Dear Reader
I hope you had a restful break and are back full of vigour. January is usually a time of reset and goal-setting for many people, and it is possible you are no different. Personally, for me, this year is mainly about two things:
1. Cutting: So that I can grow vertically instead of horizontally.
2. Bridging the Gap: Focusing on the space between “knowing” and “doing.”
Let me explain the first one, as it is a lesson I learned the hard way.
The Trap of “More”
Last year, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity that came my way. At age 40+, I was in—and yet not completely out of—that phase of life where I felt like I had let time and several opportunities pass me by. I felt I was running out of time to become the person that my 20-year-old self had dreamt of becoming. So, I pushed myself and took up so many things.
In addition to leading HWS Technologies and serving as the CFO & COO of Hapa Space, I started a tree farm, co-founded a piggery, began developing three mobile apps, and took on an intensive online course in Business Administration. I don’t have to tell you how draining and stressful 2025 was for me, trying to manage all these alongside being a Jehovah’s Witness, a husband, and a father to twin toddlers.
During my reflections at the end of the year, I told myself, “Albert, you cannot go on like this.” Then I remembered this quote from Steve Jobs: “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” Yes, sometimes the way forward is not about adding, but about cutting. It does not mean that the things you are cutting are bad or not worthwhile; it is about accepting that we have limitations in our capacity, resources, and time.
Vertical vs. Horizontal Growth
So my dear reader, as you make plans for 2026, don’t just focus on what you can add to improve your situation. Give thought to what you can cut, what you can prune, and what you can discard. We need to make ourselves lighter to have fewer distractions. This enables us to focus on the few things that are truly necessary.
This is what I call Vertical Growth—the ability to focus on one thing and amplify its impact and result. This is far superior to Horizontal Growth, where adding too many things leads to a dilution of effort, time, and resources.
Why Cutting is Hard
Cutting is difficult. There are two apps I am still struggling to let go of, I know I should, but I have not been able to so far. Cutting is hard, especially when you have already invested a lot of money, time, and effort into something. This is called the “Sunk Cost Fallacy” (Google it!), and it is often paired with the “Endowment Effect,” which means I am emotionally overvaluing the things I have simply because I own them.
It takes a lot of courage to cut, as it sometimes feels like killing one of your own beloved children. But to grow vertically, we must prune. Jesus Christ, in a conversation with Martha, put it this way: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and disturbed about many things. A few things, though, are needed, or just one.” Indeed, sometimes, just one or a few things are all we need to focus our energies on.
Your Turn
I would like to hear from you What is one thing you need the courage to cut this year to make yourself lighter and give yourself more time? What could be holding you back from cutting? (You might find this list of 11 things that hold us back quite useful).
Opportunity Corner
As part of my goal to bring value to you this year, I will be sharing relevant opportunities in this section. If you are a 3+ year-old startup in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Child Protection, Education, Healthcare, Climate Resilience, Financial Inclusion, or Urban Technology, I strongly encourage you to apply for the UNICEF Startup Lab.
It comes with $6,000 in prototyping funding and $15,000 in scale-up funding. You can apply using this link:https://tinyurl.com/hapaspacelink
My Writing Desk
I have started writing my next book, The Golden Return. Rather than waiting to publish the whole book, I am posting a page each day online. You can follow the story of Kwesi Dankwa as he navigates office politics, ambition, romance, and betrayal on my Blog, WhatsApp Channel, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
Next Newsletter
In my next newsletter, I will touch on my second goal for 2026: focusing on the gap between “knowing” and “doing.”
