Kenyan influencer, trainer, and motivational speaker Elvis W. recently sparked conversation online with a Facebook post:
“If your startup can disappear today and nobody would notice — then it was never needed to begin with.”
His words hit hard. In Kenya’s startup scene, many companies focus on flashy pitch decks, fancy titles, and trendy co-working spaces. Yet most fail to solve real problems.
Elvis argues that 90% of Kenyan startups should shut down. They copy ideas, chase funding, and build products without asking if anyone truly needs them. Some apps are designed for trivial tasks, crypto platforms vanish after one seed round, and teams often cannot explain what their company actually does.
He jokes about startups that need 15 signatures and a letter from your great-grandmother just to withdraw KES 500. It’s funny, but it shows a bigger issue: many startups never speak to a real user before seeking investment. Others rely only on donor funding and collapse when it runs out.
The public seems to agree. Ask people which startups they use every day. Most answers are Safaricom, M-PESA, Airtel, Equity Bank, or even small local businesses like Mbugua Hardware. These companies succeed because they solve real problems.
Global research supports this. CB Insights reports that 35% of startups fail because there is no market need. Elvis emphasizes the same lesson for Kenya: focus on customers first. Build products that matter, and the money will come.
Kenya doesn’t need another “Uber for Plants” or “AI to-do list for cows.” The country needs businesses that scale, products that work, and systems that last beyond hashtags and hype.
Elvis W.’s message is clear: if nobody would notice your startup if it disappeared, maybe it was never really needed.
