Learn together

Community

Discuss the problems you're facing in tech, business, and more. Ask, answer, and grow together.

84 posts513 replies45 members
Samuel Kiptoo
Samuel KiptooBusiness
7h

Built a simple SMS tool for farmers, stuck on signups

I built a tool that sends farmers daily market prices via SMS. You just register your phone number and what crop you grow, and every morning you get a short message with the latest prices from nearby markets. No smartphone needed, no internet, just basic SMS like we all use with M-Pesa. Right now I'm stuck on getting farmers to sign up. Many are interested but the registration process is clunky, they have to send a text with their details which many find confusing. I'm trying to figure out a simpler way, maybe using USSD codes like *384# that most phones support, but I don't know how to set that up yet. If anyone here has worked on something similar or has ideas on making signups easier for people who aren't used to typing, I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Also happy to answer questions about the tool itself, even if you're just starting out in tech, nothing is too basic to ask.

4
Joshua Ssemakula
Joshua SsemakulaBusiness
21h

What business problem made you start learning tech?

Hey everyone, I have been thinking about how a lot of us got into tech because of a real life problem. Maybe it was counting stock for a kiosk, keeping track of M-Pesa payments, or trying to get customers for a small hustle. For me, it was manual reports driving me crazy during attachment. That pushed me toward data and business analysis. So what about you? Was there a business thing that made you want to learn tech, even a tiny bit? Or are you stuck on a business problem right now and wondering if tech can help? No need for any coding experience, just share what you are dealing with. We can break it down together.

6
AB
Alex BarasaBusiness
3d

Thinking of switching into tech, where would you start?

Hey everyone, I’m Alex. I finished campus last year and have been doing small delivery hustles to get by. I have this app idea for helping people in my estate order stuff from local shops, but I honestly don’t know how to build it. I can’t code at all, not even a single line. I want to switch into tech but I feel like I’m starting from zero. Would you recommend learning to code first, or maybe using no-code tools to build a simple version? I’ve heard of things like Bubble and Thunkable but not sure if they’re good for a complete beginner. Anyone here made a similar jump from a non-tech job? What helped you the most? One thing I’ve learned from my delivery hustle is that you don’t need everything perfect before you start - just get the first order right. Maybe that applies to learning tech too? Keen to hear your thoughts.

7
Samuel Kiptoo
Samuel KiptooBusiness
5d

You don't need a powerful laptop to start coding, your phone works fine

I remember when I first wanted to learn coding, I kept telling myself I needed to save up for a proper laptop. That stopped me for months. But one day I just opened my phone browser and started with free tutorials. Surprisingly, my small smartphone handled it well. You can write code on a phone using simple text editors or even Google Sheets if you are starting with data stuff. Data bundles? Use free Wi-Fi at a cafe or campus library. Many of us began this way. So if you have been putting off learning because you think you need expensive gear, stop waiting. Start with what you have. Who else here felt the same at the beginning? Let's share so beginners know it's okay to start small.

6
Dennis Kipkorir
Dennis KipkorirBusiness
5d

Built a simple SMS alert system for my kiosk inventory, but stuck on saving data

Hi everyone, I'm building something that helps small shop owners like those in Gikombe or Kibera not run out of popular items. Basically, when my stock of notebooks or pencils gets low, it automatically sends an SMS through Safaricom's API reminding me to restock. No more customers asking for items I don't have. I'm using Python and the Twilio API which works with M-Pesa messaging. The part that tripped me up is actually saving the inventory numbers - I got the SMS part working but my data keeps getting lost when I close the program. Anyone dealt with storing simple data that persists between uses? For beginners, I'd say start with Google Sheets as a database - super easy to access from anywhere and no need to install complicated database software.

6
Samuel Kiptoo
Samuel KiptooBusiness
6d

Keep your first business simple: one product, one place

When I started my side hustle, I wanted to sell everything at once. Tried to have many products, many markets, even tried to build a whole app for it. That was a mess. Best thing I did was to cut down to one product, one place to sell it, and one way to get paid. For me that was selling tomatoes at the local market and taking M-Pesa payments. Once that worked, I learned slowly and added more. So my tip is: start small. Pick one thing, sell it in one spot, see what happens. It sounds basic but it saves you a lot of confusion.

7
Faith Chebet
Faith ChebetBusiness
Oct 19

I priced my items too low and almost ran out of cash

When I first started my boutique, I was so scared of not getting customers that I priced everything way too low. I thought cheap prices would bring people in fast. And they did. But I was barely making any profit after paying for stock, transport, and M-Pesa business charges. After two months, I had lots of sales but almost no money left in my pocket. I was basically working for free. That's when a friend in ELIMU Africa told me to calculate my costs properly before setting a price. I sat down and wrote every single cost: what I paid for the item, my transport to town, packaging, and even the data bundles I use to post on WhatsApp. Then I added a small margin on top. It felt awkward at first, but customers still bought. Now I always check my numbers before I set a price. If you are starting out, don't just guess. Write down your costs first, then add a little extra. It keeps your business alive.

6
Faith Chebet
Faith ChebetBusiness
Oct 18

Count your shillings before they count themselves

When I started my boutique, I used to count money at the end of the day and guess what I had spent. Big mistake. I lost track of small daily costs like airtime, transport to buy stock, and even my own lunch money. Those little amounts add up fast, and at the end of the month, I could not explain where my profit went. My simple tip: write down every coin you spend in one day, even the 50-shilling bus fare or the 20-shilling sachet of milk. Use a small book or a free note on your phone. At the end of the week, add them up. This is called tracking your expenses - it just means knowing where your money goes. You do not need an app or fancy software. A pen and paper works fine. For example, when I bought 100 pieces of second-hand clothing for 8,000 shillings, I used to think my profit was the full amount I sold them for. But after tracking my daily costs for one month, I realised I was spending about 1,500 shillings on transport, airtime, and snacks just to run the business. So my real profit was 1,500 shillings less than I thought. That one habit saved me from making bad decisions and helped me price my items better.

7
AB
Alex BarasaBusiness
Oct 18

Zero coding experience: should I build a portfolio first or go for an attachment?

I'm in second year at campus here in Nairobi, studying business. I have a small delivery hustle on the side, and I want to move into tech because of an app idea I have for my delivery work. But I have zero coding experience, and I'm not sure about the best next step. Should I spend time building a simple portfolio first, or should I try to get an attachment or internship somewhere? I see classmates going for attachments, but I feel like I don't know enough yet to be useful anywhere. I'd love to hear what worked for you. One thing I've noticed is that most of my tech-savvy friends built their first portfolio by using free tools like Google Sites or Canva to show small projects, like a simple page that tracks M-Pesa payments for their side hustle. That seems doable for me since I already handle payments via M-Pesa for my deliveries. But I'm also worried that without real work experience, no one will take me seriously for an attachment. If you were in my shoes, what would you focus on first?

6
Sarah Njeri
Sarah NjeriBusiness
Oct 17

What's your first tech memory that made you smile?

Hey everyone, just curious - what's that first moment in tech that actually made you smile or feel like 'wow, this is cool'? Maybe it was figuring out how to send a photo via WhatsApp instead of paying for a data bundle, or getting your first M-Pesa payment to work on your phone, or even just making a PowerPoint slide look nice for a campus presentation. For me it was probably when I was 14 and accidentally discovered that if I typed certain letters into our old Nokia phone, I could get different colors of light. Turns out it was just the battery dying, but I thought I'd hacked something. Would love to hear your stories - especially from those of you who are just starting out and don't know code yet. Sometimes the simplest tech moments are the most exciting.

6
AB
Alex BarasaBusiness
Oct 15

My first win: a simple order page with Google Forms and M-Pesa

Last week I finally got something working for my delivery hustle. I built a basic order page using Google Forms (no coding at all) and linked it to my M-Pesa till number. Customers fill the form, I get the order in a spreadsheet, and they pay via M-Pesa. It's not fancy but it's my first tiny system that actually works without me writing a single line of code. Now I want to take it further. Maybe add a simple website or use a tool like Carrd to show my menu and prices. But I don't know where to start or what's easiest for someone like me who knows zero about building apps. What did you do after your first little win? Any tools that worked well for you on a tight budget or with basic internet?

6
CW
Cynthia WairimuBusiness
Oct 13

Attachment after campus: where do I even start?

Hey everyone. I finished campus last year and I've been job hunting ever since, but most places ask for experience I just don't have. I keep hearing that an attachment or internship is the way in, but I'm a bit lost on how to make that happen. Should I just walk into offices with my CV, or is it better to apply online? I have zero coding skills by the way, but I'm willing to learn anything if it helps me get my foot in the door. If you've managed to land an attachment recently, what worked for you? Did you use connections, or cold emails? Also, how important is having a portfolio when you haven't done any real projects yet? Even a small tip like where to find attachment listings that are actually legit would help. I'm in Thika, so anything around Nairobi or even remote would work. Thanks in advance.

7
Esther Nyambura
Esther NyamburaBusiness
Oct 13

Starting from zero in tech, what should I learn first?

Hey everyone, I've been thinking about getting into tech but honestly I don't even know where to start. I'm a business admin grad and I've been doing small bookkeeping gigs, but I keep hearing people say tech is where the money is. Problem is, I don't know any coding or anything technical. Like, at all. I've seen people mention free resources like YouTube or those coding apps, but there's so much out there it's overwhelming. Should I start with basic computer stuff, or jump straight into something like coding? And which free resources actually work for a complete beginner, something I can use on my phone with a small data bundle? I'm not looking to build apps or anything fancy, just want to get some skills that can help me earn a bit more on the side. Any advice for someone who's truly starting from nothing?

7
VM
Victor MutisoBusiness
Oct 12

What data bundle do you use for learning on your phone?

Hey everyone, hope you're having a good week. I run a small shop in Kitui and I'm trying to learn some tech stuff on my phone, mostly from YouTube. But data bundles are eating my money, and I'm not sure which one is the best value. I've been using Safaricom's daily bundle, but it finishes so fast when I watch videos. What do you use for learning? Do you go for the weekly bundles, or maybe use YouTube Go or some app that compresses data? Also, has anyone bought a cheap second-hand laptop around here? I'm thinking of saving up for one, but I don't know where to start or what to look for, like how much RAM or storage I need for just learning to code. Any advice from people who've been at this stage would really help. Even just a tip on how to manage data or find free courses that don't need so much data. Thanks!

6
Halima Abdi
Halima AbdiBusiness
Oct 11

WhatsApp Business or Instagram shop for a first hustle?

I work with young women in Mombasa who are just starting small businesses - selling mitumba, doing braids, making cakes from home. Most have a smartphone and data bundles but no website, no coding skills. Two tools come up all the time: WhatsApp Business and an Instagram shop. WhatsApp Business feels familiar because everyone already uses WhatsApp for family and chamas. You can set up a catalog, quick replies, and customers pay via M-Pesa right in the chat. Instagram looks prettier for photos and reels can bring new customers who don't know you yet, but you need to understand hashtags, insights, and the algorithm. For someone with zero budget and zero tech confidence, which one would you tell them to start with? I usually say pick the one where your first ten customers already are, but curious what others think.

6
Halima Abdi
Halima AbdiBusiness
Oct 9

Why is my Python virtual environment not activating after Windows update?

So I was setting up a new laptop for the team and after a Windows update my venv wouldn't activate. I'd run 'python -m venv myenv' then try to activate it, but PowerShell just threw a command not found error. I thought I'd wrecked the environment. Turns out Windows updates sometimes reset execution policies, so scripts won't run by default. The fix was simple: run 'Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser' in PowerShell as admin, then activation worked fine. Saved me hours of debugging.

6
Faith Chebet
Faith ChebetBusiness
Oct 8

How do you handle M-Pesa charges eating into small order profits?

I run a boutique in Eldoret and sell online too. Most orders are between 200 and 500 shillings, and the M-Pesa withdrawal fees really add up by the end of the month. I've thought about adding a handling fee but I'm worried customers will just go elsewhere. For those of you dealing with small payments, do you absorb the cost or pass it on? Or is there a trick I'm missing to keep cash flow healthy without upsetting buyers?

6
Samuel Kiptoo
Samuel KiptooBusiness
Oct 5

Why I stopped selling to individual farmers and started with groups

For two years I tried selling our soil sensor kits to farmers one by one. Hard work, low conversion. Then I noticed farmers here in Kitale already meet every week in their chama groups. So I started pitching to the groups instead, showing them how to test soil together and share one device. Suddenly we were closing 10 farmers at once instead of none. The lesson: stop fighting how people already organise themselves. If they meet weekly for savings, meet them there. One demo to the group beats a hundred farm visits.

6