/JOURNAL

Notes from
the studio.

On payments, engineering, design, and building for Uganda’s internet.

/01 · 2026-04-12/PAYMENTS /UX

Why your Ugandan business shouldn't use a US-built checkout.

US-built checkouts assume postcodes, Stripe, and credit cards. Uganda has none of those as defaults. Here's what breaks and how to build around it.

6 min readREAD →

2026-03-28/ENGINEERING /PAYMENTS

How to integrate MTN Mobile Money into a Next.js site.

A practical walkthrough of the MTN MoMo API, from sandbox setup to production webhook handling. With real code.

2026-03-14/ENGINEERING /CMS

The case against WordPress for Ugandan SMEs in 2026.

WordPress still powers 40% of the web. It shouldn't power your business. The maintenance burden, the security surface, and the performance ceiling — all of it.

2026-02-20/WHATSAPP /OPERATIONS

What WhatsApp Business API can actually do for your business.

Not the app. The API. Order notifications, two-way conversations, abandoned cart nudges — run from your phone, at scale.

2026-02-05/UX /DESIGN

Designing for the boda economy: drop-pin addresses and last-mile UX.

Kampala's streets don't have postcodes. Western checkout forms break. Here's how we solve it — and why it matters more than most developers realise.

2026-01-22/PAYMENTS

Pesapal vs DPO: which payment gateway for which Ugandan business?

Both work. Both have quirks. The answer depends on your volume, your customers, and whether you need MoMo.

2026-01-08/GEO /SEO

How to make your business website show up in ChatGPT recommendations.

GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. Your customers are asking AI assistants for recommendations. Here's the technical and content work that gets you cited.

2025-12-18/DESIGN /STUDIO