5 Questions with... Soud Hyder (Nairobi edition)

This week's 5 Questions comes to you from East Africa. For the past 6 weeks I've had the privilege of visiting the countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. I also took a week to visit South Africa and take in a soccer game and the whole World Cup festivities.

While in Nairobi (the capital of Kenya) I presented at a meetup as well as at BarCampNairobi. One of the top business and technology connectors I met while in Kenya is Soud Hyder (@majiwater). Soud has a unique background in computer science and economics which makes him wear many hats. He engineers at the intersection of technology and business. The internet being the main conduit of business, Soud is extremely passionate about it and sees loads of opportunity and potential across the internet ecosystem.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

Every day brings in new opportunities. Life is dynamic and the internet changes every second bringing new challenges. Working in these uncharted waters and trying to figure what will and will not work keeps me awake and motivated. Furthermore working on a 'value addition' mantra in everything that I do keeps me going for that extra mile.

Do you have any success start-up tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?

Innovative ideas, great teams and a sound business acumen/plan are the base ingredients. Once these are sorted, persistence, hard work and loads of networking. Networking is extremely important which unfortunately is not prioritised in the 'tech' industry. Building social capital is by all means an investment and you never know who could take you to greater heights.

In your opinion why is Nairobi such a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?

Nairobi benefits from being centrally located both geographically and functionally. It serves as a gateway to East and Central Africa and naturally its a hub of activity. It has a good mix of the right people and connections and relatively good infrastructure including world class mobile communication services that are conduits to greener heights and innovation.

What's your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?

I'm still using an ageing Nokia E51 despite it being due for an upgrade soon. It has decent battery life and data services including push e-mail and native VoIP support, however due to increased information social media requirements I'll should be upgrading soon.

Mashable is my favourite site. Its comprehensive, timely and offers a wide selection of information as well as coverage of the industry.

Who would you say is one of Nairobi's social media/tech stars and why?

In my opinion it would be Mark Kaigwa (@mkaigwa) . He has a lot of insight and his high engagement levels truly portray his passion for social media. Unlike many others, Mark has a practical experience and exposure on various aspects rather than relying on unfounded theories.