment, insurance, e-commerce, digital #banking) and merchant added-value services (i.e. merchant financing, collection technology platform). 5.  #Data as the predominant tool for driving high engagement with tailor-made offerings that transformed how, when and in which context services are offered. 6.  A two-sided consumer and merchant ecosystem with the platform acting as the bridge that not only connects the two sides but fuels growth from one to the other in an open, two-way dynamic relationship. In such a set-up platform engagement (consumer side) enables merchant growth creating a self-reinforcing loop based on high frequency and high repeat rates that lead to consumer stickiness and retention. 7. Software and cloud services to a range of B2B partners (enterprises, telecoms, digital platforms, fintechs), which act not only as a platform amplifier but also as multiplier of customer engagement that unlocks additional customer data points and insights. 8.  A subscription-led ecosystem for merchants: the platform becomes the enabling layer for partners, merchants and other tech providers to accept payments through a wide variety of instruments, including subscription-based models that create permanent revenue and stickiness. 9.  Help merchants drive revenue growth via marketing channels: merchants sell discount deals, gift vouchers and other digital goods like tickets to platform users. 10.  Leverage a network of banks and other FS providers to expand distribution channels. 11.  First-mover integration advantage with the local ecosystem. Paytm was, for example, the first app to launch UPI Lite in India and has subsequently enabled wallet interoperability that allowed full KYC Paytm Wallets to be universally acceptable on all UPI QR codes and online merchants. Opinions: my own, Graphic source: Paytm quarterly reports Subscribe here to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

🌍 How can humanity continue to develop without destroying the foundations of life on Earth? A major new study, co-authored by the PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, charts a scientific path forward — and warns of the cost of inaction. Business-as-usual leads to ongoing deterioration in climate, biodiversity, freshwater, and nutrient cycles. But when ambitious climate policy is paired with systemic sustainability measures — like shifting to a low-meat diet, halving food waste, reforesting land, and managing water and nutrients efficiently — the damage can be halted, even reversed. By 2050, the planet can return to 2015-level conditions. By 2100, Earth systems could begin to recover significantly. 🧭 This study combines the planetary boundaries framework with integrated climate models to create a navigation system for decision-makers. At the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), we emphasize the power of climate services — turning science into actionable policy — to help countries and companies manage these risks, anticipate disruptions, and build long-term resilience. We need coordinated global action, driven by data and grounded in science. Because protecting our future means safeguarding the systems that sustain life. The tools are here. The science is clear. The time is now. https://lnkd.in/eVuR9yDu

I’ve given plenty of speeches I’m proud of, but I’ve never had so many people come up to me, message me, or share how deeply something has landed as I did last week. And I think it's because when I wrote this speech, I didn’t just think about the content, I thought a lot about the audience. It was at the Institute of Directors in New Zealand's annual leadership conference and I was talking about nature - something that sounds "environmental" (duh) but is actually highly commercial for New Zealand businesses, and therefore highly relevant for New Zealand directors... I knew I needed to meet this audience where they are. To use their language and their mental models. So that’s what I did. I created a scenario every director in the room could imagine. Not an environmental scenario, but a commercial one. And it worked. I lost count of how many people told me afterwards that the penny had finally dropped for them. Here’s the concept I shared (shortened for LinkedIn): “Imagine your CFO comes to you tomorrow and says: – A significant percentage of the company’s long-term value depends on a single supplier. – We’ve never done due diligence on them. – We’ve been underpaying them — or not paying them at all. – They’re now showing signs of failure and there’s no alternative vendor. – And if we had to recreate what they provide, it would cost billions in capex and require infrastructure we don’t have and never could. What would your reaction be? What would the conversation around the board table sound like? Because that’s your business’s relationship with nature. Nature is your most critical supplier. It provides water, air, soil, biodiversity - the systems every single business depends on to function. Boards that fail to recognise this are missing the most basic principle of business: lose your critical supplier, and you lose your ability to deliver value. No board would tolerate the risk profile we’ve accepted here, a single-source supplier, massively underfunded, visibly degrading, with no backups, no contingency and terrible relationship management.” But this post isn’t actually about what I said. It’s about how I said it. Instead of talking about ecosystem services, I talked about supplier risk. Instead of biodiversity loss, I talked about single-source dependence. I translated nature into the language of governance, resilience, and commercial reality. Because if you want to share something important with an audience, don’t start with what you want to say. Start with what they need to understand. Think about who you’re talking to, in what context, and what matters to them. Make your message feel familiar enough for the audience to see themselves in it. That’s what made this talk land and that's how change actually happens. Specially thank you to The Aotearoa Circle who know better than anyone that restoring out natural capital and is an economic imperative. #naturalcapital #governingnature #tnfds

🌎 Multi-Club Ownership: A Platform Strategy for Global Sports Investors What began as a trend is now an asset class: Multi-Club Ownership (MCO) is emerging as the most advanced operating model in global sport — fusing performance, infrastructure, and capital into a scalable, platform-based strategy. Today, over 180 clubs worldwide are part of MCO groups, including 25% of top-tier European teams (UEFA, 2023). But the value isn’t in volume — it’s in integration. 📈 Why Investors Are Leaning In MCO isn’t just about owning clubs. It’s about building globally diversified sports platforms that unlock asymmetric upside through: ✅ Capital Efficiency: Shared infrastructure across sports science, data, scouting, and operations ✅ Global Talent Arbitrage: Source and develop players at local cost, monetise at global value ✅ Asset Compounding: Stadiums, training facilities, and media IP can scale across borders ✅ Geo-Risk Diversification: Hedge exposure across economic, regulatory, and football market cycles ✅ Commercial Expansion: Multi-market brand partnerships, digital rights monetisation, and cross-border fanbase growth ✅ Exit Flexibility: MCOs offer portfolio-style liquidity options — partial sales, spinouts, or media rights deals ⚽️ Leading Examples City Football Group: A blueprint for centralised football intelligence with global asset reach in 13 clubs across 5 continents, from Manchester to Montevideo RedBird Capital: Integrating sport, media, and data through AC Milan and Toulouse FC, with ambitions in North America and India BlueCo: Pairing Premier League’s Chelsea and Ligue 1’s RC Strasbourg assets to build long-term enterprise value 🏟️ From Sports Ownership to Sports Infrastructure For forward-looking investors, MCO represents a shift from club ownership to operating infrastructure — a durable, cash-generative model that can compound returns through strategic alignment of talent, tech, and territory. We’re building toward this future — and actively engaging with capital partners who see the opportunity to lead, not follow. Let’s talk. #PrivateEquity #SportsInvestment #MultiClubOwnership #GlobalFootball #SportaaS #InfrastructureCapital #FutureOfSport #PlatformStrategy #CapitalMarkets #AlternativeAssets #MCO #SportsPrivateEquity

There is no pathway to climate stability or sustainable development without keeping nature intact. To deliver on the nature positive goal by 2030, we must halt the loss of remaining intact biomes and ecosystems, these are irreplaceable systems that cannot be quickly restored. In parallel, it's crucial to reverse species extinction risks and scale up restoration efforts. Our new paper with Frontiers in Science lays out the path forward. https://lnkd.in/dCJ-TnKj

Two decades ago, researchers started an experiment that would challenge the prevailing scientific understanding of plant communities. While modern agriculture reduces systems to single functions, the Jena Experiment showed how complexity creates resilience. The setup was simple but groundbreaking: 82 grassland plots, ranging from monocultures to combinations of 60 species, monitored for over 20 years. What they discovered would expose fundamental flaws in our understanding of agricultural systems. The results were transformative. Plots with 16+ species showed triple the soil carbon storage, built topsoil 2.7x faster, supported 45% more pollinators, and were 50% more drought resistant than monocultures. But the numbers only tell half the story. The real breakthrough came from watching these communities evolve. Species that initially competed fiercely for resources began developing sophisticated sharing networks. The plants weren't just coexisting—they were actively cooperating in ways not previously observed. This wasn't random. High-diversity plots consistently outperformed monocultures across every metric. After 15 years, they showed 84% less variation in biomass production and recovered from drought twice as fast. Nature was proving that diversity equals stability. The findings shatter a core assumption of modern agriculture – that we can predict plant performance based on individual traits. The most productive combinations weren't those that looked good on paper; they were the ones that had time to adapt to each other. Below ground, these plant communities were building complex networks. Soil analysis revealed extensive mycorrhizal connections and unprecedented microbial diversity. The plants weren't just growing together – they were creating entirely new ecosystems. The implications for agriculture are profound. Our current approach of testing combinations for 1-2 seasons systematically underestimates their potential. Many of the most successful plant communities in Jena looked unimpressive until year 3 or 4. The benefits followed a clear timeline: Year 1-2: Competitive establishment Year 3-4: Initial cooperation patterns emerge Year 5-7: Stable resource-sharing networks form Year 8+: Maximum ecosystem services achieved The data tells a compelling story. Without any external inputs, diverse plots achieved: 180% higher carbon sequestration 50% lower pest pressure 70% better nutrient retention 2.3x higher drought tolerance The Jena Experiment isn't just research – it's a wake-up call. We've been simplifying agricultural systems when we should have been embracing their complexity. The future of farming isn't in monocultures – it's in managed ecosystems.

A $125B fund to protect tropical forests is gaining traction, reports Justin Catanoso from #COP16. At COP16 in Colombia, an idea as audacious as it is pragmatic took center stage: the Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF), a potentially transformative step in conservation finance. Conceived as a new model for protecting tropical forests, TFFF aims to establish a reliable, results-based income stream for nations stewarding these biodiverse reserves—essentially treating tropical forests as stakeholders in our planet’s future. Despite a patchwork of conservation funds, financing has simply not kept pace with the rapid rate of forest loss. Enter the TFFF, structured to attract up to $125 billion from a mix of sovereign investors, philanthropies, and private sources. Its ambition is to reward countries for slowing deforestation and safeguarding tropical forests, offering an annual return of $4 billion, contingent upon rigorous satellite monitoring and adherence to conservation targets. While other funds have relied on goodwill and grants, TFFF introduces a model akin to a bond fund, rewarding investors while incentivizing nations to keep forests intact. The initiative’s architects envision a diversified portfolio, combining climate-friendly investments—such as green bonds in developing economies—with fixed-income securities in more established markets, aiming for stable returns to underwrite ambitious payouts. Penalties for deforestation are stringent: each hectare lost forfeits the equivalent of rewards for 100 hectares. Such measures aim to maintain a steady yield over an anticipated 20-year lifecycle, supporting more than 70 tropical nations in preserving, rather than depleting, their natural capital. Beyond its environmental goals, TFFF’s structure addresses the governance and transparency challenges often faced by global finance initiatives. A globally recognized body would oversee fund administration, minimizing political influence and ensuring that proceeds are distributed equitably and transparently. Payments will be tracked and verified, supported by an annual “Global Score Card” to enhance public accountability. If successful, TFFF could represent a shift from traditional conservation financing, creating an asset-backed approach where nature's essential services are finally valued. Tropical forests—indispensable for climate stability, biodiversity, and local livelihoods—have long been absent from balance sheets. As TFFF’s supporters might say, it’s high time forests were valued for their productivity as ecosystems, not just as raw materials. 📰 Catanoso's story: https://lnkd.in/gfmdvyPm Photos: various rainforests I've photographed.

For decades, organizations approached new technology the same way: choose the platform, pilot it, then roll out training. AI requires a different approach. It changes how work is designed, how decisions get made, and how people and technology collaborate.   A recent Forbes article offers a helpful framework for navigating this shift—one that starts with design, not deployment:   → Start with outcomes. What does success really mean—better insights, stronger relationships, improved quality? → Deconstruct the work. Identify what should be automated, what can be augmented, and what must remain human. → Design the collaboration. Determine how humans and AI will share responsibility and decision-making. → Rethink how success is measured. Value metrics that capture trust, learning, and adaptability.   At Microsoft, we're seeing that this shift takes intention. It’s about aligning people, process, and technology—and it means building a playbook that connects business goals to how people work and learn every day.   How are you approaching AI adoption differently than past technology rollouts? https://lnkd.in/gCdnuBMa

A quick Claude Code power-user playbook I wanted to share some patterns that have been working well for me in Claude Code recently. Give Claude verification and autonomy on lean, high-signal context, then get out of the way - and the newer the model (Fable / Opus), the more it rewards that. As I've been saying, the more you can be specific with your constraints (and a way to verify they are being met), the better the outcome. Verification is the #1 quality multiplier (2-3x). Loops and goals let it run until the work is actually done. /goal defines a verifiable, session-scoped end state for a single task, while /loop specifies a recurring execution cadence . I've been increasingly leaning on the loop and goal primitives in my work and they've been very helpful. If you're still not quite sure what loops are, loops (or "loop engineering") are an autonomous agent pattern where they repeatedly run cycles of work - gathering context, taking action via tools, and verifying results - until a specific stop condition or goal is met Lean context and progressive disclosure beat stuffing CLAUDE.md. I've been seeing folks increasingly being more diligent with this. Skills, hooks and auto mode turn it into an autonomous engineer rather than a step-by-step tool. I've been seeing folks proactively audit what skills they're actually using each month and trimming back where needed. Few ways to clean things up including running /doctor. When autonomy goes wrong, Claude can occasionally get caught in an infinite loop of writing a bug, running a test, failing, and trying the exact same fix again. Hit ESC once to halt Claude mid-action if you see it drifting down a rabbit hole. /rewind (or ESC + ESC) opens an interactive terminal menu that lets you instantly roll back code changes and conversation state to a specific point in time before the loop went sideways Hope these are useful to someone! #ai #programming #softwareengineering