Jul 7, 2025
Building Digital Tools in Low-Bandwidth, High-Trust Environments
From the field: Notes on modernizing public operations

Alexis Maison
Founder
One of the biggest misconceptions in public-sector digitization is this:
“If it works in Nairobi, it will work everywhere.”
It won’t.
We’ve built tools for teams operating without stable internet, without regular power, and often without formal training — but with deep local trust and strong informal coordination.
In these environments, success isn’t about flashy dashboards.
It’s about resilience and respect.
Here’s what that means for us:
The tool mimics the familiar structure of existing processes
It minimizes clicks, loading, and logins
It can be explained in under five minutes
It makes teams look better in the eyes of the people they serve
OSP90 wasn’t built for urban pilot zones.
It was built for real operations: clinics with one laptop and a surge protector. Agencies where WhatsApp is the only real-time tool. Offices where the head of department is also the system admin — unofficially.
When we say we work with reality, this is what we mean.
Real infrastructure isn’t always technical.
Sometimes, it’s trust, routine, and lived adaptation.
And that’s where we start.