Management
Business
From Amateur to Professional: Building Systems for Growth
The writer argues that the transition from amateur to professional habits is essential for small business growth in Cameroon, yet remains hindered by cultural pressures and short-term thinking. They outline four practical disciplines—documentation, business rules, standard procedures, and boundary-setting with friends—as concrete steps toward professionalism and scalability.
Greatness Against Hype: Apprenticeship and Depth in African Enterprise
The writer reflects on the gap between online self-presentation and actual competence in African business, arguing that true mastery requires patient, sustained apprenticeship rather than rapid reinvention or pursuit of visibility. Drawing on personal experience across tech and finance, he contends that depth of knowledge—earned through close study of exemplary practitioners—remains undervalued in an age of manufactured credentials and hype.
The Service Chain: How Living Standards Shape Excellence in African Markets
The writer argues that poor service quality across African B2C sectors reflects the poor living conditions of service workers and support staff. Breaking this cycle requires deliberately investing in the material welfare of those at the bottom of the chain—housing, transport, utilities—as a prerequisite for excellence.
On the Function of Record Labels in Cameroon
The writer examines the distinction between major and independent record labels, explaining their different structures, resources, and relationships with artists. Drawing on examples from the Cameroonian music industry, the piece argues that most local labels are independent, yet operate under misunderstandings about contracts, artist development, and financial accountability.
The Cost of Winning: A Lesson in Business Ethics
The writer recalls a team-building exercise at a BMW Foundation conference where her team strategically broke rules to win faster, only to discover afterward that the exercise was a deliberate test of ethical behavior. An executive's explanation revealed that true ethics means following rules regardless of whether one can afford the consequences—a distinction that reshaped her understanding of integrity in business and life.
The Discovery Show: Rethinking the Economics of Live Performance
A reflective account of a new event platform that redistributes risk and responsibility between artists and organizers, asking whether shifting artists toward independent ticket sales and direct audience engagement can reshape how live music works in Cameroon.
Leadership Lessons from Dr Nkeng: Building Loyalty in the Entertainment Industry
The writer observes Dr Nkeng's sustained success in building and maintaining a cohesive video production team—CPE—as a rare model of organizational stability in an industry marked by frequent conflict and dissolution. Rather than offering a direct answer, the piece poses the question of what principles might underlie such loyalty and competence, positioning Nkeng as a quiet exemplar worth studying.
Working with Creatives
The piece examines the personality traits that often accompany creative talent—neuroticism, antisocial behavior, lower conscientiousness—and offers practical advice for managers and colleagues on building productive working relationships despite these challenges.