Startup graveyards aren’t a popular topic, nobody wants to talk about the hundreds of ideas that never make it past the first year. Yet globally, roughly 90 % of startups fail, often within the first few years. Many of these failures aren’t due to bad ideas, but because products were built on untested assumptions. In fact, around 35 % of startups fail because there is simply no market need.
In Africa, launching a startup is high-stakes: fragmented markets, diverse user behaviours across regions, and limited resources make every pivot costly. Every wrong assumption carries real consequences. With this in mind, Eight2Five kicked off January by focusing on bridging the gap between ideas and real users through two key initiatives:
1. Masterclass on Product Validation
Led by product expert Chiedza Muguti, the masterclass gave founders practical frameworks to test assumptions, validate ideas, and iterate quickly.
Impact on the ecosystem:
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Equipped founders with actionable skills to approach product development with clarity
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Promoted a culture of evidence-driven decision making
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Strengthened networks among founders, mentors, and ecosystem stakeholders
2. Beta Space, Early Testing Community
Beta Space is a curated group of beta testers, including early adopters, professionals, and insightful users. Participants try early-stage products and give honest, structured feedback.
The impact of both initiatives on the ecosystem is ongoing. They are helping founders uncover hidden user needs and adjust products before scaling, reducing risk for investors by validating ideas early, and encouraging collaboration and learning across startups, testers, and partners.
In essence: January’s programs demonstrated that structured validation and early feedback are critical to building successful startups in Africa. They created tangible learning, faster iteration, and stronger connections, laying the foundation for ongoing programs that continue to support founders across the ecosystem.
Here are a few takeaways for our startup community this month:
a. Product‑Market Fit Must Be Evidence‑Driven
You can’t guess that your solution solves a problem, you can only know it by testing with real users. Founders who engage early testers see the gaps in their assumptions sooner and adjust before scaling.
b. Local Testing Beats Global Assumptions
African markets are not homogenous. What works in one region, or one demographic, doesn’t automatically translate elsewhere. Local context matters, and testing must reflect local users.
c. Iteration Beats Perfection
Waiting for a “perfect” product before testing delays learning. Validation is most useful when started early.
d. Community Accelerates Success
Founders with access to engaged testers learn faster and make better decisions than those building in isolation.
Through the year, Beta Space will continue as a regular, structured program to connect founders with real testers. We’ll expand validation support, workshops, and tools that help founders design better tests, interpret feedback, and iterate faster. Future programs will tackle other systemic gaps in the startup journey, from early strategy to scaling and investment readiness.
Join the Movement
Are you a founder ready to test your ideas? Are you a professional who enjoys shaping products early? Become a Beta Tester and help shape solutions that actually work, register now.
