Sitemap - 2022 - The Realistic Optimist

Why super apps look very different depending on where they're from

Do foreign aid organizations hurt the startups they claim to help?

How Brazil's central bank launched its own fintech startup

Navigating the choppy waters of Indian edtech

Paystack: one of the most important Nigerian startups to date

The cross-pollination of the US and Mexican startup scene

The thunderous entrance of sovereign wealth funds into the VC world

The rise of startups built on WhatsApp

Airlift: a pragmatic analysis of Pakistan's most funded startup's failure

Careem: MENA's most important startup to date.

How the Ukrainian startup ecosystem is adapting to the war

SWVL: The Egyptian unicorn acquiring startups from Turkey to Mexico

Platzi: How a Colombian edtech startup changed my life

The Peso is dead. Long live crypto.

How 2 startups make up 2% of Indonesia's GDP

What makes and breaks the Palestinian startup ecosystem

Why fintech startups from Brazil to Sudan use Visa and Mastercard

Why startups are courting convenience stores from Mexico to Indonesia

The secret ingredient to a successful startup ecosystem: the government

Crypto and remittances: a match made in heaven?

What Nubank's IPO means for the future of LATAM fintech

How Y-Combinator built a mafia in emerging markets

Why I analyzed 30 countries' startup ecosystems + and what I learned from it.

Ecosystem Deep Dives #30: Philippines - Riding the wave

Ecosystem Deep Dives #29: Peru - Late Bloomer

Ecosystem Deep Dives #28: Thailand - Big eats small

Ecosystem Deep Dives #27: Uzbekistan - Total Reboot

Ecosystem Deep Dives #26: France - The Startup State

Ecosystem Deep Dives #25: Argentina - Constant Paradox

Ecosystem Deep Dive #24: Turkey - Startup Silk Roads

Ecosystem Deep Dive #23: Ghana - Quiet but coming up

Ecosystem Deep Dive #22: Bangladesh - Asia's goldmine

Ecosystem Deep Dives #21: Romania - A long time coming

Ecosystem Deep Dives #20: Iceland - Small but mighty

Ecosystem Deep Dives #19: South Africa - Still room to grow

Ecosystem Deep Dives #18: Brazil - LATAM's locomotive

Ecosystem Deep Dives #17: Vietnam - A new era

Ecosystem Deep Dives #16: Greece - Welcome Back

Ecosystem Deep Dives #15: Mexico - Open the floodgates

Ecosystem Deep Dives #14: Morocco -Blessings & Curses

Ecosystem Deep Dives #13: Sweden - Innovate for Impact

Ecosystem Deep Dives #12: Chile - A regional singularity

Ecosystem Deep Dive #11: Egypt - Rookie of the year

Ecosystem Deep Dive #10: Kenya - East African Pioneer