Victor Asemota: Startups in Africa

What does it take to build a startup that works in Africa? Entrepreneur and investor Victor “Big Chief” Asemota joins Amy Jo Kim to share why solving real problems matters more than copying other startups or chasing investor approval.In this short episode, Victor explores what founders can learn from nonprofits, why he values originality and deep domain knowledge, and how Africa’s diverse markets shape the opportunities ahead. His advice: resist building a Swiss Army knife. Find a simple problem and solve it well.Chapters00:00 — Welcome to Game Thinking00:20 — Introducing Victor Asemota01:09 — Solve real problems, not investor expectations02:01 — Originality, domain knowledge, and support systems02:49 — Understanding Africa’s diverse markets03:22 — Simple solutions win: the PiggyVest example03:55 — Closing thoughtsMore from Victor AsemotaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asemota/Company website: https://www.swifta.com/Video version: https://youtu.be/5x0ND9Z3ef4

In this episode, Descript CEO Laura Burkhauser talks about what it means to build a human-forward AI video company in a world flooded with synthetic content. Laura came to Descript by an unlikely path — German literature, then product management at companies like Salesforce — and became CEO because she believed in what Descript was building: tools that keep the story in human hands while AI handles everything underneath.Hear about why Descript is investing heavily in AI but not aiming to be the best at AI avatars or fully generated content. How Laura thinks about the 'simplifier' role of a CEO. What she means by three layers of AI video. How business teams have become Descript's fastest-growing audience. And why getting your team AI-native isn't something you can mandate — you have to engineer the conditions for each person's own conversion moment. Finally, Laura also gives her candid take on the Beta version of the Descript API: they don't have a killer use case yet, and they're actively inviting partners to help find one.Laura Burkhauser on LinkedInDescript

Chelsea Howe is the Chief Product Officer at Sunblink, the studio behind the hit cozy life sim Hello Kitty Island Adventure. With deep experience in licensed games, live ops, & design leadership, she brings a sharp, systems-driven lens to how teams build, scale, & innovate.Listen as Chelsea shares how Sunlink is exploring AI in game development, what works & what absolutely falls apart, why game jams are secret engines of team learning, & how emerging trends from China may reshape the future of game design.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseahowe/Sunblink: https://www.sunblink.com/

Lisha Li is the founder of Rosebud AI, a groundbreaking platform that makes game creation accessible to anyone. With roots in pure math & AI research, she’s transformed cutting-edge technology into creative tools that empower people to build, remix & share games in entirely new ways.Listen as we explore Lisha’s journey from academia & venture capital to launching Rosebud AI, & how she’s reimagining game design as a collaborative, ever-evolving ecosystem.Rosebud AILinkedin

Hansohl Kim is an engineer at Anthropic, where he focuses on reinforcement learning & AI safety for models like Claude. With experience spanning computer science, biotech, & machine learning, he brings a unique perspective to the fast-changing world of artificial intelligence.Listen as Hansohl unpacks the challenges of alignment, the importance of guardrails, & what it takes to design AI systems we can truly trust.RELATED LINKS:🌐 Anthropic – https://www.anthropic.com💼 Hansohl Kim on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/hansohl

Hugo Alves is the co-founder of Synthetic Users, a startup helping teams accelerate product development with AI-powered user feedback. What began as a bold idea evolved through iteration & a surprising pivot on the way to product-market fit.In this conversation, we explore where synthetic users shine—and where they fall short. You’ll hear Hugo’s lessons on using AI to simulate real users, plus a live demo of Synthetic Users in action.Join me as we dive into Hugo’s insights on building better products, faster—with the help of synthetic users.🌐 Synthetic Users – https://www.syntheticusers.com💼 Hugo Alves on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugomanuelalves

Amy Bucher is a leading voice in behavioral science & the author of Engaged, with a passion for designing systems that help people thrive—especially in health & wellness.Join us as we dive into Amy’s insights on what really drives behavior change, why personalization matters, & how her work at Lirio is bringing customized healthcare nudges to life.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybucher/Engaged: https://amzn.to/4moF6ZaLirio: https://www.lirio.com/

Nate Bosshard is a visionary brand builder and entrepreneur who’s helped shape iconic companies like Burton, Tonal, and hims & hers through a rare blend of taste, intuition, and strategic insight.Join us as we explore Nate’s perspective on what makes a brand truly resonate, from crafting emotional worlds to resisting the pull of algorithmic influence. He shares hard-earned lessons on launching category-defining products, building brands that move culture, & why taste might just be your most valuable asset.

Vicki Tan is a seasoned product designer whose work spans Lyft, Headspace, & Pinterest. With a background in behavioral psychology, she brings a unique lens to decision-making and design.Join us as we explore Vicki’s journey, how she turned curiosity into a powerful creative tool, & why her new book "Ask This Book a Question" reimagines cognitive bias as a pathway to insight.

Jason Hreha is a leading expert in behavioral science & a serial entrepreneur who has helped shape the way we understand habit-building and human behavior.Join us as we catch up with Jason on what really matters when it comes to building lasting habits. From his groundbreaking work in applied behavioral science to launching & scaling multiple businesses, Jason shares key insights on designing behavior-driven products, cutting through the noise of self-improvement trends, and focusing on what truly works.👉 Full video podcast available here: https://youtu.be/f4Gn46oQDPA