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The Forge Logs

The Forge Logs

Tactical guides on execution, team building, and shipping.
No theory, just practice.

Featured transmission
The Farmer Who Out-Earned the Fintech Bro: A Lesson in Value
AgricultureReal WorldPerspective

The Farmer Who Out-Earned the Fintech Bro: A Lesson in Value

I met a potato farmer in Narok who manages his entire logistics on WhatsApp. He makes more profit than the last 3 SaaS apps I audited combined. Here is why.

I
Imran Shiundu
6 min read • Jan 23, 2026

Latest Insights

Why I Left a Corner Office for a Co-working Space
Fintech
Jan 10, 2026•7 min read

Why I Left a Corner Office for a Co-working Space

My mother thought I was crazy. I had the salary, the suit, and the safety. But I was bored out of my mind. Here is the truth about leaving corporate Finance.

C
Caleb Kimutai
How to Find a Technical Co-founder in Kenya (The Right Way)
Co-founder
Dec 28, 2025•6 min read

How to Find a Technical Co-founder in Kenya (The Right Way)

Stop pitching ideas to developers at hackathons. Here is the rigorous, step-by-step framework to find a partner who actually writes code.

I
Imran Shiundu
The $500 Experiment: How We Validated a Logistics App Without Code
MVP
Jan 15, 2026•5 min read

The $500 Experiment: How We Validated a Logistics App Without Code

We didn't build an app. We used Airtable, SMS, and two guys on motorbikes. And we processed 100 orders in week one.

I
Imran Shiundu
The Death of the Incubator: Why Venture Building is the Future
Venture Building
Dec 26, 2025•5 min read

The Death of the Incubator: Why Venture Building is the Future

Incubators give you T-shirts and mentorship. Venture Builders give you code and customers. The model is shifting.

C
Caleb Kimutai
The Invisible War: Fixing Supply Chains is Boring and Profitable
Logistics
Jan 05, 2026•6 min read

The Invisible War: Fixing Supply Chains is Boring and Profitable

Everyone wants to build the next Neobank. Nobody wants to fix the cold chain logistics for milk. Guess which one is a billion-dollar opportunity?

C
Caleb Kimutai
MVP in 30 Days: The Orb21 Execution Protocol
MVP
Dec 20, 2025•6 min read

MVP in 30 Days: The Orb21 Execution Protocol

A tactical roadmap to go from 'Napkin Sketch' to 'First User' without wasting money on agencies.

I
Imran Shiundu
Startups Are Not Just Code: Why We Need Sales, Law, and Marketing
Talent
Dec 28, 2025•5 min read

Startups Are Not Just Code: Why We Need Sales, Law, and Marketing

A common myth is that you need to be a developer to build a startup. The reality? You need a team. Sales, Marketing, and Legal are just as critical.

I
Imran Shiundu
Why We Don't Raise Seed Rounds (And Why You Shouldn't Either)
Venture Capital
Jan 18, 2026•6 min read

Why We Don't Raise Seed Rounds (And Why You Shouldn't Either)

Raising venture capital is not a success metric. It is a loan you pay back with your freedom. We choose revenue over rescue.

I
Imran Shiundu
The Great African Talent Arbitrage: Beyond Cheap Labor
Talent
Jan 20, 2026•6 min read

The Great African Talent Arbitrage: Beyond Cheap Labor

Hiring remote talent from Africa isn't about saving money anymore. It's about finding hunger that Silicon Valley lost years ago.

I
Imran Shiundu
My Biggest Failures of 2024: A Post-Mortem
Failure
Dec 30, 2025•7 min read

My Biggest Failures of 2024: A Post-Mortem

I launched 3 projects that went to zero. I lost money. I lost sleep. Here is exactly what executed poorly.

I
Imran Shiundu
Choose Boring Technology: Why We Use Java in a NodeJS World
Engineering
Jan 14, 2026•6 min read

Choose Boring Technology: Why We Use Java in a NodeJS World

New frameworks are fun, but production outages are not. Here is why our backend stack looks like it's from 2015.

J
Jerry Odhiambo
When Your Database Chokes: Lessons from Black Friday
Database
Nov 28, 2025•6 min read

When Your Database Chokes: Lessons from Black Friday

We thought our SQL queries were optimized. Then traffic spiked 50x. Here is how we survived the meltdown.

J
Jerry Odhiambo
Design is Trust: Why Ugly Products Don't Get Funded
Design
Jan 08, 2026•5 min read

Design is Trust: Why Ugly Products Don't Get Funded

Investors say they care about metrics. But subconsciously, they judge your slide deck font. Design is the first signal of competence.

P
Peter Mwangi
Stop Pitching Features, Start Pitching Feelings
Storytelling
Dec 15, 2025•5 min read

Stop Pitching Features, Start Pitching Feelings

Nobody cares about your 'AI-powered algorithm'. They care about how it makes them feel. Here is how to design for emotion.

P
Peter Mwangi
Marketing is Math, Not Magic: The CPA Equation
Growth
Jan 21, 2026•6 min read

Marketing is Math, Not Magic: The CPA Equation

Stop 'posting on social media' and hoping for viral growth. Start tracking your CAC, LTV, and conversion rates.

V
Veronicah Kariuki
Fix Your Funnel Before You Buy Ads
Growth
Jan 03, 2026•5 min read

Fix Your Funnel Before You Buy Ads

Pouring water into a leaking bucket is stupid. Yet that is what 90% of startups do with Facebook Ads.

V
Veronicah Kariuki
Frontend Architecture: Managing Complexity in Scale
Engineering
Jan 11, 2026•6 min read

Frontend Architecture: Managing Complexity in Scale

React is easy to start, but hard to maintain. How we structure our apps to survive 2 years of feature creep.

J
James Thaura Mweni
The Art of Code: Writing Logic for Humans
Philosophy
Dec 01, 2025•5 min read

The Art of Code: Writing Logic for Humans

Code is read more often than it is written. Why we prioritize readability over cleverness.

J
James Thaura Mweni
The Power of Learning in Public: From Junior to R&D
Growth
Jan 19, 2026•5 min read

The Power of Learning in Public: From Junior to R&D

I used to be afraid to ask questions. Now I share my ignorance. That is how I grow faster than anyone else.

R
Ruth Nzuki