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    What Building in the Ethiopian Market Taught Me About Building Globally

    May 20, 20265 minBy Surafel Yimam5 blocks

    Three things I learned shipping products in Ethiopia that changed how I think about building for any market — constraints, trust, and the difference between local and global.

    #Product#Markets

    Building in a constrained market is the best product education I've had. When bandwidth, payments, and trust can't be assumed, you learn what actually matters.

    Constraints sharpen products

    Designing for low bandwidth and offline-first made everything I build leaner — and that leanness travels well to any market.

    Trust is the real feature

    In markets where institutions are thin, trust has to be designed in. That lens makes you build clearer, more honest products everywhere.