Field notes for founders on pitch decks, fundraising and building brands out of South Africa.https://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.zaen-zahttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/kyknet-prontuithttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/kyknet-prontuitOn kykNET's Prontuit I took the sober-curious question. The honest answer: 92% of people buying alcohol-free drinks still drink, and that's the business.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTInterviewhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/not-a-developerhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/not-a-developerWhat I actually use Claude for as an operator: 32 club storefronts, a WhatsApp agent for Sold Direct, and Excel feasibility models that took a finance team.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTField Noteshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/the-pitch-deck-that-raisedhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/the-pitch-deck-that-raisedWhat I learned building the deck that brought ZX Ventures and RMB into The Duchess, and the three slides I'd remove today.Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTPlaybookhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/founders-fatigue-the-versionhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/founders-fatigue-the-versionFounder burnout doesn't look like burnout. It looks like working harder, spending more and becoming the bottleneck. Three tells, from being it twice.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTField Noteshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/cape-town-to-americahttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/cape-town-to-americaDOPE Drinks went DTC into 42 US states and retail in 7 from a standing start. What translated, what didn't, and the three things I'd do differently.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTPlaybookhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/brannas-kwvhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/brannas-kwvHow a five-person South African brandy startup landed a partnership with KWV, a 100-year-old institution, and why distribution by association works.Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTField Noteshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/million-bottleshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/million-bottlesHow The Duchess sold a million units in its first year on South African shelves: the golden trolley, the LinkedIn stalking and the pre-launch playbook.Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTPlaybookhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/bevnet-new-yorkhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/bevnet-new-yorkRepresenting DOPE Drinks at BevNET Live New York — the rise of micro-dosed cannabis beverages and what the room told us about the next phase of the category.Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTField Noteshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/summit-at-seahttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/summit-at-sea1,000 founders and investors on a ship out of Miami: Branson, Diplo, and the trip that secured the DOPE Drinks funding round.Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTField Noteshttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/airbnb-academy-ujhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/airbnb-academy-ujA workshop at the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy at UJ on building a pitch deck that raises money, drawn from the deck I used for The Duchess.Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTLecturehttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/pranary-firesidehttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/pranary-firesideA fireside with Sandras Phiri, CEO of Pranary, on building The Duchess: manufacturing, fundraising and growing a beverage brand out of South Africa.Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTInterviewhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/the-money-showhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/the-money-showOn The Money Show with Bruce Whitfield, talking about The Duchess: what it took to build the world's first non-alcoholic G&T, and where the category went.Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMTInterviewhttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/how-we-made-it-in-africahttps://www.entrepreneurcoach.co.za/journal/how-we-made-it-in-africaHow We Made It in Africa profiled The Duchess: the brand building, the distribution hustle and the climb from 1 million bottles in year one to 8 million.Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMTArticle