Post by Don Adero

One year at Ello. Here’s what I’ve learned. A year ago I joined a small, ambitious team building an AI-powered reading app for kids with Kenya as a core market, not an afterthought. It’s been one of the most stretching years of my career. I’ve sat with Kenyan parents in living rooms and on phone calls, listening to how their kids engage with technology and learning. I’ve translated those conversations into product insights, partnered across engineering, marketing, and content, and gotten very comfortable with ambiguity. A few things I’m taking into year two: 1. Research only matters if it changes decisions. I’ve learned to care less about the report and more about the room it lands in. 2. Being close to the user is a superpower in early-stage product work. Proximity to real feedback loops is irreplaceable. 3. Building for a market you’re actually embedded in looks different — and feels different — from theorizing about it. Grateful for the team, the mission, and yes, for the coffee conversations that kept everything going. ☕ Here’s to year two. 🎉