Speed-dating & World Café Method Experience.
I had never thought that dating could be used in startups and business projects! Well I guess we learn as we grow …!
Last week in my Ad Discovery and Creativity class I had the opportunity to experience what is called Speed-dating & World café as Design Methods. What actually happened is that at the beginning of the process I had a chat with one of my peers from a different team . At first she explained in a few words what her startup idea is about and I had the chance to ask her two questions and offer her an honest advice for her idea. Then it was my turn to introduce her my startup idea and she asked me two questions so that she could get a better understanding of my startup vision. During our conversation two members of my team were observing the whole procedure and at the end of the talk they gave us a feedback . What’s more , when this finished I had the chance to flip roles with one of the observers and we moved to a different table so that we could experience the speed dating with other members of other teams. This time I had to observe and give a feedback at the end of the pitching process. What’s surprising is that in such a short time I had the chance to move around changing tables in order to pitch, ask questions, observe as well as give an honest feedback to my peers.
Before I continue I would like to allow you to take a close look to our startup idea. My team is called ReFab and is consisted of five members. Our aim is to contribute to recycling and reuse of all types of fabrics here in Greece. We are willing to cooperate with designers ,tailors ,clothing brands, cutting rooms , customers , students and any businesses that involve textiles .We have already came into contact with our target groups and we have understood what we should focus on according to their needs. In other words, we have interviewed them and introduced to them our vision. For more visit our site https://refab.weebly.com/
When it comes to the fast-dating pitching with other peers I must admit that it was an interesting experience. Like I mentioned before when I heard the word ‘DATING’ I had no idea what to expect . The fact that I only had a few minutes to explain to a member my whole vision was extremely challenging . At the same time having to answer to questions about my startup idea in such a limited time was hard as well. Clearly , it was a new experience for me and my team during which we acquired and learned a lot.
To begin with, during this procedure I understood the importance of being comprehensive when trying to explain my startup idea. What I mean is that in a few minutes I had to allow my interlocutor to get a better understanding of my vision. At the same time speed dating gave me the chance to meet and chat with new people who have new innovative ideas.
Furthermore I also had to answer and ask questions . When answering questions I realized that I always have to be prepared and well informed about my startup idea. This means that it was important for me to focus on what my peer was asking and explain them in detail so that all their doubts and questions were answered. Since I also had to ask questions for other startup ideas I learnt the importance of being a good listener . I made a great effort to retain focus and give my best feedback to my peers so that I could help them with their startup companies.
Being an observer enabled me to take a step back and listen . This way I explained my peers what I noticed that they probably did not due to the fact that they were talking throughout the procedure . It is also undeniable that observing well creates better lessons for us to embrace.
Last but not least , during the Speed-dating & World Café methods me and my team learned a lot about our startup idea. Peers from other teams expressed some doubts as well as suggestions for our future company. They urged us to work with students who are interested in fabrics and fashion industries and they insisted that we be careful when deciding on our future collaborators . They also mentioned the problem of child labor and the issue of setting prices. Overall , all of our peers expressed their interest to use our website because they acknowledged that our idea is interesting and environmentally friendly.
