Why Sell Tacos in Africa?: 16 life-changing business strategies you can use anywhere, from the man who turned $400 into $200 million

by Paul Oberschneider

What is a self-made man or woman? Ever thought about it? Success is not a straight-line deal. There is no A-to-Z path, and there are no magic beans that will carry you upward overnight. Have you ever wondered how to start, scale up, build teams, and flourish in an uncontested market? I can tell you. I did it.

In 1992, I landed in Estonia with $400 in my pocket. There, I discovered a truth that changed my life and the way I conducted business: You can make a lot of money as an entrepreneur by moving decisively in blue-sky markets - markets where you face very little competition and the tide can carry you to riches.

Over the next decade and a half, I built a portfolio of businesses worth $200 million. Now, I want to share the paths that led me to success, passing on my knowledge to you. In Why Sell Tacos in Africa? I explain sixteen principles that allowed me to drive such tremendous growth. May you, too, find a blue-market and watch your business soar.

Genres: Entrepreneurship, Business, Africa

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2016

About the author

I'm a private equity real estate investor with over 30 years’ experience in real estate development, financing and start-ups. From 1992-2010; I created several large scale real estate related businesses across Central and Eastern Europe and was one of the largest commercial retail developers. Today I run a company that provides capital to real estate development. Fast Track is about some of the processes we tool along the way, with great insights from other leading entrepreneurs.

Reviews

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ma olin hinnangu andmisel kahevahel. Ühest küljest oli raamat kiire lugemine (lugesin seda lindil käimise ajal mõne tunniga) ja tuttavlikud ideed, mis justkui uut ei pakkunud, kuid samas loksusid mõned asjad ka paika.

Mõtted, mille kaasa võtan ja inspiratsiooni sain, on järgmised:

1) Inimesed kiinduvad oma ärisse, hoiavad sellest kinni ja matavad jätkuvalt head raha halva idee alla. (Lojaalsus oma "investeeringusse", k.a halba, ei kahjusta inimest mitte ainult äris, vaid ka suhetes).

2) Õppisin mõiste "pilvitu taevaga turg", mis ei tähenda süllekukkunud õnne, vaid seda, et suurim edu võib peituda turus, mida konkurendid veel avastanud pole.

3) Hävingule määratud ettevõtlust ei päästa järjekordne rahasüst. Mida varem tegelikkusega lepid, seda odavam on kaotus.

[Kwang Wei Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought the book off Amazon because i found the introduction to be interesting and wanted to find out more.

Book is brief and can be finished in a seating.
Author covers many key ideas of entrepreneurship that can be appreciated if one has relevant knowledge or experience but can be a bit hard to connect the dots for inexperience people.

Overall an interesting read with key concepts of a business having a greater chance of success by targeting blue-sky market.

[Pedro Henriques · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading/listening.
Feels like an entrepreneur self-help book that states mostly trivialities.
Interesting thoughts on keeping most of the equity and advocating a solo entrepreneur perspective, somewhat a contrarian view to most startups nowadays.
Also, a key (possibly obvious but overlooked) takeaway is hiring for motivation and grit.

[Tamara Sa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that makes you realize that the world is your oyster, and that when you start small and take diligent steps towards your entrepreneurial goal, with the right people in tow, it can lead you to unexplored heights and opportunities. Great read and very inspiring with plenty of teachable moments.

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lacking substance, a business book for teenagers not for anyone seriously considering building a business.

[Ms. ArdentCap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight-forward advice

No-nonsense advice for anyone wanting to follow his or her own path in the world of entrepreneurship. Great read!! Highly recommended.

[Elliott Palous · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've got common sense the book will come as no surprise but non the less a great way to start confirming ones hypothesis on venturing out to uncharted land

[Marek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good business tips from a man who came to Estonia with no money and he had just a motivation to do something.
I think every business owner should read this book and follow these tiny steps which lead to bigger success.

[Nex Juice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important information. I didn't need to read the entire (tiny) book - the last chapter or 2 summed it up pretty well. Look for blue sky markets and avoid hot markets. Right now a hot market would be social media marketing and a blue sky market would be tacos in Africa. lol!

[David Kau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read! Will read again soon and buy for friends / business partners as a gift.

Great for South African Entrepreneurs that are still scared of taking their businesses into Africa. Goes well with '101 Ways To Make Money In Africa'.

[Logan WJ Jory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this probably 8-10 years ago but still remember the lessons from it. Incredible story!