Adii Pienaar (aka Adii Rockstar) is the 7th in the African Digerati series of interviews. At only 24 he’s the youngest one on the list – he’s here because he represents the success that can be achieved as a young digital entrepreneur in Africa. Just under a year ago Woothemes splashed onto the stage as a new seller of WordPress (blogging tool) themes.

Rumor has it that this might be the most monetarily successful startup in the new media scene coming out of South Africa… That’s in less than one year. Regardless of whether that is true or not, the fact is that Woothemes is one of the top WordPress theme sites in the world, and it’s grown out of Africa with a lot of work, an eye for design and passion.

Woothemes just launched version 2 of itself, called WOO2. This interview is in response to that, and a chance to take a look at one of the visionaries behind it. After reading the interview, take a look at Adii’s blog. You’ll realize he’s light-hearted and doesn’t take himself to seriously, personality traits that I appreciate.

When was the seed of Woothemes planted in your mind, and what was it’s genesis? What caused you to go from idea to actually building something, and how did you do that?
I don’t really know… Magnus, Mark & I had been collaborating a bit more loosely and the business was growing quite steadily. So I think it was just a natural progression to formalize the collaborations into a business and brand it as WooThemes. Luckily for us, we had a good following at that stage and the foundations were good all round to launch WooThemes.

What inspires you?
Would I be egotistical to say that I inspire myself? Honestly though, I’m inspired by a bunch of different things on a daily basis; and those things are random at best. The “being inspired” bit, along with willingness to act on said inspiration is a result of me absolutely loving a challenge and thus being completely driven to pursue those challenges.

Who are your biggest influences?
Online, I’ve got a lot of respect for entrepreneurs like Ryan Carson & Collis Ta’eed, who are at the top end of this new wave of entrepreneurs. Offline I’ve always appreciated Richard Branson’s way of going about business and marketing his ideas. And then closer to home… I’ve learned a helluva lot from both my business partners – Magnus & Mark – whilst I’d be lying if I said that my dad didn’t influence my business mind a lot – especially when I was younger.

Woo2 is a redesign of the Woothemes site and the community platform behind it. What are the big changes, and why do they matter?
Facing outwards, I think WOO2 signals our intent with regards to further growth and also improving the current experiences on WooThemes.

On a business level, I think WOO2 is more professional and we put a lot more strategic thinking into it. So again, it’s some kind of natural progression of how we’ve grown. WOO2 is the next step and the next part of the journey ahead.

Woothemes is expanding to other platforms beyond WordPress (Drupal, Expression Engine, etc.). What is your strategy here, and when will we start seeing these themes for different platforms?
The strategy is basically one that aims to diversify our offerings (and also our risk of having all our eggs in one basket), along with the growth aspects (new products = new markets = new users). And whilst I’m reluctant to commit to any schedule in this regard, we will start rolling out the Drupal themes in the next 2 / 3 weeks, and we’ve already started work on the EE & Magento stuff.

There’s always been the debate amongst the WordPress intelligensia about some theme providers not honoring the WordPress GPL licensing. iThemes, Brian Gardner and others have changed stances. I noticed you have as well. Is this where you wanted to go, or was it something that the greater community forced upon you? How will this help your business?

I can categorically say that this wasn’t something we did because we felt forced to do so. Way back in August 2008, I told Matt Mullenweg (at WordCamp SA) that going GPL was on the horizon for us and we’d do so when we felt comfortable doing so.

And as for how it will affect / help our business… I don’t know yet. We’ve only been GPL for a day, so I guess we’ll have to wait & see.

How big is Woothemes and how active is your community? Can you give any numbers?
This is tempting, but I’d rather not share these numbers… Maybe in the next couple of months, we’ll adopt a more open approach and share some of these numbers, but we’re not into boasting about supposed success.

I can however say that our support forum has racked up almost 45K posts, which means that the community is active. And our free themes (6 of them) have been downloaded about 35 000 times in the last month…

You’ve successfully created a web business out of South Africa that has impacted people around the world. You’re tapped into the web in a way that few others are. What’s next? What does the big picture look like from a the Rockstar perspective?
I’m taking over the world, one WordPress installation at a time.

LOL no… I’m very content with what I’m doing at the moment and very happy with the space & freedom that WooThemes has afforded me. I’m still young (24), so at this stage I’d like to think that I’m trying to revolutionize my own life, in terms of how I work and how I act outside of business hours. Beyond further growing WooThemes, that’s probably my main focus, because I want to do this now and not when I turn 30 / 40 and realize that I’ve work my life away.

And a shameless punt… I’m writing a book called Rockstar Business that basically airs my thoughts & experiences within this journey!

Finally, what are your thoughts on the impact of blogging in your own continent: Africa?
I’m ashamed to admit this, but Africa is generally a deep dark place for me (which I’m planning on rectifying with a proper journey into Africa – for holiday – later this year). So I’ve honestly not met many Africans who are bloggers.

BUT… In theory I think blogging gives everyone a voice; a voice they didn’t have before. And that’s true freedom & power for me, which we’ll ultimately see itself manifest when Africa becomes one of the strongest nations / economies in the world.

[Disclosure: I'm a customer of Woothemes, having purchased (full-price) one of their themes for the Maker Faire Africa website. I'm very happy with this too, everything is rock solid.]

This is trial by media, please consider for one moment there's no
justification to publish the pictures other than to vilify and
titillate.

What happened to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty?

Sent from my iPhone ]]> http://kenyacricket.blogspot.com/2009/06/five-shortlisted-for-captaincy.html 2009-06-18T10:01:00-04:00 2009-06-18T10:01:00-04:00
There are no real surprises in the five names put forward. All are seen as key players for the current team and all have a decent level of experience to draw on. In alphabetical order of first name, they are:
Collins Obuya (27), Hiren Varaiya (25), Jimmy Kamande (30), Maurice Ouma (26) and Thomas Odoyo (31).

When Steve Tikolo announced his retirement, I ran a post having a look at some of the candidates I thought might make it. for those that missed it here are my thoughts on the final 5 in the order I think most likely to be given the duty:

1. Thomas Odoyo. As both the longest continuing servant of Kenyan cricket after Tikolo and the team's current Vice Captain, Odoyo has to be the favourite to take over the mantle. In his favour are his experience, his ability to lead from the front with both bat and ball and his natural leadership ability. There has been a recent problem with injuries however and the load of captaincy on top of his other duties may be considered too great - there are not many genuine all rounders who have also made great captains. Despite this and the recent slump in form, he is still the most likely to succeed Tikolo. At 31 probably still has about 4 years of service left and will certainly still be there for the World Cup.

2. Jimmy Kamande. Also an all rounder, Kamande is less of a key player than Odoyo, so the strain would be less. He has experience of captaincy at both club and Elite League and has a tendency to show a more attacking streak that Tikolo does. At 30, he has probably about the same time left as Odoyo, but is less beset by injuries and has really grown as a player in the last 12 months during which he has often been the player standing up to save the team. If not selected as Captain, would probably make a very good understudy and will probably be needed as such if Odoyo is made captain and misses games due to injury.

3. Collins Obuya. After Tikolo, perhaps the most sensible of Kenya's batsmen in recent times and at 27 looks to have more time left in the game than the 2 previous possibles. Like Kamande a great fielder and will set a good example in both innings. One of the other players who is really showing consistent signs of improvement at the moment. His biggest asset though would probably be his age and the fact that having burst onto the scene in the 2003 World Cup, he will know how do deal with the media and pressures that come with the profile.

4. Hiren Varaiya. Of all the bowlers, it has been said that spinners are most likely to make the best captains as they rely on intellect and guile to get their opponents out. Varaiya is certainly a quality spinner and has an understanding of the game that could see him develop into a fine captain. Unlike the other candidates however, he is not a key figure with the bat and in a time when Kenya desperately needs someone to lead from the front in this department, it may be a case of the wrong timing. If not chosen as Captain, would certainly make a fine understudy as he has the determination and toughness that is needed in a leadership role. As the youngest of the candidates, he may yet get his opportunity if he misses out this time round.

5. Maurice Ouma. For my mind the dark horse of the 5, despite being of an age that would be perfect. As his nickname (Pagal) suggests, Ouma's great talent has at times in the past been undone by a reckless streak. In the field, he is tidy behind the stumps and like all wicket keepers possesses not only a good understanding of what is going on around him, but would be in the perfect position to asses how each bowler is faring on a ball by ball basis. With the bat, there are still too many starts that are not carried into big figures and his propensity to be involved in runouts hints at a lack of communication. The above being said, he is held in high regard by his fellow players and this could be the responsibility that turns a good player into a great one.

The above is just my opinion. There is a poll on the right for you to let us know who you think should lead Kenya to the next World Cup and beyond and you can always have your say on our discussion page on facebook.Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com] ]]> http://kenyacricket.blogspot.com/2009/06/or-is-it.html 2009-06-18T09:38:00-04:00 2009-06-18T09:38:00-04:00 latest article on cricinfo, the search for Kenya's next coach is more than just a two horse race. No new names are however mentioned, so we are still having to wait to see who it will be. The article does indicate that Andy Kirsten will continue as coach for the Ireland tour and that his contract will then finish at the end of July.

As there has yet been no official word from Cricket Kenya on anything to do with the selction process, so all is still pretty much conjecture at this stage. Does today's article mean that CK will not be choosing either Sandhu or Butcher? Or does it simply mean they are holding their options open for as long as possible before making a decision. If it is the latter, then perhaps the fans and players could be forgiven for wondering why it has already been this late given that Kenya's first match into the new Intercontinental Cup is only a couple of weeks away. Given the last result the team had under Kirsten in Europe, this is a fair question as he will again be at the reins for this trip.

Whatever the Cricket Kenya decision, it would be best it were made sooner rather than later. Already ground has been lost preparing for the 2011 World Cup and we are close to missing the boat in terms of bettering our 3rd place in the Intercontinental Cup.Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com] ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kenyanpoet/~3/3wmtojkLK6Q/finally-real-kenyan-stand-up-comedian.html N.W 2009-06-18T06:54:00-04:00 2009-06-18T06:54:00-04:00 Rapcha, The Sayantist also known as Francis Kibe. That was at Alliance Francais yesterday for his first ever public performance as a standup comedian.
As I had mentioned on twitter prior to attending the show (see my twitter updates), I was rather skeptical of the  show because most such Kenyan acts claim to be Stand-up comedy yet they are not.

I have nothing against Dan Dambuki aka Churchill, I am a great fan , but for heavens sake, he is not, and has never been, a standup comedian.

Actually, Kenya has never had a standup comedian.

Having watched the whole Def Comedy Jam series, The Kings of Comedy, all Chris Rock comedy shows, Dave Chapelle and Nigeria's own Basket Mouth just to mention a few. I would say,  I have a pretty good idea of what is and what is not Stand-up comedy. I have also watched the J Leno show which most Kenyans consider to be stand up comedy.

(image courtesy of Ghetto Radio)
This is the critic like mind that I went with for Rapcha's show.

The event which was set to start at 6pm started barely  a few minutes to 7pm, something that I felt was quite uncalled for. However, Kenyans being their typical self started streaming in at 6.30, something that the Ghetto Radio crew knew I guess.
The host for the evening was Mwafrika who is nowadays spotting dreadlocks(looks good- moving away from the geeky look he had with the specs........no pun intended ) Mwaf as he is better known,  is one of the few serious Underground MCs that I know who live, breath and speak true Hip Hop. sorry I am digressing.

He introduced the act for the evening and since I dont' know Rapcha, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, knowing that Ghetto FM is all about 'Maisha Ya Ghetto' and I also knew that the show would be in Sheng, I was ready for anything. Then this tall light skinned slender guy clad in a navy blue suit and white shirt complete with a Tie walks on stage.
At first I couldn't get why everyone was laughing. It turns out, they have never seen him in a suit and he was also not used to the feeling of being in one and also being seen in it. And that is where he drew his first them for the evening.
His comedy is purely in sheng and one will need to be well versed with the latest sheng/slang,  to know what he meant by terms like Ketepa, and many others I can't recall now. Some might think that this was/and might be a hindrance to his reach, however, I did not see that happen. The audience was in stitches, some even stood clapping and cheering on numerous occasions.

What  I loved about his style was that, he was not straining for punchlines in a haphazad way. Instead, his was a story narrated. A story that happened to have very man funny moments. He talked about his life in the Ghetto(he hails from Mathare)incidents with landlords, hardships of dating Ghetto women, drug abuse, politics, women, transport(Matatus), crime the Kenya Police among others.
What cracked me up is when he was talking about the types of living standards in Kenya:- "Those below the poverty line, those in the actual poverty, those above it, politicians then Indians"

His style and choice of language might not appeal to those who can't understand sheng (also known as "ma-barbie") but it is the language that the ghetto understands and uses thus one can relate more when its relayed the way it actually is.
I need to get myself a sheng dictionary or keep listening to Ghetto Radio's show 'Up with your slang'

This prompted me to delve into what exactly Stand-up Comedy is
Wiki explains it this way : Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience, with the absence of the theatrical "fourth wall". A person who performs stand-up comedy is known as a stand-up comic, stand-up comedian (comedienne if female) or more informally a stand-up. It is usually performed by a single comedian, with the aid of a hand-held microphone. The comedian usually recites a fast-paced succession of humorous stories, short jokes (called "bits"), and one-liners, which comprise what is typically called a monologue, routine or act.
Maybe we need to get a few basics on what exactly Stand-up comedy is
- The only props used in stand-up comedy are a microphone and the comedian
- stand-up comedians do not use any props(funny dress code, other paraphernalia, other invited guests etc)
- A stand-up comedian does not fully talk, act or look like the person they are aping(popular with redykullas) they might give snippets of this but not a full show of it.

Here's a list of known Standup Comedians.

I honestly hope that Rapcha will be one of those who will get to grace our TVs following the stand-up comedian search done by Churchill and NTV. ]]>