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Aparna
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This is such a fascinating and inspiring read!
I’m curious to learn more about the human capital aspect – in Singapore, creating a rigorous education system was an early priority which created homegrown capital. The government has also been very active in sponsoring Singaporeans to study in American / British universities – but brain drain is a constant worry, so they have created strong incentives for those students to come back to work in Singapore. How is Rwanda managing the transition from creating world-class talent at home to retaining them in-country instead of seeking opportunities abroad?
Again with the Singaporean parallel, as the country has created incentives to attract outside investors and talent, there have been some locals-vs-expats tensions. Are there similar issues in Rwanda – especially as it may throw a spotlight on broader income inequality in the region as well as any human rights concerns within the Kagame administration?
I find it very interesting to compare ASOS and Zara — they have such similar business models in terms of delivering fast, on-trend fashion and keeping tight inventory but ASOS, along with its own brand, also seamlessly incorporates products from third-party designers. I wonder if it’s the online-only model that gives them more flexibility to do this, particularly from a margin perspective.
The point about balancing accessibility vs being aspirational is astute — the two things I wonder about are a) do you think having such well-known partners on the site dilutes the ASOS brand? b) as online fashion (both high and low) moves towards more curated models, I wonder how ASOS will fare.