Comments for Rising Pyramid http://risingpyramid.org Mon, 14 May 2012 15:39:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Microfinance Monday: Can technology help trim MFI costs? by A humbling second chance for SKS | Rising Pyramid http://risingpyramid.org/2012/04/30/microfinance-monday-can-technology-help-trim-mfi-costs/#comment-43031 A humbling second chance for SKS | Rising Pyramid Mon, 14 May 2012 15:39:45 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3432#comment-43031 [...] that notwithstanding, it is clear that there needs to be a rethinking of the growth strategy. Can technology help, moving forward? Is slower expansion the [...] [...] that notwithstanding, it is clear that there needs to be a rethinking of the growth strategy. Can technology help, moving forward? Is slower expansion the [...]

]]> Comment on Sunday Morning Coffee: Persistence by Edd's Stories http://risingpyramid.org/2012/04/22/sunday-morning-coffee-persistence/#comment-41543 Edd's Stories Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:51:09 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3402#comment-41543 So true, our base skills are poop and eat. If you want to achieve you must work for it. So true, our base skills are poop and eat. If you want to achieve you must work for it.

]]> Comment on Sunday Morning Coffee: Persistence by Don’t just blend in | Rising Pyramid http://risingpyramid.org/2012/04/22/sunday-morning-coffee-persistence/#comment-40751 Don’t just blend in | Rising Pyramid Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:46:04 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3402#comment-40751 [...] discussed the concept of persistence in yesterday’s Sunday Morning Coffee, and it rings true for deciding to speak up. Sure, every idea or piece of feedback you offer will [...] [...] discussed the concept of persistence in yesterday’s Sunday Morning Coffee, and it rings true for deciding to speak up. Sure, every idea or piece of feedback you offer will [...]

]]> Comment on A Rubberband Kind of Year: See You Later Pakistan by A Rubberband Kind of Year: See You Later Pakistan by Bryan Farris | Unique Pakistan http://risingpyramid.org/2011/08/25/a-rubberband-kind-of-year-see-you-later-pakistan/#comment-39542 A Rubberband Kind of Year: See You Later Pakistan by Bryan Farris | Unique Pakistan Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:46:52 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=2658#comment-39542 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> Comment on Microfinance Monday: Full steam ahead…for what? by Christopher Cuellar http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/26/microfinance-monday-full-steam-ahead-for-what/#comment-37430 Christopher Cuellar Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:39:55 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3312#comment-37430 Hi Tom, Thanks for the response! When you live on day by day income, if you take out a loan more than the money you have in your pocket, you're going to over-lever yourself. I think the question is really how badly that should be occurring. When are loans becoming more of a burden than a path to a better life? I applaud your writing, and look forward to your post! - Chris Hi Tom,

Thanks for the response! When you live on day by day income, if you take out a loan more than the money you have in your pocket, you’re going to over-lever yourself. I think the question is really how badly that should be occurring. When are loans becoming more of a burden than a path to a better life? I applaud your writing, and look forward to your post!

- Chris

]]> Comment on Microfinance Monday: Full steam ahead…for what? by Tom Murphy http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/26/microfinance-monday-full-steam-ahead-for-what/#comment-37421 Tom Murphy Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:16:04 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3312#comment-37421 Nice post, Chris. I agree with your concerns. I am working on how to exactly put this into something more substaintial, but in the conversations in India, one of the women discussed the amount of her debt. The number was rather high, but she was meeting the payments ahead of time. What struck me was that her income was based on sugarcane harvests and her milking of cows. It is not hard to imagine how a dry season could affect both the crops and the cows' milk. I too will be writing my review of Roodman's book and agree with your overall assessment of caution towards microfinance. I appreciate the comments and the inclusion. - Tom Nice post, Chris. I agree with your concerns. I am working on how to exactly put this into something more substaintial, but in the conversations in India, one of the women discussed the amount of her debt. The number was rather high, but she was meeting the payments ahead of time. What struck me was that her income was based on sugarcane harvests and her milking of cows. It is not hard to imagine how a dry season could affect both the crops and the cows’ milk.

I too will be writing my review of Roodman’s book and agree with your overall assessment of caution towards microfinance. I appreciate the comments and the inclusion. – Tom

]]> Comment on Why I’m bad at Kiva by Kathryn Ernst http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/22/why-im-bad-at-kiva/#comment-37227 Kathryn Ernst Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:22:11 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3301#comment-37227 Thanks Bryan for broaching this topic - as this has been bugging me for a while. I too have chosen a career in social enterprise, and I have met several recipients of Kiva loans, Kiva employees, and worked with one of Kiva's MFI partners. And yet I currently have $43.75 Kiva credit just sitting there - which Kiva likes to remind me about every month. I appreciate the reminders, but I find that I wait until I have my even $50 available so I can go on and choose two $25 loans at the same time. I think part of the problem is that because it takes so long to get 100% of the loan repaid, and I can only make loans in increments of $25, Kiva drops off my radar in the meantime. Perhaps a better way would be to stagger my loans: increase my total Kiva lending to $100, and make one $25 loan each quarter, so that I have more even repayment and can likewise re-loan more regularly. Maybe this is a small fix that can help change my behavior... Thanks Bryan for broaching this topic – as this has been bugging me for a while. I too have chosen a career in social enterprise, and I have met several recipients of Kiva loans, Kiva employees, and worked with one of Kiva’s MFI partners. And yet I currently have $43.75 Kiva credit just sitting there – which Kiva likes to remind me about every month. I appreciate the reminders, but I find that I wait until I have my even $50 available so I can go on and choose two $25 loans at the same time. I think part of the problem is that because it takes so long to get 100% of the loan repaid, and I can only make loans in increments of $25, Kiva drops off my radar in the meantime.

Perhaps a better way would be to stagger my loans: increase my total Kiva lending to $100, and make one $25 loan each quarter, so that I have more even repayment and can likewise re-loan more regularly. Maybe this is a small fix that can help change my behavior…

]]> Comment on Why I’m bad at Kiva by Bryan Farris http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/22/why-im-bad-at-kiva/#comment-36393 Bryan Farris Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:10:52 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3301#comment-36393 Great thoughts Jess! I'm glad I'm not alone in this problem Great thoughts Jess! I’m glad I’m not alone in this problem

]]> Comment on Why I’m bad at Kiva by Jess Feingold http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/22/why-im-bad-at-kiva/#comment-36201 Jess Feingold Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:11:59 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3301#comment-36201 I went through this just yesterday! 25 bucks back in my account, and I couldn't bring myself to login. Partially because Kiva isn't so iPhone friendly, and partially because being motivated to fund one entrepreneur over another takes a certain amount of vetting. I just didn't have it in me to do it myself. Coding for areas of interest, or ratings like on Yelp might help my user behavior, but could hurt entrepreneurs. Not sure of the solution, but more donor-centric metrics and functionality might help. I went through this just yesterday! 25 bucks back in my account, and I couldn’t bring myself to login. Partially because Kiva isn’t so iPhone friendly, and partially because being motivated to fund one entrepreneur over another takes a certain amount of vetting. I just didn’t have it in me to do it myself.

Coding for areas of interest, or ratings like on Yelp might help my user behavior, but could hurt entrepreneurs. Not sure of the solution, but more donor-centric metrics and functionality might help.

]]> Comment on Why Social Entrepreneurs Should Study Games by Out from social exclusion by playing? « Sharing value(s) http://risingpyramid.org/2012/03/09/why-social-entrepreneurs-should-study-games/#comment-34736 Out from social exclusion by playing? « Sharing value(s) Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:23:08 +0000 http://risingpyramid.org/?p=3247#comment-34736 [...] reminded me of an article which Jari-Pekka Raitamaa (@jraitamaa) tweeted earlier that week of why social entrepreneurs should study games. Bryan Farris says in his article that it’s easy to create new products or services but the [...] [...] reminded me of an article which Jari-Pekka Raitamaa (@jraitamaa) tweeted earlier that week of why social entrepreneurs should study games. Bryan Farris says in his article that it’s easy to create new products or services but the [...]

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