The Unfair Advantage Podcast – EP01: Why African Brands Need Product-Led Growth: The Leapfrog Mindset for Growth in Africa

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Unfair Advantage. A 15-minute power session for anyone building, marketing, or scaling brands in South Africa (and beyond). Hosted by Kelvin Jonck (CEO at YOUKNOW Technologies) and Don Packett, this episode unpacks why Africa’s biggest edge isn’t just about access to global tools, it’s about the mindset we bring to the table.

We call it the leapfrog mindset. In this episode, we explore what that means, why it matters, and how local businesses can skip the slow lane and unlock faster, stickier, more meaningful growth.

🧠 Whether you're in product, marketing, data, CX, or just trying to understand the AI-fueled future of digital experience—this one's for you.

👇 What You'll Learn in This Episode

- Why South African businesses are uniquely positioned to leap ahead. 

- What “sticky” products mean (and why they beat big budgets). 

- How to build a product-led growth culture without needing a Silicon Valley war chest. 

- The link between experience, loyalty, and your brand’s unfair advantage.

- We Why breaking KPI and data silos is critical for scale.

- How AI and digital tools can help, but the mindset must lead.

⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: What is The Unfair Advantage?

00:27 – Why we created this podcast (and why it’s 15 minutes max)

01:05 – Helping SA businesses grow with global tools + local insight

01:53 – What is the leapfrog mindset?

02:29 – Learning from global trends without playing catch-up

03:06 – When is the right time to adopt new tech?

03:51 – Why African markets are perfectly positioned for leapfrogging

04:05 – Product-led growth vs. traditional marketing

13:11 – The power of sticky products and user experience

14:05 – How to reduce churn by building lovable products

15:36 – It’s not about tech—it’s about experience

16:26 – Applying PLG thinking across industries

17:20 – Breaking down KPI and data silos

18:29 – The moment of value: defining your North Star

18:52 – Wrapping up: What’s next?

🔗 Subscribe for More

This is just the beginning. Each episode, we bring local experience, global thinking, and real stories to help you grow your product, your business, and your unfair advantage.

📌 Follow YOUKNOW Technologies on Insta @youknow_technologies → https://ow.ly/eanp50Waztu

📣 About the Hosts

Kelvin Jonck is the CEO of YOUKNOW Technologies, a Martech consultancy helping African brands unlock growth through smarter data, customer engagement strategies, and tech like Amplitude, Braze, and OneSignal.

Don Packett is a strategist, speaker, and creative thinker focused on simplifying the complex and getting people excited about growth.

🎧 Give it a listen, and don’t forget to hit like, subscribe, and share with a teammate who needs a little unfair advantage.

#UnfairAdvantagePodcast #LeapfrogMindset #ProductLedGrowth #MartechAfrica #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #AIinMarketing #AfricaTech #GrowthStrategy #SouthAfricaBusiness #YouKnowHow