Why WhatsApp Is the Infrastructure for the Future | Chat Inc | Jonathan Williams
Can you build a company on top of WhatsApp?That’s exactly what Jonathan Williams, founder of Chat Inc, has been doing for almost 10 years — bootstrapping without outside funding and delivering innovations like SaFair’s WhatsApp experience.In this episode of How Would You Build It, Jonathan shares: • Why WhatsApp is more than just a chat app — it’s infrastructure to build on • How bootstrapping sharpened their execution and resilience • What big changes from Meta are about to shake the ecosystem • Why the opportunities for building on WhatsApp are still endless👉 Subscribe for more at howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Join the newsletter: theopenletter.io👉 Connect with founders: thefoundercollab.com00:00 Intro02:12 Founder Story: Moving away from corporate04:26 Innovation Inclusion 06:54 The best explanation of why WhatsApp wins13:02 Founder Story: Getting Safair as a client19:06 Building on WhatsApp21:53 Builder Story: 5 things being built on Meta & Whatsapp28:58 Building a product vs building a business32:51 The impact on startups with the impending corporate culture in SA34:07 Where government is getting it wrong on employment vs entrepreneurship39:23 Builder Story: The ability to build for the international market42:39 What the future looks like for Chat Inc with new WhatsApp functions coming
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Fixing Gaming’s $6B Ad Spend Problem, introducing Kohort | Dan Marcus
$6 billion in gaming ad spend is wasted every year. That’s the problem Dan Marcus, co-founder of Kohort, is determined to fix. IIn this episode of How Would You Build It, Dan shares how Kohort is tackling attribution and data consistency — the trillion-dollar alignment issue facing marketing, finance, and product teams.With over $3B in ad spend already run through their platform and new funding secured in 2025, Kohort is scaling. Dan explains: • Why naïve boldness can be a founder’s secret weapon • How data transparency aligns teams and cuts waste • Why the future means democratising advanced tools for smaller studios and consumer apps👉 Subscribe: www.howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Join the newsletter: www.theopenletter.io👉 Connect with founders: www.thefoundercollab.com00:00 Intro01:28 Are you born a founder?03:27 What does Kohort do?06:57 Pains in the market outside of gaming09:45 The Candy Crush origins11:18 Who should own the data component within a business15:21 Gaming Development regions of the world16:29 Plans after recent funding round19:51 How they go their first clients23:11 Characteristics of a successful founder25:21 Questions from VC's28:28 How Kohort is penetrating the market32:53 There are opportunities to serve smaller businesses and other industries!36:22 How remote founders stay aligned41:25 How Dan and Kohort are using AI45:16 What would you have done differently as a founder?
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Simon Hartley on Startup Exits and Scaling Logistics in South Africa
What can delivering toasted cheese sandwiches teach you about building a startup?In this episode of How Would You Build It, we talk with Simon Hartley, co-founder of Wumdrop, about the journey from scrappy beginnings to a successful exit to Massmart.Simon shares the quirky story of how he and his co-founder first tested logistics by delivering sandwiches, what it’s really like to integrate with a corporate giant, and the lessons founders need to know when chasing partnerships and exits.You’ll learn: • Why understanding corporate seasonality is key to making deals work • Why your focus should always be on helping corporates make more money • The hard-earned insights from a founder who’s lived the exit journey👉 Subscribe: howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Join the newsletter: theopenletter.io👉 Connect with founders: thefoundercollab.com02:13 What do toasted sandwiches have to do with the Wumdrop founding story10:06 Learning by being at the coalface13:24 The tech that made Wumdrop stand out at the time21:11 How to get a corporate to pay attention to your startup27:15 Leveraging corporate seasonality36:06 Keep your team motivated when acquired by corporate41:36 Corporate Seasonality
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Fixing Fashion’s Waste Problem with AI | David Torr | Faro & UCook
What does it take to build not one, but two successful startups in South Africa’s tough market?In this episode of How Would You Build It, we sit down with David Torr, co-founder of Faro and former co-founder of Ucook, to talk about the highs, lows, and realities of building in South Africa.We unpack: • How Faro raised $6M to tackle unsold fashion inventory using AI & machine learning • Why TAM (Total Addressable Market) and team are the ultimate startup success formula • The hard truth about corporates holding back innovation in SA • How navigating VC challenges in a small market shapes growth strategy. David’s journey proves that even in the chaos of startups, execution and focus can turn your startup into a success.👉 Subscribe: howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Join the newsletter: theopenletter.io👉 Founders collab: thefoundercollab.com00:00 David Torr - ucook/Faro00:51 Building FARO02:49 SA VC Landscape vs The US.08:23 The impact on AI for startup ventures16:12 Unpackng how AI assists Faro's operational model.24:05 The TikTok viral loop25:53 From Online to brick n mortar32:24 Tech foundations at Faro38:06 Having a mission critical team41:35 The role grit plays45:14 Bootstrapping stories46:59 Dynamics of an early-stage startup in SA 49:11 How corporate SA is hurting startup innovation
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Getting AgriTech Right Through Timing, Trust & Disrupting Legacy Markets | Louis de Kock | Nile
Can AgriTech finally work in South Africa?In this episode of How Would You Build It, we speak with Louis de Kock, founder of Nile.ag, a tech-driven marketplace revolutionising agriculture across Southern Africa.This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to digitise agri supply chains — but Louis and his team have succeeded where others haven’t. Why? Timing, execution, and trust.We talk about: • Raising R200 million to scale a two-sided marketplace • Why transparency and word of mouth drive growth in legacy industries • Building what farmers actually want and need — not what looks good in a pitch deck👉 Subscribe at www.howwouldyoubuildit.com👉 Get weekly founder insights at www.theopenletter.io00:00 Intro03:40 Why now is different for Agritech06:18 Tech and the age dynamics of farmers10:55 How Nile built their Tech team12:26 Seasonality and trust15:42 Managing early growth19:13 More than tech to move the needle21:59 Recipe for success24:49 e-commerce vs Logistics company25:38 What were investors looking for that landed funding29:40 The data play opportunity31:46 How funding builds trust36:58 That validation moment40:21 The hidden value Proposition42:08 How transparency unlocks value
A weekly show where we bring you founders, builders and innovators to share their expertise on how they would overcome challenges and build products and tech businesses.
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