Jul 24, 2026 · 39 min · 18 segments
Let’s head to a small town in Kenya that’s become globally famous for helping economists answer some of the biggest questions facing humanity. In Kenya and Nigeria, economics isn’t just theory, it’s…
Robert SmithHost
Tavneet SuriGuestShe sold house paint.
She sold industrial paint.
She sold textured paint.
She sold paint that fills in the cracks in your wall.
The paint company was called Lark Lux Paint, and it was really, really small.
The employee I had was just me.
I was the production manager.
I was the marketer.
I was the delivery person.
I was, uh, everything [laughs] except the security.
That was the whole company, her and a security guard.
And being so small was a problem because customers would try out her paint, and they would say, "This seems great.
I wanna place a big order.
How about I come down to your office, and we'll sign the papers?"
Which is where things would get awkward because she didn't have an office.
And I kept telling them, "No, no, no, you call me whenever you want.
I, I will just be there.
I will be there."
She just had her car, and when clients would see that, they would say, "Mm, I'm sorry," and that's when they would back out.
She needed the office to keep the clients, but she needed the clients to be able to afford the office.
She felt trapped, stuck.
And then one day she was at home listening to a little music.
Music has a way of helping me a lot.
Um, so I had this little radio in my room then that I would alw- always listen to to help me get over my emotions.
She sold house paint.
She sold industrial paint.
She sold textured paint.
She sold paint that fills in the cracks in your wall.
The paint company was called Lark Lux Paint, and it was really, really small.
The employee I had was just me.
I was the production manager.
I was the marketer.
I was the delivery person.
I was, uh, everything [laughs] except the security.
That was the whole company, her and a security guard.
And being so small was a problem because customers would try out her paint, and they would say, "This seems great.
I wanna place a big order.
How about I come down to your office, and we'll sign the papers?"
Which is where things would get awkward because she didn't have an office.
And I kept telling them, "No, no, no, you call me whenever you want.
I, I will just be there.
I will be there."
She just had her car, and when clients would see that, they would say, "Mm, I'm sorry," and that's when they would back out.
She needed the office to keep the clients, but she needed the clients to be able to afford the office.
She felt trapped, stuck.
And then one day she was at home listening to a little music.
Music has a way of helping me a lot.
Um, so I had this little radio in my room then that I would alw- always listen to to help me get over my emotions.
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