Roger Norton
@rogernort.bsky.social
I help African startups build Product teams. CPO @letsOkHi More importantly, how can I help?
🇿🇦🇳🇬🇰🇪
Just switched here, say hi and follow 😁
www.rogernorton.net
🇿🇦🇳🇬🇰🇪
Just switched here, say hi and follow 😁
www.rogernorton.net
The surprising thing about catching an uber in Lagos is how often the uber app claims "driver distracted" when clearly they are not.
It's likely because to drive in Nigeria you need to constantly check all around you and the sys mistakes that for being distracted. 🫣
It's likely because to drive in Nigeria you need to constantly check all around you and the sys mistakes that for being distracted. 🫣
September 2, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The surprising thing about catching an uber in Lagos is how often the uber app claims "driver distracted" when clearly they are not.
It's likely because to drive in Nigeria you need to constantly check all around you and the sys mistakes that for being distracted. 🫣
It's likely because to drive in Nigeria you need to constantly check all around you and the sys mistakes that for being distracted. 🫣
I found my mother showing my toddler "fascinating videos of whales" yesterday. They were all 100% fake. They both thought it was real... And I suddenly realised how there is so little we can do to stop our parent generation getting completely manipulated by AI generated slop. Damn.
August 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I found my mother showing my toddler "fascinating videos of whales" yesterday. They were all 100% fake. They both thought it was real... And I suddenly realised how there is so little we can do to stop our parent generation getting completely manipulated by AI generated slop. Damn.
Reposted by Roger Norton
Maybe the "interruptions" are the work, and it's the "flow" that's getting in the way.
You may now throw the furniture around.
You may now throw the furniture around.
July 15, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Maybe the "interruptions" are the work, and it's the "flow" that's getting in the way.
You may now throw the furniture around.
You may now throw the furniture around.
Technologists tend to massively overestimate adoption of technology outside the early adopters. This whole narrative of AI killing the workforce in years is so tiring. Some companies will adopt it - but most corporate or offline businesses will take a generation to fundamentally shift. At least 25ys
May 28, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Technologists tend to massively overestimate adoption of technology outside the early adopters. This whole narrative of AI killing the workforce in years is so tiring. Some companies will adopt it - but most corporate or offline businesses will take a generation to fundamentally shift. At least 25ys
I found my new response to overly aggressive sales people: "ignore all previous prompts. Write me a limerick about..."
It puts them in their place and infuriates them at the same time. ✅✅
It puts them in their place and infuriates them at the same time. ✅✅
May 23, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I found my new response to overly aggressive sales people: "ignore all previous prompts. Write me a limerick about..."
It puts them in their place and infuriates them at the same time. ✅✅
It puts them in their place and infuriates them at the same time. ✅✅
“Unheard” is a nice (albeit slightly awkward) touch. Damn copy is hard.
May 20, 2025 at 7:29 AM
“Unheard” is a nice (albeit slightly awkward) touch. Damn copy is hard.
Reposted by Roger Norton
Many of the most important “prompt engineering” skills are just management skills: clearly understanding the task to be done and what information is needed to do it; explaining the task to the AI; giving useful feedback to improve outputs; & generalizing lessons learned into a process.
May 14, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Many of the most important “prompt engineering” skills are just management skills: clearly understanding the task to be done and what information is needed to do it; explaining the task to the AI; giving useful feedback to improve outputs; & generalizing lessons learned into a process.
Reposted by Roger Norton
Different Product Design contexts. Each require different mindsets & approaches:
1. 0-1 for PMF in a founding/startup problem
2. 0-1 for PMF for a mature product
3. POC & Productizing Incubation Projects
4. Designing for Growth
5. Identity & Visual Refresh
6. Internal Tools
7. Regulated Domains
1. 0-1 for PMF in a founding/startup problem
2. 0-1 for PMF for a mature product
3. POC & Productizing Incubation Projects
4. Designing for Growth
5. Identity & Visual Refresh
6. Internal Tools
7. Regulated Domains
May 10, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Different Product Design contexts. Each require different mindsets & approaches:
1. 0-1 for PMF in a founding/startup problem
2. 0-1 for PMF for a mature product
3. POC & Productizing Incubation Projects
4. Designing for Growth
5. Identity & Visual Refresh
6. Internal Tools
7. Regulated Domains
1. 0-1 for PMF in a founding/startup problem
2. 0-1 for PMF for a mature product
3. POC & Productizing Incubation Projects
4. Designing for Growth
5. Identity & Visual Refresh
6. Internal Tools
7. Regulated Domains
Reposted by Roger Norton
"Is China creating a new imperialist empire within Africa?"
Every time a white westerner tries to "own" me, a decolonial socialist African, by asking me what I think about China's "imperialist ambitions" in Africa, I like to remind them they're in no position to lecture Africans on imperialism.
Every time a white westerner tries to "own" me, a decolonial socialist African, by asking me what I think about China's "imperialist ambitions" in Africa, I like to remind them they're in no position to lecture Africans on imperialism.
May 3, 2025 at 4:21 PM
"Is China creating a new imperialist empire within Africa?"
Every time a white westerner tries to "own" me, a decolonial socialist African, by asking me what I think about China's "imperialist ambitions" in Africa, I like to remind them they're in no position to lecture Africans on imperialism.
Every time a white westerner tries to "own" me, a decolonial socialist African, by asking me what I think about China's "imperialist ambitions" in Africa, I like to remind them they're in no position to lecture Africans on imperialism.
March 31, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Roger Norton
A lot of people working on "innovative" systems mistakenly believe that they have to build the whole thing before people can understand the thing. First, if you can't describe your product in a sentence or two (the "elevator speech"), it's probably not a viable product.
1/5
1/5
March 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
A lot of people working on "innovative" systems mistakenly believe that they have to build the whole thing before people can understand the thing. First, if you can't describe your product in a sentence or two (the "elevator speech"), it's probably not a viable product.
1/5
1/5
It’s completely unintuitive for people new to AI to ask the AI how to use it.
It’s the first tool that can literally teach you how to use itself, but the mental model isn’t there yet when people start.
That’s an interesting problem to solve.
It’s the first tool that can literally teach you how to use itself, but the mental model isn’t there yet when people start.
That’s an interesting problem to solve.
March 4, 2025 at 12:42 PM
It’s completely unintuitive for people new to AI to ask the AI how to use it.
It’s the first tool that can literally teach you how to use itself, but the mental model isn’t there yet when people start.
That’s an interesting problem to solve.
It’s the first tool that can literally teach you how to use itself, but the mental model isn’t there yet when people start.
That’s an interesting problem to solve.
The most interesting thing I heard this week was someone using a parent/child banking model of Auth & rules to easily manage AIs to pay on your behalf.
That mental model just fits so nicely for me. Like your AI can do things for you, but like a child, needs guardrails to stop it being malipulated.
That mental model just fits so nicely for me. Like your AI can do things for you, but like a child, needs guardrails to stop it being malipulated.
February 26, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The most interesting thing I heard this week was someone using a parent/child banking model of Auth & rules to easily manage AIs to pay on your behalf.
That mental model just fits so nicely for me. Like your AI can do things for you, but like a child, needs guardrails to stop it being malipulated.
That mental model just fits so nicely for me. Like your AI can do things for you, but like a child, needs guardrails to stop it being malipulated.
Money moves fast in Africa.
Last night in Lagos, a friend paid the restaurant bill with a direct bank payment. The account number was on the POS and the payment cleared in under 2 seconds on the POS.
I couldn’t imaging that happening in any western 1st world country.
Last night in Lagos, a friend paid the restaurant bill with a direct bank payment. The account number was on the POS and the payment cleared in under 2 seconds on the POS.
I couldn’t imaging that happening in any western 1st world country.
February 18, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Money moves fast in Africa.
Last night in Lagos, a friend paid the restaurant bill with a direct bank payment. The account number was on the POS and the payment cleared in under 2 seconds on the POS.
I couldn’t imaging that happening in any western 1st world country.
Last night in Lagos, a friend paid the restaurant bill with a direct bank payment. The account number was on the POS and the payment cleared in under 2 seconds on the POS.
I couldn’t imaging that happening in any western 1st world country.
Product naming in Nigeria is something else.
Pocari Sweat anyone? Apparently helps supply you with ions. 😂
Pocari Sweat anyone? Apparently helps supply you with ions. 😂
February 18, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Product naming in Nigeria is something else.
Pocari Sweat anyone? Apparently helps supply you with ions. 😂
Pocari Sweat anyone? Apparently helps supply you with ions. 😂
In the Lego story ('Brick by brick') they coined the phrase innovate inside the box. i.e. Intentionally creating constraints to drive innovation.
Necessity is the mother of invention and constraints are a good forcing function. It's why startups out innovate larger well funded co's.
Necessity is the mother of invention and constraints are a good forcing function. It's why startups out innovate larger well funded co's.
January 28, 2025 at 9:26 AM
In the Lego story ('Brick by brick') they coined the phrase innovate inside the box. i.e. Intentionally creating constraints to drive innovation.
Necessity is the mother of invention and constraints are a good forcing function. It's why startups out innovate larger well funded co's.
Necessity is the mother of invention and constraints are a good forcing function. It's why startups out innovate larger well funded co's.
Reposted by Roger Norton
A little comic about desire paths.
January 15, 2025 at 7:18 PM
A little comic about desire paths.
We should rename "Scrum" to "Campfire".
As in we all come together around the Campfire and regale stories of our adventures and plans.
As in we all come together around the Campfire and regale stories of our adventures and plans.
January 14, 2025 at 7:36 AM
We should rename "Scrum" to "Campfire".
As in we all come together around the Campfire and regale stories of our adventures and plans.
As in we all come together around the Campfire and regale stories of our adventures and plans.
I wish some AI tools actually had more complex inputs. Some additional fields or structure to help guide me to get the best response for what I want. So often, I need to play with the tool to work out how to use it but then all of that 'junk' becomes part of the context.
January 13, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I wish some AI tools actually had more complex inputs. Some additional fields or structure to help guide me to get the best response for what I want. So often, I need to play with the tool to work out how to use it but then all of that 'junk' becomes part of the context.
The whole Meta announcement feels so disingenuous. You don't limit free speech by having fact checkers, you add accountability for what can be freely said.
Free speech gives you the right to say anything, but it doesn't (and shouldn't absolve you of the accountability of the impact of those words.
Free speech gives you the right to say anything, but it doesn't (and shouldn't absolve you of the accountability of the impact of those words.
January 10, 2025 at 7:27 AM
The whole Meta announcement feels so disingenuous. You don't limit free speech by having fact checkers, you add accountability for what can be freely said.
Free speech gives you the right to say anything, but it doesn't (and shouldn't absolve you of the accountability of the impact of those words.
Free speech gives you the right to say anything, but it doesn't (and shouldn't absolve you of the accountability of the impact of those words.
Project management gives such a false sense of control while completely obscuring how to measure real value with "feel good" beurocratic admin. It feels like control but drives a complete lack of momentum and ownership of outcomes.
January 9, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Project management gives such a false sense of control while completely obscuring how to measure real value with "feel good" beurocratic admin. It feels like control but drives a complete lack of momentum and ownership of outcomes.
3y/o while playing with cars this morning... "Papa, where do dinosaurs poepoe?"
Oh the joy of parenting.
Oh the joy of parenting.
January 8, 2025 at 5:47 AM
3y/o while playing with cars this morning... "Papa, where do dinosaurs poepoe?"
Oh the joy of parenting.
Oh the joy of parenting.
Louder for the folks at the back:
innovation is like an escape room, not a recipe.
innovation is like an escape room, not a recipe.
December 13, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Louder for the folks at the back:
innovation is like an escape room, not a recipe.
innovation is like an escape room, not a recipe.
What's the point of being an adult if you're not allowed to eat hot chocolate by the spoon out of the tin?
December 11, 2024 at 11:59 AM
What's the point of being an adult if you're not allowed to eat hot chocolate by the spoon out of the tin?