Find a unique niche, develop a concept and prepare an ideal presentation of the business project for investors
The rapid growth of joint consumption and on-demand services changes the way of life and sets new business trends. A few years ago people have already jumped into Uber and moved to apartments on Airbnb instead of the hotels. Now they use carsharing (BelkaCar, DeliMobile) and delivery services (Instacart), they get in a masseur (Zeel), a doctor (Heal) or even a lawyer (Axiom), even a private flight (BlackJet) may be ordered as easily as flowers (Bloom That) or diapers for a child (Pamka). But how to find your niche among such a diversity — how to come up with a unique service that will change users’ lives quality? How to expand a concept and start own business, even without any experience in a desired field? How to present an idea effectively and to sell it to investors?
Jeff Wilson was not an economist, a designer or an architect, but he held an experiment, found an innovative niche, assembled a multidisciplinary team and conceptualised a dream modular living space named Kasita. The manufacturing company has raised more than $1.5 million of investments and concluded more than 200 deals even before the start of production. Kasita was recently named one of the 25 most innovative and breakthrough companies of 2017 according to the Inc. Magazine. Delivery of the first boxes in December 2017 was announced by Business Insider, Forbes told the story of the company, CNN reported about the increased interest in modular houses and called the Kasita houses the most technological offer.
Jeff Wilson will hold the workshop with his colleague — author, artist and narrative strategist Clara Bensen. She uses her background in storytelling and visual design to help startups and institutions effectively communicate their ideas with the key stakeholders. Together they will teach attendees how to recognise and use the leading edge trends in the on-demand and as-a-service landscape, how to identify the demanded idea, develop the business project and earnestly pitch your on-demand service to get funding.
During two days participants will work in few small groups, including united managers and entrepreneurs with designers, developers, and architects. Together they:
Will come up with their on-demand service — from identifying a viable project, to developing it into business-case.
Will prepare a deck with the key elements for pitching any idea (to investors, managers, the public, etc.) and practice public storytelling skills.
Will join the interactive discussions and with successful on-demand company CEOs of one of the best sharing economy companies.
During the workshop participants will learn:
Comprehensive understanding of on-demand and as-a-service global trends and economic forces.
A framework for identifying gaps in an emerging market space.
The key elements of a globally viral innovation.
At the and participants will get:
A group project of a real brand new on-demand service.
An ‘Idea Pitch Deck” and presentation of the next big on-demand ideas to sweep the globe (a Keynote deck — 1 per group).
We invite two categories of participants. Managers and entrepreneurs interested in a service economy and aspired to create on-demand service that will change the world:
Startup entrepreneurs/co-founders (or those aspiring to be).
Executives/managers in established industries.
Economists interested in shifts in sharing economy.
Designers, engineers, architects that are aspired to find a team to come up with the project according to their ideas that will change the world:
Product/industrial designers.
Software engineers/native app developers.
Architects with projects in shared spaces/urban utilisation.
After earning a PhD and becoming a professor of ecology, Wilson equipped for living an old trash container and spent a whole year there, receiving the moniker ‘Professor Dumpster’. Small living led Wilson to reimagine what a comfortable home could (and could not) be, after what he found out his idea and developed a new business. Kasita became a fundamentally new market offer: ‘housing-as-a-service’ — a new way to think, live, build and evolve. Clara Bensen is an author of memoir ‘No Baggage’ features an unusual travel experiment which has been translated into 12 languages and optioned for a feature film by New Line Cinema.
The workshop will be held in English, a spoken English is mandatory. Applications are accepted until July 4th. The number of participants is limited. The selection takes place on the competitive basis. The Institute producer will contact each approved candidate during three days after receiving of applications would be closed. Any questions — kutina@strelkainstitute.com.
Programme:
Phase I: Understand and Analyse
Understanding of essential characteristics of experiments in sharing economy.
Identifying key problems with ownership of space and stuff.
Skypes with CEOs: When Everything Is Shared: Marco Trends and Case Studies in the Future of Living. Sharing of cars, homes, and clothes.
Phase II: Ideate & Experiment
Inventory and scorecard of daily interactions with staff and space.
Ten steps to successfully organise and pitch your big idea.
Sample pitch by Dr Wilson: housing as a service.
Phase III: Analyze & Create
Technology tools and models for scaling an idea towards a platform.
Will it stick? Sizing the market and gauging interest in ‘anything-as-a-service’.
Review and revision of pitch decks and practice.
Phase IV: Pitch & Evaluation
Group pitches. Evaluation. Feedback.