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Start Today - Design Sprint
Day 5 - The Game Winning Shot
15 de June de 2021
“I've missed more than 9.000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. That’s why I’ve succeeded” — Michael Jordan.
There’s something that those who have achieved success in life or in business have in common. They don’t regret having made mistakes or having failed. In fact, they see it as a fundamental part of the path that has taken them to where they are now.
Fleming discovered penicillin after failing in his experiment and throwing it all away, Coca-Cola was supposed to be a headache syrup before turning into the world’s favourite carbonated drink and Michael Jordan failed 26 game winning shots before scoring “The Last Shot”, 5 seconds before the end of the match, to win his last ring and then retiring.
The road taken by the Design Sprint participants —with its tests and mistakes, with its changes, prototypes and ideas in the paper bin— has brought them to Day 5 in the best of shapes.
This day can be summed up into 4 stages:
1 - Shot Practice: God is in the Details
Approximately, 12.500 hours of training were hiding behind Jordan’s success during his professional career. Physical training, tactical group sessions, individual skills development and shots in solitude, late at night, thinking about what he could improve and seeking to correct mistakes in his technique in order to become the best basketball player of all times.
Something similar happens on the last day of the creative process of the Design Sprint. The previous days were aimed at carrying out an in-depth exploration of the detected problems. After that, a prototype was created — one with which people could interact and from which information could be collected. This day focused on drawing every conclusion that could come out of the creation processes and out of the trial/error stage in order to make corrections.
2 - The Power of Words: Pitch Day
Michael was a natural born competitor. He transmitted that quality and his eagerness to everyone around him. It’s something that leaders have — that ability to persuade the person they’re addressing with each word they speak and every gesture they make.
Just like Leonardo Di Caprio selling penny stocks in “The Wolf of Wall Street”, as they get ready to present their videos in front of EAE’s jury, Design Sprint participants must use their skills and influence to convince the jury that they have the best idea. Having a bright idea is as important as knowing how to sell it. For this, it’s important to show how the idea addresses the problems presented through the “How Might We?”. Then, we must present the projection that will show how we’ll fulfil the vision. And, finally, we must show how the “Can We?” obstacles presented in the previous days have been overcome. Our young ones have an advantage: their prototypes have been validated by users. This information will come in handy to show their clients that their product will be a success.
3 - The Team: Creating a Business Model.
“Either we heal now as a team or we will die as individuals”. Admittedly, the best quote from one of the most famous motivational speeches in the history of cinema. In “Any Given Sunday”, Al Pacino made his players understand the importance of forming a team when trying to reach a goal. It’s Day 5, we’ve already come up with a brilliant idea and a prototype. But, now, we must focus on the group. The challenge, in this stage, consists in creating a sustainable business model and establishing its long and short term needs.
4 - Match Day: It’s Our Shot
One point below on the marker; one point that will define the outcome of a tournament and of a trajectory. The ball falls on Micheal’s hands. The seats are mere spectators for the standing crowd. This could be the last time we see the legend in the court and no one wants to miss it. He bounces the ball for a while. Then a quick short run and a sudden stop. A defender falls to the ground. Absolute silence. “I train as if I were playing so that, when that moment comes, I won’t need to think”. This is the reason why, with only 5 seconds on the clock, Michael Jordan didn’t get nervous and didn’t doubt. The work had been done. Just like in the Design Sprint process.
All of our young ones’ effort will all be reflected in EAE’s Entrepreneur’s Pyramid Semi Demo. For this, 10 teams with 15 participants will be selected to take part in the incubator processes for three months, in which they will receive full guidance to fully develop their idea and to turn their business model into a reality.
“The whole experience is proving to be very enriching. Each stage of the process, while challenging, has made it possible for us to see the next step clearly and move forwards with our projects” — Daniel Tomassini, student of the Máster en Análisis Económico del Derecho y Gestión Pública, seems to be enjoying his experience at EAE’s Design Sprint!
A first step to draw conclusions from the information gathered from the user interaction with the prototype and to adjust some final details. A second step to prepare the videos and try to convince the jury that our ideas will be a success. A third step to focus on the group and on the business model. And a fourth step to decide if our shot will be a game winning shot.
Article wrote in collaboration with
Santiago Tobón Tobón - EAE Entrepreneur
Daniel Tomassini - Máster en Análisis Económico del Derecho