Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

Before start studying about design thinking and it’s tools like storytelling, for example, I used to  like this type of approach technique even without know what it really was. I am mechanical  engineering student and also a very enthusiastic of entrepreneurship, especially in refrigeration  area, since I have been experienced 3 years of my graduation program as a scholarship student  in the largest cooling lab of Latin America. Putting those things – mechanical engineering,  entrepreneurship and refrigeration – together and adding it with my desire and appreciation for  beer, I’ve came up with a startup idea. Actually, I’m developing a product which already exists,  but it’s potential is not well explored in Brazil in reason that we are used (accommodated) with  another way of cooling beer. In other countries the product that I intend to start a business is  called “Kegerator”, which is the mix of word “Keg” and “refrigerator”. In my country the similar  product is known by “chopeira” and has lots of disadvantages, such as high energy consumption,  poor mobility and design, but mainly, unsteady quality and waste of beer problems due to the  foam formation. Despite of that, consumers still use chopeira instead of kegerator since there are  no good manufactures of kegerators here in Brazil. So, my challenge is related to build a proper  product in matter of sizing the refrigeration system, but most important I need to develop a  business strategy that make people think about the good consumer experience after drink beer  cooled by a kegerator.

Application

Once at a business meeting about my startup project of a kegerator factory, I unconsciously used  storytelling tool in order to simplify my pitch. I was in front of 3 business man and the meeting was  happening on Friday around 6 pm. Everybody, including myself, was tired and very excited to go  out and have a beer pint in one of the pubs near the company building. At that point I was feeling  anxious and decided to came up with the storytelling way to bring their attention. I started  mentioning about that situation and ask them to imagine, if once they arrive in one of those pubs  and order a beer how bad would be if that beer came warm and not tasting well. They laughed  and starting paying attention to my pitch. Then I continue and told them that it could occur in  reason of many factors, especially because of the cooling technology used by chopeira in those  pubs.

Insight & Approach

After that I was able to explain about the whole project including “bother” things such as the  refrigeration system, design of the product business strategy and so on. Remember such story  made me feel encouraged to invest time to improve my storytelling skills, because I had the insight  that people stay open to listen new ideas when you try to be empathic with their situation. And  the obvious point is that people are costumers, which means that storytelling is the appropriate  approach when dealing business pitch, mainly.

I would like to share that at this moment my company project is taking place in Brazil and my only  regret is to not be aware of those design thinking techniques before. As Maria said the whole  course, we all have it inside us, we just not use it consciously before we know it is a tool.

