35% of ventures fail because no one needs their product.
Test the waters before diving in.
57% of ventures on a failing course still get re-investment.
Fall in love with the mission not with the first idea!
13 employees worked at Instagram when it was acquired for $1 billion.
No need to go big for big impact.
0 days left until we reach the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree target. 6 years early.
Now is the time for a new approach.
Inspired by over 30 years of innovation and change with renowed brands.
Cutting the Drag
Did you know that 35% of startups fail because people just don't need their product? That's even true of those with Silicon Valley mindset, free of the usual corporate red tape. What a huge waste, and what a drag in sustainable innovation.
With the Venture Sprint we cut the drag. We eliminate ideas that won't sell so you invest in what really matters: Impact. Not every idea is worth the startup journey. If nine out of ten startups fail, a common rule of thumb, you'd better run 10 venture sprints and invest heavily in the one that works.
Crafting the Vision
Sustainability is an essential part of a future-proof value proposition. Not just because this world demands change, but because anything less is a dead end for your investments. Designing for sustainability now creates value. Redesigning for sustainability later creates unpredictable costs.
Unlike traditional design sprints, Venture Sprints are less design-focused, more impact-oriented and dive deep into structured experimentation and testing of ideas. The end result of a venture sprint is not necessarily a prototype. It is a validated or invalidated business idea, in many cases through prototyping. However, the aim is not so much to test feasibility (can we do it?) as to ensure alignment with market needs and desired impact (should we do it?).
At Silicon.Garden, we supercharge sustainable innovation by removing the drag and designing for sustainability from the outset.
Testing the waters
Much has been said about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), but the thing is, in most cases a product is already too big an investment for a new business idea to be tested. Let's talk about Minimum Viable Venture instead. An MVV is nothing more than a bunch of people on a mission that matters. No stable team, no product, no funding, just a mission and a commitment to pursue it.
The Venture Sprint is a great way to test initial ideas against the market. Before we embark on a product development initiative, we want to test the waters, we want to find out if we can actually make the impact we want and generate sufficient returns before we start.
How to get started
Venture Sprints are the quickest way to amplify your innovation potential, boost business agility, and reshape your business models towards more sustainable and outcome-focused practices. Here are four simple ways to get started right away.
30min
Free online teaser, ideal to spark the spirit of Innovation in your team or department.
Online Only
90min
Leadership Teaser to help your team experience the effects of venture sprints. Feel the sparks of change and innovation.
Online, In-Person in selected locations.
3 Days
Learn the techniques we use to run a Venture Sprint and try it out with your team in a real-life example.
In-Person and Online Workshop
3 Weeks
Embark on a Venture Sprint. Unleash entrepreneurial thinking and creativity, while slashing failure rates and costs in a three-week-sprint.
In-Person and Online Sprint
This is going to happen
Objective
Unleash entrepreneurial thinking and creativity for your next big thing, while slashing failure rates and costs.
Participants
Multi-functional team, domain experts with one of our coaches facilitating the process, digital skills as required.
No larger than two pizzas can feed.
Duration
3 weeks of actual sprint work, onboarding and debrief as required.
Cost
One coach for the duration of the sprint, onboarding and debrief on request.
A venture sprint is like working from a time capsule. We want everyone to be fully immersed in a future where our new venture has already found its place. Everyone involved in a venture sprint should to be (almost) free from day-to-day business for the duration of the three week sprint. In a perfect world, we envision workaction in a remote place.
During the sprint, which is highly collaborative in nature, we favour action over discussion and demos over presentations. By rapidly prototyping and testing ideas against our riskiest assumptions, we thrive on customer understanding. We often test with lo-fi and even hi-fi prototypes, but a first test can be as simple as getting someone to listen.
Venture Sprints work both in person and online. The joy of an in-person sprint has to be balanced against our ability to get the right people on board. At the end of the day, building a venture is all about people creating a joyful experience for other people, no matter their location.
Expect a highly immersive, disciplined team and customer experience where we can take a break from the daily grind and focus on creating the future.
What is going to happen
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Onboarding and upskilling for Venture Thinking: Immerse yourself in the ethos of Venture Thinking and Impact Building. Getting to know the tools.
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Deep Dive Exploration: Experience the problem firsthand to gain profound insights into your mission.
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Co-Creation: Collaborate with users and experts to generate ideas grounded in real needs.
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Value Proposition Design: Craft a compelling value proposition that captures both customer value and social impact.
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Business Model Creation: Design a robust business model that aligns revenue streams and anticipated impact.
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Market Fit: Validate hypotheses through rigorous market testing and alignment with objectives.
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User Understanding: Delve into the jobs to be done of your users to ensure your solution resonates.
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Idea Testing: Test your concepts with real users to validate market demand and garner commitment.
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Investor Pitch: Craft a deck to pitch your findings to investors and suggest how to follow up.
Creating a Safe Space
Conducted within a host organization or innovation lab, Venture Sprints provide a secure environment for experimentation, safeguarding both individuals and brands. Think of it as founding a new venture under the protective umbrella of an established entity, where legalities are handled, and risks are mitigated.
Is it the Right Time?
Absolutely. In times of uncertainty, innovation becomes paramount. Research shows that 58% of business leaders prioritize new-business building now more than ever. The environment is ripe for groundbreaking ideas and transformative ventures.
Are We the Right Partners?
As seasoned digital natives, we don't just preach innovation; we live it. Our hands-on experience sets us apart, ensuring that our methodologies are tried, tested, and proven effective. We connect the world of corporate innovation and startups since over a decade, both as coaches and venture builders. Plus, our portfolio of ventures speaks for itself. Take a look at CleanpSocial.com, Brain.fish or EllaEcho.com to get a feeling for what we are up to. Also we have helped numerous corporates to grow their product ecosystem and drive strategic innovation initiatives.
Why Venture Sprints Succeed Where Others Fail
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Rigorous Testing: Venture Sprints ensure that ideas are thoroughly vetted before significant investments are made.
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Flexibility: With a predefined timeframe, Venture Sprints prevent projects from dragging on indefinitely, saving both time and resources.
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Focus on Impact: We prioritize impact-oriented initiatives, aligning purpose with profitability for sustainable growth.
Prerequisites for Success
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Impact Orientation: Venture Sprints thrive in impact-focused environments, where purpose drives innovation.
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Cultural Compatibility: Participants should be open to creativity and collaboration, as Venture Sprints require a willingness to step out of comfort zones.
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Volunteer Engagement: Encourage voluntary participation to ensure enthusiastic involvement, diversity and commitment.
Unlock the full potential of innovation with Venture Sprints—where ideas become ventures, and vision becomes reality.
Time to Get Started
30min
Free online teaser, ideal to spark the spirit of Innovation in your team or department.
Online Only
90min
Leadership Teaser to help your team experience the effects of venture sprints.
Online, In-Person in selected locations.
3 Days
Learn the techniques we use
In-Person and Online Workshop
3 Weeks
Embark on a Venture Sprint.
In-Person and Online Sprint
Let's Have a Chat!
Do you want to try it out or have questions? Drop us a message, or give us a quick call. We're sure we can get this kicked off in no time. Here are the contact details of our sales team.
Michael Laussegger
Chief Enablement Officer
+436763028244
michael.laussegger@silicon.garden
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