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The Realistic Optimist

Thesis

The startup scene has globalized. This creates new complexities. Building a startup in Indonesia, Nigeria or Venezuela isn't the same as building one in Silicon Valley.

The Realistic Optimist unpacks these new complexities. To do so, it publishes interviews with founders & VCs from around the world.

It was founded by Timothy Motte in 2021.

Who reads it

Paid subscribers include people at Sturgeon Capital, 54Collective, Norrsken22, 500 Global, InDrive Ventures, Razor Capital and Goodwell.

Realistic Optimist articles have been published in TechinAsia, TechCabal and Maddyness.

Buying a subscription

The Realistic Optimist is written exclusively for its paid subscribers. Paid subscribers unlock the entire catalog (80+ pieces) and receive one new piece weekly.

Subscriptions can be purchased either monthly or yearly on the website.

The Realistic Optimist is meant to be consumed as an evergreen resource. A tab you bookmark and return to frequently.

The website is organized by region, but readers can filter by region, country or sector in the search bar (picture below).

Ethical disclosure

The Realistic Optimist has never received remuneration from companies it has covered. It doesn't run ads, either.

Its founder, Timothy Motte, worked on a consulting mission for Digital Africa during the first half of 2024. In September, Tim attended an EU-funded event with Blackbox, for which Blackbox paid for his transportation and housing.