Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

The Science of Startup Valuation
Many say startup valuation, especially at early stages, is more of an art than a science. This Crunchbase article challenges those sentiments by arguing that just because the process is qualitative doesn’t mean the methodology is unscientific.

Entrepreneurs, Reduce Your Startup Risk. Don’t Start With The Idea, Start With The Marketplace
According to the Small Business Administration, in 2019, the failure rate of startups was around 90%. One of the main reasons startups fail is because they are a solution in search of a problem. This article from Forbes lays out how startups can reduce risk by thoughtfully targeting a marketplace.

African Payments Company Makes Rare Purchase of US FinTech
African fintech companies attracted investments totaling about $5bn last year, according to the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. This Financial Times article reports on an unique acquisition in Africa’s rapidly growing fintech scene. MFS Africa, a digital payments company, is to acquire Oklahoma-based Global Technology Partners, which will  allow many international companies like Netflix and Amazon to accept digital money payments from Africa. 

What Does It Take for Startups to Survive Recessions? 
The war with Russia and Ukraine is having an impact on the rest of the world, meaning it will soon filter into our professional pockets. The upcoming financial problems are going to have a major impact on our abilities to do business, whether it’s with the cost of fuel or the fact that everybody needs to tighten their belts. This Grit Daily article looks at some ways startups can survive financial pressures like recessions.

The Greatest Entrepreneurs in the World are Also the Best at Building Trust
Employees that don’t trust an entrepreneur will not follow their instructions leading the workforce to behave more like a group rather than a team. This NextWeb article looks at how a good entrepreneurial culture is about trust and what can startups and entrepreneurs can learn from the most trusted and massive tech-companies.