From Colombia, to Wageningen, to Leeuwarden. Fib Air has already traveled half the globe. Oscar, Sebastian en Julian are three guys from Colombia, who met as students in Wageningen, and are now developing a businessmodel for a concept that is really, really technical. But basically, what they are trying to create is a more sustainable way to save energy, for instance with air compression.
So you think that their idea sounds kinda challenging? That's because it is. In a two day during bootcamp, they have to develop a business model and think of a market for their product. The first day is all about their life goals, what they want to achieve with this business, and what their market will be. Hard work, even more difficult for people who normally have a technical and scientific approach, to start thinking with words like probably and maybe. They are more likely to go with words like sure and proven.
Day 2
Oscar, Sebastian and Julien are really busy. A slide with some revenue-estimations is showing on their laptop. They are working hard to try and fit all their information into one little presentation. The time's almost up, and they only just started working on how to present their ideas. The rest of the time they worked on the models on which their product is based.
Their focus is different from the others, and it shows in their presentation. While others have smooth slides with logo’s and design all figured out, their slides contain information about their product. "We are technical guys. We don’t think about how things should look. Not yet," Oscar explains. “We really just want the product to be totally ready. We focus on the calculations, the technical stuff. Later, a design and logo will come, but first we really want the product to be good." "This week we will make a model. But no prototype, just something to show to people. Not a a real prototype, though, that would be way to expensive. Material alone will cost over 50.000 euros. We need to know for sure that what we are building will succeed. So, we need to really focus on our product and our calculations.”
We focus on calculations, the technical stuff.
Day 3 and 4
Aaaand, they're gone. After two days in the bootcamp, they decided to have one day at home. The bootcamp was long, hard work, and pretty intense. A day at home, with coffee within reach, and no construction workers and noise, was something they needed. They had to recharge for a bit, before getting back in the game. At home for one day, thinking up ideas for the model they want to build, make some more calculations and think of all the technical stuff.
The next day they work a little bit more at home at first, and then leave for the festival area again. This evening they want to think up more ideas about the prototype, and what it should look like. They also will take the time to get input from others at DORP.
Day 5
At least, that was the plan. But on the morning of the fifth day, when DORP starts, the FibAir Tech team is still missing. And they don't arrive later that day. In DORP, you don't just do not show up. In the evening, the send an e-mail with information about their absence. It seems that a couple of days brainstorming learned them that there's a great amount of work to be done before they can really build something in a few days.
Well, in the process of innovation, sometimes it's also possible that you discover that you're not ready yet. The boys of FibAir will be back. Maybe next year, their product will be more ready.
This post will be updated daily, for the duration of DORP.
Story by Annemarie Lindeboom
