"The Africa we want is being built before our eyes piece by piece. Let's keep it up and do even more and better going forward."
-President Paul Kagame

This powerful quote resonated deeply as we wrapped up an incredible 5-day Product Innovation Workshop at Carnegie Mellon University Africa. Far from being a theoretical exercise, this workshop took us on a practical journey into the heart of Kigali's transportation challenges, serving as a real-world canvas for applying our newfound innovation skills.

We were not just learning theories; we were stepping into the shoes of everyday Rwandans, experiencing their daily commute challenges firsthand. This immersive approach to the workshop allowed us to apply design thinking methodologies, business modeling techniques, and user-centered design principles to a tangible, pressing issue. By focusing on public transportation, we were able to practice empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing in a context that mattered.

As Nelson Mandela said, "It always seems impossible until it is done." Throughout the week, we transformed seemingly intractable public transportation problems into opportunities for innovation. But the true value of this experience lies not just in the solutions we developed for Kigali's transport system. Rather, it is in the versatile toolkit and innovative mindset we cultivated – skills and approaches that can be applied to challenges across various sectors in Africa.

This hands-on experience was a vivid reminder that true innovation comes from immersing ourselves in the realities of those we aim to serve and tailoring solutions around real problems. Whether it is transportation, healthcare, education, or agriculture, the principles we learned are universally applicable in our quest to build the Africa we want.

As we reflect on this transformative experience, we are excited to share ten powerful lessons that will stick with us – insights that we believe can guide any African innovator looking to make a real impact. These are not just theoretical concepts, but practical tools forged in the crucible of real-world challenges and opportunities.

10 Powerful Lessons for African Innovators

• 1.

  African solutions for African challenges: We focused on locally relevant, culturally sensitive innovations that address real needs in our communities. This approach ensures that our solutions are not only effective but also sustainable and embraced by those they are meant to serve.

• 2.

  Simplicity is true grandeur: While we initially envisioned grand solutions like bullet trains, we learned that sometimes the most impactful innovations are the simplest. For instance, providing USSD solutions ensured inclusivity for all, regardless of smartphone access. In a world of complexity, elegant solutions win hearts and markets.

• 3.

  It takes a village to build a viable, customer-centric product: Collaboration across disciplines is imperative. We learned the value of diverse perspectives and the power of creative confidence. As Tom and David Kelley say, "creative confidence is the conviction that you can achieve what you set out to do." This collaborative spirit is essential in creating holistic, effective solutions

• 4.

  "How Might We" questions unlock creativity: We generated over 20 innovative ideas for improving public transportation using this powerful framing technique. Questions like "How might we ensure less crowding at bus stations?" opened up new avenues of thinking and problem-solving.

• 5.

  Design Thinking is not just a buzzword – it is a game-changer: We applied this non-linear, iterative process throughout our workshop to develop user-centered solutions for public transportation. The five phases—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test—proved invaluable in creating innovations that truly resonated with users.

• 6.

  The Business Model Canvas is an entrepreneur's best friend: This strategic management tool forced us to think holistically about value creation and capture. We used it to ensure our transportation solutions were not just innovative, but also economically viable and sustainable.

• 7.

  Value Opportunity Analysis (VOA) bridges insights to design: VOA helped us translate our research insights about commuters' needs into specific product features and attributes that would create value for them. This method was crucial in moving from abstract ideas to concrete, valuable solutions.

• 8.

  PESTLE Analysis is vital for understanding context: This framework helped us analyze the external macro-environment affecting public transportation in Rwanda. Understanding the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors was crucial in developing relevant and feasible solutions.

• 9.

  Affinity diagramming turns chaos into clarity: We used this technique to sort through our research findings and identify common themes or patterns in the transportation challenges faced by Rwandans. It proved invaluable in making sense of large amounts of data and insights.

• 10.

  Weighted decision matrices bring objectivity to subjective choices: In the complex world of innovation, we often face difficult decisions with multiple factors to consider. Weighted decision matrices proved to be an invaluable tool in our workshop, helping us prioritize our ideas based on multiple criteria and ensuring we focused on the most impactful and feasible solutions.

During the workshop, we applied this powerful technique in the following manner:

• 🕳️First, we identified the key criteria for evaluating our transportation solutions. These included factors such as cost, ease of implementation, potential impact on commute times, accessibility for all users, and environmental sustainability.
• 🕳️Next, we assigned weights to each criterion based on their relative importance. For instance, impact on commute times might have been given a higher weight than ease of implementation.
• 🕳️We then scored each of our proposed solutions against these criteria on a predetermined scale (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10).
• 🕳️Finally, we calculated the weighted scores by multiplying each score by its criterion's weight and summing the results for each solution.

This systematic approach allowed us to:

• 🧿Break down complex decisions into manageable components
• 🧿Incorporate multiple perspectives and priorities
• 🧿Reduce the influence of personal biases
• 🧿Clearly visualize the strengths and weaknesses of each option
• 🧿Build consensus within our diverse team

For example, when deciding between developing a new bus rapid transit system or implementing a smart traffic light network, the weighted decision matrix helped us objectively assess which solution would provide the most value given our resources and constraints.

Moreover, this tool fostered rich discussions about our priorities and assumptions. It forced us to articulate and defend our reasoning, leading to more robust and well-thought-out solutions.

By using weighted decision matrices, we were able to move beyond gut feelings or loudest voices, instead making data-driven decisions that we could confidently stand behind. This approach ensures that our innovation efforts are focused on solutions with the highest potential for positive impact in our communities.

Overcoming Challenges: The True Test of Innovation

Our journey was not without its challenges, but each obstacle became a valuable learning opportunity:

• 1. Language Barrier: During our field research, we encountered a significant language barrier when trying to interview local commuters who were more comfortable speaking Kinyarwanda.

  -->How we overcame it: We partnered with local teammates who served as interpreters. This not only helped us communicate more effectively but also provided valuable cultural context to the responses we received

• 2. Adapting Design Thinking to Local Context: We found that some aspects of the Design Thinking process, particularly the rapid prototyping and direct user feedback stages, did not align perfectly with local cultural norms

  -->How we overcame it: We adapted our approach by using more indirect questioning techniques and observational methods. We also spent more time building rapport with participants, explaining the value of their honest feedback.

These challenges reinforced a crucial lesson: innovation is not just about tools and techniques, but about understanding and adapting to the unique context of the people and communities we serve.

Conclusion

The Africa we want can only be achieved through the Africa we build. This workshop reinforced that by equipping us with the tools and mindset to drive innovation from within. Most importantly, we were reminded that innovation is a learnable, repeatable process - not magic. With the right mindset and toolkit, we can all be change-makers in our communities and beyond.

The future of Africa lies inside Africa. It is up to us—entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers—to roll up our sleeves and turn our challenges into opportunities. With the right mindset, tools, and collaborative spirit, we can build an Africa that not only meets our needs but exceeds our wildest dreams.

As we continue on this journey of African-centered innovation, we invite you to reflect on these lessons and how they might apply to your own work. How can you embrace empathy-driven design in your projects? How might you collaborate across disciplines to create more holistic solutions? What simple, elegant innovations could transform your community?

The Africa we want is within our reach. Let us build it together, one innovation at a time.