FS Weekly 72: The Digital Bank Hype and Innovator’s Dilemma 

Managing pressure well, interview ISHO Founder, the innovator’s dilemma, and digital bank hype and benefits of building with a long-term view.

Welcome to the 72nd edition of Future Startup Weekly. FS Weekly is a newsletter about entrepreneurship, business expertise, and doing good work. If you are not a subscriber already, feel free to do it here.

This week’s edition features: 

• an essay on the importance of managing pressure well
• an interview with the fast-growing furniture company ISHO Founder 
• an analysis of the innovator’s dilemma and digital bank hype 
• an essay on why approach building as a marathon over a sprint is useful 
• and 03 ideas and reading suggestions

3 Ideas 

1. Best ideas don’t come on demand. Rather, the best ideas come when you are not actively looking for one. When you are uninhibited, relaxed, and perhaps daydreaming. 

2. Companies are, in many ways, the reflection of their founders. Thus, the growth of a company is often tied to the growth of the founders. 

3. Sometimes, success can be hard to overcome, making us complacent. 

Future Startup Articles 

1. On The Importance Of Freeing Yourself From Pressure

Even the best of the players perform the worst under pressure when they fail to manage the pressure. Learn how to quiet your mind and operate at your best under pressure. 

Complement with: This excellent colossus podcast with Jack Clark on Grateful for Everything, Entitled to Nothing

2. Rayana Hossain: Growing ISHO, Designing Organizational Dynamism, And Upsides Of Being Yourself  

Learn what separates ISHO from other local and global furniture brands, how ISHO has built a culture of relentless dynamism, the secrets behind ISHO's excellent growth, and fascinating ideas on design and organization. 

Complement with: Our excellent interview with Cat furniture brand Tuft and Paw’s Founder Jackson Cunningham 

3. The Marathon, Not the Sprint: Why You Should Take a Long-Term View in Building Business

Startups operate in a bi-modal world where you either die or get rich. Getting rich is only possible when you live long enough. Learn how to improve the chance of survival for your company. 

Complement with: Our essay Fahim Mashroor On The Imperatives For Entrepreneurial Success

4. The Digital Bank Hype, MFS Lessons, and The Dilemma Of Traditional Banks 

Traditional banks in Bangladesh failed to build a dominant mobile financial service (MFS) despite enjoying a favorable regulatory environment. If they follow a similar playbook, they will also fail in the digital banking race. 

Complement with: Our excellent essay The Real Challenge of Bank-led MFS Players, Innovator's Dilemma, and Corporate Innovation examining the sorry state of the bank-led MFS players.