Bangladeshi villagers sharing cell phones helped build what is now
a thriving company with more than $200 million in annual profits.
But what is the lesson for the rest of the world? This is a
question author Nicholas P. Sullivan addresses in his tale of a new
kind of entrepreneur, Iqbal Quadir, the visionary and catalyst
behind the creation of GrameenPhone in Bangladesh.
GrameenPhone--a partnership between Norway's Telenor and
Grameen Bank, co-winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize--defines
a new approach to building business opportunities in the developing
world. You Can Hear Me Now offers a compelling account of
what Sullivan calls the "external combustion engine"--a
combination of forces that is sparking economic growth and lifting
people out of poverty in countries long dominated by aid-dependent
governments. The "engine" comprises three forces: information
technology, imported by native entrepreneurs trained in
the West, backed by foreign investors.
Autorentext
Nicholas P. Sullivan has written widely about technology and
entrepreneurship, as well as international development issues. He
is publisher of the journal Innovations:
Technology/Governance/Globalization (MIT Press), and a partner in
the Global Horizon Fund, a private-equity fund for emerging
markets. This is his second book.
www.youcanhearmenow.com
Zusammenfassung
Bangladeshi villagers sharing cell phones helped build what is now a thriving company with more than $200 million in annual profits. But what is the lesson for the rest of the world? This is a question author Nicholas P. Sullivan addresses in his tale of a new kind of entrepreneur, Iqbal Quadir, the visionary and catalyst behind the creation of GrameenPhone in Bangladesh.
GrameenPhonea partnership between Norway's Telenor and Grameen Bank, co-winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prizedefines a new approach to building business opportunities in the developing world. You Can Hear Me Now offers a compelling account of what Sullivan calls the "external combustion engine"a combination of forces that is sparking economic growth and lifting people out of poverty in countries long dominated by aid-dependent governments. The "engine" comprises three forces: information technology, imported by native entrepreneurs trained in the West, backed by foreign investors.
Inhalt
Preface vii
The Author xv
Introduction: The Three Forces of xvii
External Combustion
Part I: The GrameenPhone Story
1. Connectivity Is Productivity 3
2. Dish-Wallahs of Delhi (and Other 17 Early Models)
3. Cell Phone as Cow: A New Paradigm in Search of Investors
35
4. On the Money Trail in Scandinavia 51
5. Building a Company 71
6. Building a Network 87
Part II: Transformation Through Technology
7. Wildfire at the Bottom of the Pyramid 107
8. Cell Phone as Wallet 125
9. Wealth Creation and Rural Income Opportunities 145
10. Beyond Phones: In Search of a New "Cow" 161
11. Eyeing the Dhaka Stock Exchange 181
Epilogue 199
Notes 203
Resources 215
Index 217