For a while now, I’ve been giving small nudges of advice to my friends who are building startups. Usually, it happens after they come to my office with a pitch, full of energy, passion, and conviction. At first, I’d just share my thoughts in those one-on-one moments. But then it hit me: I should probably say these things more openly, because in a good week, I’m likely to meet at least five different founders. ALSO READ: How far are we from having a Startup Act? And to be honest, I got tired of the formality of office meetings too. These days I prefer meeting them in livelier spaces; Norrsken, Fab Lab, or those labs where you hear 3D printers buzzing and people showing off their latest AI prototypes in oversized boardrooms. It’s in those spaces that I get to see the raw energy of innovation up close: the courage, the audacity, the optimism. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s digital hub project could boost tech startups And I genuinely admire it. The bold ideas, the crazy pitches, the youthful optimism, quite infectious. But I’ve also seen too many of those same ideas burn out once they collide with the real world. That part isn’t as fun to watch. Which is why, today, as someone who’s both cheered and challenged innovators, want to offer a little bit of tough-love advice. The case: Why should this exist at all? Let’s start with the most obvious question I pose to every bright-eyed founder: “What big problem are you solving, and why should anyone adopt your new solution?” ALSO READ: What problems are Rwanda’s new top five startups solving? If you can’t demonstrate a compelling reason for people (or the government or an investor) to embrace your innovation, you’re dead in the water. Innovation by nature challenges the status quo – and trust me, the status quo is a comfortable beast. Imagine a government official who has done things the same way for years. To get him or her to try something new, the current way of doing things must clearly stop working or show its cracks, or your way must promise dramatically better results. As the saying goes, “change happens when the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change.” ALSO READ: What startups expect from $82m ‘STEM lab’ for innovators So, create that pain or desire. For instance, if schools are struggling with overcrowded classes, show how your ed-tech app eases that pain. If farmers lose 30% of produce post-harvest, bring data on how your cold-chain idea saves their crops. I often see founders obsess over fancy tech, but fail to articulate the real need. No one will adopt innovation for novelty’s sake. They’ll do it because there’s a darn good reason – a crisis, a gap, a new opportunity – that makes doing nothing look riskier than trying your newfangled solution. Find that reason, spotlight it, hammer it home. Otherwise, “why fix what is not broken?” will win every time. The opportunity: Is there space to be taken seriously? Secondly, even if you’ve convinced folks that a problem exists, you must also create the possibility for your innovation to be considered. Here’s a secret from the halls of policy: at any given moment decision-makers have a pile of proposals on their desk. Most of those get dismissed in favour of tried-and-tested options. New ideas are by default at a disadvantage – they’re uncertain, a bit mysterious, and come with a side of “what if this goes wrong?”. Your job as a founder is to tilt the scales in your favour. How? Align your innovation with national priorities or investors goals. If Rwanda’s Ministry of Health has made digital healthcare a priority, frame your health startup as exactly what helps them achieve it. Also, timing is everything. Governments and investors are more open to bold moves when the status quo has visibly stumbled. (Never waste a good crisis, as they say.) If a public system recently failed or a pandemic exposed gap, that’s your cue to step up with a solution. Essentially, you must do something extra to create room for innovation. Without that added push, busy decision-makers will default to the comfortable old wine over your new cocktail. Oh, and a bit of brutal truth: large organizations (especially governments) are risk-averse. One study found that among the top 25 firms winning U.S. government contracts, the youngest was founded in 1969. Yes, they prefer companies older than the Internet. This isn’t because they hate new blood; it’s because they fear betting on the unknown. So, reduce the perceived risk. Start with a pilot or a small contract to prove yourself. Offer to share risk or do a trial phase. When they see that “hey, this thing didn’t break everything”, you open the possibility for a bigger yes. The muscle: Can you actually deliver? Last one for now, capacity. This is where many promising ideas stumble. It’s easy for a company to assure you they have “AI solutions” or a cutting-edge model, but when put to the test, the system can collapse, unable to perform at the level promised. That’s why capability must be scrutinized from two sides: the startup’s ability to deliver, and the client’s ability to absorb. For startups, delivery means more than flashy demos. It’s about having the right technical muscle, tested models, and the infrastructure to back them up. If the AI can’t handle Kinyarwanda data, or if the company hasn’t budgeted for the hidden costs of tokens and training, then promises won’t translate into usable products. Founders need to prove not just vision, but execution: show real expertise, experienced partners, and a credible plan for maintenance and scale. On the flip side, even the best-built solution fails if the client isn’t ready to use it. Why would any decision-maker choose an option that their team isn’t trained for, or that requires tech they don’t have? Gauge your customer’s capability to absorb your innovation. If it’s not there, part of your value proposition should be hand-holding: training their staff, offering easy onboarding, or integrating with what they already use. I often tell founders, “Great innovation also means great support.” Don’t just drop a new system on an unprepared user – help build the capacity to use it. Essentially, show that choosing you won’t create chaos but rather that you’ve got the scaffolding to hold up this new bridge. Innovation isn’t a hit-and-run; it’s a long-term relationship. Prove that you’re in it for the long haul and have the skills and structures to back it. When investors or officials see capability and reliability, they’re far more inclined to give you that contract or funding. Tying it all together I’ve given a few bits of advice already, and I’ll gladly share more if asked. But for now, here are the three pillars I believe every successful innovation rests on. Before saying investors “don’t get it” or government is “too slow,” ask yourself: have I given them a real reason to care? Have I made my solution practical and viable? Do we have the capacity to actually deliver? And have I built enough trust along the way? If you fall short on any of these, that’s where the real work begins. Rwanda innovation ecosystem is one of the most exciting in Africa – our government is ambitious, our youth are creative, and our challenges are calling out for solutions. But no matter how high-tech or “disruptive” your startup is, you won’t get far by ignoring human and institutional nature. People don’t like change unless they must; systems resist uncertainty by default. Innovation is a slog. It needs patience, persistence, and strategy. So, go on, innovators of Rwanda, take this advice to heart. Marry your passion with pragmatism. I, for one, am rooting for you! The writer is the Chief Technical Advisor in the Ministry of Justice.
