Beyond the Case
A podcast where global leaders from the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management (OPM) community join in a personal capacity and share the real decisions, failures, and mental models behind building enduring companies.
This podcast is independent and not affiliated with Harvard Business School.
Beyond the Case
The Quiet Math of a Meaningful Life and Its North Star - Rajan Shah
If you had to write your obituary today, what would you want it to say - how many lives you lifted, or how perfectly you avoided failure? Rajan Shah’s story argues that the legacy worth leaving demands risk, learning, and the courage to fail early because resilience, impact, and integrity are built in the messy middle, not in a spotless record.
Rajan Shah, founder and CEO of Capwell Industries in Kenya, shares a three-decade journey building a food manufacturing business rooted in staples (maize, wheat, rice, pulses) and evolving into higher-value foods (baked goods, beverages, ready-to-eat meals) while expanding across East Africa.
He challenges the dominant “Africa is too hard” narrative: yes, there are real friction points like cost and corruption, but the opportunity is massive, driven by a young, growing population and a regional hub effect. Inside Capwell, innovation is treated as a core value and is paired with global benchmarking for quality rather than local comparisons. Rajan’s leadership compass centers on integrity (win-win relationships) and agility (fast, non-bureaucratic decisions). He frames resilience through lessons from COVID-era supply shocks, drought cycles, and climate change pushing the need to onshore supply and work more deeply with farmers.
His “North Star” is purpose with lasting human impact: the real measure isn’t wealth, but lives touched. For young entrepreneurs, his advice is direct: take your shot, don’t fear failure, fail early to become stronger, and find mentors to keep you learning without quitting.
Here are the Top 10 Takeaways from the conversation:
- Lead with obituary-thinking: measure success by human impact that outlasts you, not by money or titles.
- Embrace failure as training: failing early builds resilience and increases odds of long-term success.
- Africa isn’t just risk, it’s scale: East Africa’s youth bulge and growth make it deeply investable, despite challenges.
- Innovation can be a discipline: embed it as organizational DNA (process, product, packaging), not as occasional bursts.
- Quality improves when you benchmark globally: don’t compare to local competitors. Aim for world standards.
- Integrity is a business strategy: win-win relationships across suppliers, customers, and government create sustainability.
- Agility beats bureaucracy: founders win by deciding fast and keeping teams lean and empowered.
- Resilience is local supply: COVID and shipping shocks highlight the need to reduce import dependence and strengthen local farming.
- Climate cycles are predictable—plan for them: drought and climate pressure aren’t surprises; build systems assuming disruption.
- Purpose makes hard decisions easier: a clear “why” (nutrition, farmers’ livelihoods, convenience) becomes the filter for strategy, partnerships, and growth.
