Jason Marshall
@__JasonMarshall
Followers
16K
Following
37K
Media
5K
Statuses
27K
Views are mine only. Native Texan. Honduran-American. Africa-focused FinTech. Section 8 housing to Series C Startup COO. jasonamarshall on TikTok.
Dallas, TX (in Africa ~25%)
Joined April 2010
A giant thread of music and dancing from all around. Gonna leave this here and add to it over time.
18
75
385
At a buffet and my Nigerian co-workers are laughing at my plate. Not sure why
1K
2K
10K
I really wish the Nigerian police would stop harassing and robbing our employees.
240
4K
10K
Doing a fit check for my Nigerian suits before I fly to Lagos this weekend. (Only wearing the crocs in the backyard)
667
506
10K
Viral story in Nigeria. A man’s female coworker cooks & brings extra homemade lunch & 2 spoons so they can share everyday. Man’s wife started cooking & packing his lunch to stop that. Told my wife about this and she … reacted.
355
2K
8K
Nairobi would still be my first choice to move to were I to relocate to Africa. Perfect weather, good value housing (if coming from the USA), good infrastructure, safe, diverse food options, good weekend trips. Not perfect, no place is. 2nd choice would be Cape Town.
589
1K
8K
@TheTheraPriest My wife said the husband should have said no thank you, left the office for lunch and bought a sandwich. She made it clear I’m not allowed to eat another woman’s cooking without permission. She was so serious I replied with “yes ma’am”.
435
1K
6K
As an American when I think of Nigerians I think of the smart guys I went to Yale with, the doctors and nurses who’ve treated me and my family and the Uber drivers busting their ass to send money home.
195
1K
5K
I think our Kenya team has had 83 public holidays this year.
155
631
4K
That walk from the Lagos airport exit to the car park is something, especially as a foreigner. Been here enough that I know what to expect but it’s still annoying. Aggressively hassled by taxi drivers, money changers and people want to help me (for an undisclosed fee).
205
1K
3K
I’ve now had jollof in both Nigeria and Ghana in the family homes of co-workers. Which I like better is a secret that will follow me to the grave.
330
504
3K
Dated this girl in college who was the best cook. Nice girl but we had nothing in common, couldn’t have a conversation. Wanted to break up with her after 2 weeks but she kept bringing homemade Mexican food for me & my roommates. My boys wouldn’t let me end it. We dated 3 months.
133
796
3K
@MadiSP4321 Man here. Married 24 years. It took a while but I eventually learned how to help my wife on days her lady parts are causing her pain. Somehow me shutting the fuck up but remaining by her side all day helps.
18
52
3K
We’ve hired 17 Kenyans in 2021 - software engineering, design, data analytics, finance, etc. lots of talent in #Kenya.
72
861
3K
If anyone ever feeds me homemade food, I’m gonna keep that to myself.
97
367
3K
Love working w/ Nigerians. Our best Nigerian employees are smart & hardworking just like everyone else on the team. But there is something else. They are relentless. Put challenge after frustrating challenge in front of them & they will find a way. The pidgin phrase for this?.
266
678
3K
Been told some Nigerian men wouldn’t want their wives to make more than them. Silly. My wife supported us entirely while I was getting my MBA. And without her earnings I wouldn’t be able to take the risk of working at a startup now. We’re a team.
94
650
2K
If I were to move to an African city with my wife Nairobi would be my first choice. Perfect weather, trees, middle class neighborhoods, nice restaurants, bars and cafes, accessible weekend getaways, pretty safe, steady electricity. And we have old friends here.
139
398
2K
Wow. Landed in #Kenya, Covid paperwork review, immigration, baggage claim, baggage scan all in 30 minutes. No manual filling out forms, all done online ahead of time. Slick.
104
449
2K
In some African cultures it is common to ask for money from friends and relatives, sometimes aggressively. Sometimes not just for emergencies but for all sorts of reasons. The guy below crafted an incredible response. Just great writing. Clear, succinct, empathetic, firm.
SINCERE APOLOGIES… It has become necessary for me to offer apologies to those who have asked me for one support or the other in recent time for my inability to help. God is my witness, I’m currently overwhelmed by my own projects that require absolute discipline and focus. I
44
337
2K
Cape Town will never be the primary tech hub in Africa as long as SA Home Affairs continues to refuse visas for Nigerians.
265
553
2K
@imkevinfyneface @PoliceNG There are corrupt police across the globe. But I’ve worked in international business for many years. We currently have employees in 18 African countries. The problem with Nigerian police is far worse than anything I have ever dealt with. Far worse.
32
492
1K
I think if I were an African in tech looking to leave my country I’d take a long look at Rwanda and Zambia before rushing to London or Dubai.
43
306
1K
So many holidays in Kenya. Our Kenyan staff is gonna be out on Monday for Tree Planting Day? What? Seriously?.
203
380
1K
Undersea cables damaged and it seems like there are massive internet issues all over Africa.
55
736
1K
@soireeNebula Harvard University has an undergraduate program, Harvard College, and 12 graduate & professional schools (Medicine, Law, Business, etc.). The Harvard Kennedy School is the graduate school for public policy and government. It is elite. And 20 former heads of government are alumni.
29
149
993
I love the fact that in the USA it is common to criticize and mock our leaders. We ridicule them. Private businesses don't hang pictures of the President. We don't treat politicians like royalty. I feel less free when I go to countries where that is not the case.
52
523
977
If you are a Black immigrant to the USA, the leaders of the Republican party are spreading lies that your community is running around stealing and eating white people's cats. And no, they aren't gonna differentiate between a Haitian and a Dominican, Jamaican, Nigerian, etc.
25
458
981
Keep thinking about the FinTech startups I met in #Lagos. The intensity. The hustle. It’s inspiring. Something in the air. Maybe because there are many challenges around daily life in Nigeria everyone is forced to hustle and work extra hard. Ambitious ones go next level.
19
287
953
Lagos, Nigeria has the energy of New York, maybe more.
54
194
925
@FinPlanKaluAja1 Abolish the I&E window to end the insider I&E/parallel rate round tripping industry. Unless that happens not sure anything else matters.
17
134
784
@nic__carter First responders are blue collar good guys who have dedicated their lives to saving lives. The idea that in the heat of the action they do anything but what they are trained to do and do every day is wild. Ever hang out with firefighters? They’re not like that man.
13
4
781
@MabuMonyela I was in SA visiting the dozens of employees we’ve hired in the past 2 years and interviewing candidates. How many jobs have you created?.
30
37
752
Founded in America, backed by US venture capital. 94% of our employees are African.
22
122
736
If you don't have emergency savings to cover 6 months of bills you are broke. You can't afford extra spending, you can't afford to give money to anyone including the church. You are broke. Life will happen, you will need that emergency savings. This is not culture, it's math.
23
314
700
One of the strengths of #Kenya is most of the most talented Kenyans stay in Kenya. Those that move abroad tend to return after a while. More experienced people in their 30s and 40s than you see in countries with a more severe brain drain problem. I hope this doesn’t change.
21
245
700
@SensationsKE I admit that I am privileged and shielded from some of the challenges. My experience can be unique to me.
23
24
645
@FinPlanKaluAja1 It’s true we have a labor shortage here in the USA. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. It’s one of the biggest challenges businesses are facing.
77
61
574
Our marketing team in Nigeria put me in one of their videos, apparently this format is some type of trend. Sometimes I feel old.
Heard our COO was in town and we just had to jump on this for the most pleasant introduction. Wait till the end for the reveal😊 . What money moves are you making on Yellow Card this week? Let us know in the comment section. #GoCryproWithYellowCard
53
68
566
I had to tell one guy to stop touching me. When I told another guy I didn’t want him to walk me to the car park repeatedly he started cussing me out.
24
132
535
I’ve had some great meetings with FinTech partners in Nigeria. The entrepreneurs here have to be the hungriest on the planet and just as talented as anywhere else. Most global tech investors are underexposed to Nigeria.
20
179
507
@opeawo We have lawyers our attorneys can call . But when a police officer grabs an employee’s phone and/or threatens them with a gun it’s not always possible.
12
86
460
@calebmaru Exactly. It’s infuriating. Nigeria has so much to offer. The airport is a symbol of bad governance.
4
79
424
Fun fact: All ~245 team members from Africa and ~255 total team members are granted stock options. My fellow shareholders and I are building something big across Africa, and we've raised a total of $85M to get it done.
African crypto startup Yellow Card raises $33 million in new funding.
31
96
452
@NaijaFlyingDr It has a sizable middle class. Security. Less dangerous law enforcement. Traffic. Better maintained everything. Pretty reliable electricity. Consistent decent internet that doesn’t drop. Cleaner. Trees and parks. Cheaper access to global middle class standard housing, nightlife.
7
55
443
@Abu_Marzouq No way I would want a 2nd wife. It’s too hard keeping one woman happy, can’t imagine two.
49
12
419
It’s been 20 years since I participated in something like this. Baby jails is just too much even when the World Cup is on #FamiliesBelongTogther
22
99
317
I'm hiring a country manager for Kenya. Must speak Swahili fluently and currently be located in Nairobi. Not necessarily looking for someone senior but probably someone a few years out of university with project management experience in tech or fin svcs.
20
338
407
@tosinolaseinde Nigerian visa is one of the few visas in Africa where I needed an attorney to make it happen. In most of African it is easy for Americans. My wife wanted to join me on a work trip but because the Naija visa is so hard she came with me to Ghana.
10
93
407
@pappyyj @Vincent_Ufuoma I’m currently overwhelmed by my own projects that require absolute discipline and focus.
34
31
400
@Babajiide After screening resumes and only proceeding with experienced engineers we still find that only 10%-20% of engineers we test do well enough to begin the interview stage. A fair number of software engineers overrate their own skills, think they meet global standards.
13
54
397
@Saint_Pablo31 I’m talking about short-term visas for meetings and conferences. Lagos is the tech startup capital of Africa. By far, it dwarfs Cape Town. SA not letting Nigerians get short-term visas diminishes SA.
34
78
383
Not sure why but we’re struggling to recruit product designers from East Africa. Have rock stars from Nigeria & SA but finding it challenging to get candidates from other regions. I know the talent is there. 🤔.
51
250
380
When you go to a club outside Nigeria with Nigerian friends and they play Nigerian music they go crazy with joy and pride. Like they wrote the song. :).
18
59
393
@Donkool_ I think it’s the same budget, probably bigger. I suspect that the money was and continues to be stolen.
15
41
370
@JoshuaOgundu I used to work for Walmart. Director, Payments. I participated in store appreciation days meaning I spent 1 day a year working an 8 hour shift in a store. Hardest day of the year, learned a ton.
6
12
350
anti-Nigerian xenophobia in South Africa, on Twitter, is more widespread than I realized. I know most South Africans are good people, Twitter isn’t real life. But these bigoted idiots on my feed - from all SA races - sound just like Apartheid defenders did in the 80s.
41
123
352
@bigbrutha_ A ton of mid-level talent in Nigeria. Smart and hardworking. Senior talent is harder to find in Nigeria because 1) people are so entrepreneurial they start their own thing and 2) japa (emigration). In other parts of Africa senior talent stays at a higher rate (or returns).
7
76
364
Of all the cities I’ve traveled in Africa I’ve felt the safest in Kigali, Gaborone, and Lusaka.
24
65
355
We're about to start hiring a few more experienced engineers in Africa. Remote based anywhere in Africa. If you meet the below requirements and want to learn more DM me with a link to your LinkedIn. 5 years work experience as a Fullstack Engineer. 2 consecutive years working.
38
341
340
@MikaelCBernard I think the Nigerian tech ecosystem will scale a lot more if more people built for the global market like so many Indian firms have done. Maybe the weak NGN could be an advantage.
19
70
338
@asemota After dating a few weeks I brought my now wife home to meet mom. (I rarely brought girls to meet her.). My mom immediately said out loud in Spanish that this is the woman I’m gonna marry. My now wife asked me to translate and I just mumbled “uh, uh, she’s happy to meet you”.
20
25
351
I’m bullish on Nigeria. The country doesn’t need good, clean, well-run government just something less bad with more normal levels of corruption and it will boom. Could be like India 20-30 years ago.
47
137
335
I'm not talking about immigration to SA. I'm talking about how impossible it is to get senior Nigerian staff to SA for a meeting or a conference.
41
84
311
Africa is the best place in the world to start a stablecoin-related business.
35
66
322
When we were pre-revenue our co-founders were given $500/month each and a company-paid apartment to share. Living in the USA.
Mara, a crypto startup backed by Coinbase, lost $16 million in 2022 as the leadership team fell apart
10
85
312
Going on vacation with my wife in a few hours. Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Picture from campus in 1997 I think.
15
9
299
The bigotry that is too common across Africa is asinine. People expressing these views sound so ignorant:. - SA good old days talk.- anti-Nigerian bias in SA & elsewhere in Africa.- anti-Muslim, Fulani, Igbo bias in Nigeria.- anti-Somali bias in Kenya. ignorant & small-minded.
24
134
298
95% of our employees live in Africa full-time. Not every Series A+ Africa-focused tech company can say that.
11
47
295
And yes we are hiring. Fully remote. Most of our jobs can be done from anywhere in Africa. No entry-level roles at the moment.
36
240
282
There is so much opportunity for African FinTech beyond Cape Town, Nairobi, Lagos and Accra. Opportunity in every corner of the continent. Even the hard places, sometimes especially in the hard places.
11
66
275
@Anumudujude1 I know Nigeria very well. I have enjoyed my many business trips there and Inlove the food and the culture. I have many friends in Lagos. But as a happily married 50 year old American I would not choose to live there permanently. If I were young and single maybe.
15
23
295
Not an economist but hear me out. Maybe the Nigerian currency would be stronger if sophisticated organized crime, aided by [redacted] weren’t stealing oil, the main source of USD, by the tanker load. Maybe?.
Corruption allegations against Nigeria’s Navy Chief ‘serious,’ will be investigated – Minister
11
199
278
@temitayo69 @NurainT @AcpIshaku @segalink I am too scared as I am afraid any official complaints from me would result in a revocation of my visa, punitive measures against our business and dangerous personal retaliation against our employees. I probably should delete my tweets on this matter.
34
65
267
@asemota Oga, imagine my shock in the reverse way the first time I invited coworkers on VI to come to the club with me only to discover I was expected to pay the entire bill. I thought they would all offer to contribute to the bill. And it was a big bill! LOL.
45
58
270
Nigerian founders - the problem isn’t that talented software engineers are demanding and getting more money. The problem is business models that aren’t built for the current and future borderless labor market for engineering talent.
7
64
253
Still find it funny many (most?) Nigerian men won’t eat sweets because of the believed impact on … um… performance. #Nigeria.
27
67
237
@oviosu Dude, the first intercontinental ballistic missile was invented in 1959, 10 years before the 1st moon landing. Going to the moon was made possible by rocket technology, not computers. Shear force. The calculations were done by hand by a small army of mathematicians.
6
32
236
@Babajiide The international community is expressing relative faith in how the Egyptian government spends money. The international community is expressing faith that there will be a return on the money invested - a return in infrastructure, policy reforms, etc.
7
50
234
@OyesileJohn Yes. 10% deposit on an appreciating asset. So the equity the homeowner has, the current value less loan amount, keeps going up. And you can borrow against that equity easily. And it’s highly liquid. Can sell the home within weeks and cash out.
15
21
235
@DeFiYodda You give every time you are asked by every person for whatever reason the person asking wants the money? Really? You don’t dodge billing from anyone?.
12
9
222
Hiring a PM. Please DM me if you meet ALL the following hard requirements:.- Based in Africa.- 4+ years of FinTech Product Mgt. experience.- B2B FinTech experience.- Have worked at current or prior job at least 2 years straight (hard requirement). Don't DM w/o ALL the above.
21
238
229
@Vincent_Ufuoma I’m 49 years old. I’ve been asked for financial help twice in my life. In my culture it is a source of shame to ask for money as an adult man. I would do it in an extreme emergency but not for any reason beyond that.
14
21
223
I was waiting tables at 24. At 26 at times I didn’t have enough money to buy groceries for my wife & I. We were living in a very cold place and couldn’t afford to keep our apartment warm. Don’t believe the hype. Some do big things early in life. For many of us it takes a while.
7
56
232
I would have never married a woman who couldn’t hold her own financially. I wanted a partner not a dependent.
6
62
239
My wife was better looking than me when we got married in 1999. She's getting better looking with age while I'm looking tired and worn out. These days I cook for her. On weekends I grill enough chicken, meat, and vegetables for most of the week. I do laundry too, happily.
17
48
210