Solving a multifaceted problem of introducing Pyropower in the European market, while at the same devising a long term vision and action plan for the same.
Pyropower is a startup active in the field of sustainability. Pyropower Europe intends to build a biochar based business in the European market. At the same time, the startup wants to envision its stand in the future context. What are the values startup believes in and how it should create those values for its consumers in short and long term?
Accordingly, the problem was divided into 2 phases- 1st is to launch the business in the European market in immediate future and 2nd is to envision future, and design how Pyropower acts in that future, to create a strong brand around values in which Pyropower believes.
The project included envisioning the future and designing interaction of the startup in that future. At the same time, we also wanted a strategy to introduce the business in the ‘present’ time frame.
Entering the market with established competition also asked for a differentiating strategy. So, we decided to combine different methodologies to achieve both goals.
To envision the future, interaction and Pyropower’s role in that future, we used vision in design method, and to design a differentiating strategy for a present time frame, we decided to use the blue ocean strategy.
Vision in design method uses elements such as trends, developments, and principles to create the future world. The process is used to create multiple world views based on the interaction of these principles, trends, and developments. Then we delve into one such future world to design how a company will create value in it. The process is more than capable of providing disruptive results which can define the future direction of the company.
The Blue ocean strategy is a well-known process to identify an uncontested space in a market. Successful use of the blue ocean strategy creates new value for consumers thereby making all competition irrelevant.
To support the methods, we used different tools such as business model canvas, value models, roadmap, interviews etc.
To gather data we conducted desk research as well as conducted interviews with industry professionals. We extracted trends, developments and principles which will drive the future from the information collected through interviews, and desk research. We analysed the startup internally as well to understand the ideology behind founding Pyropower and past projects. We collected and analysed data about biochar systems, to understand technology, market, and competitors.
For a short-term solution, using the ERRC framework of the Blue ocean strategy we devised a cost reduction and differentiation for the biochar market. We identified CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) as our blue ocean. CSAs are communities of farmers and their customers working together to build a sustainable ecosystem of supplying organic produce directly to beneficiaries (members of CSA).
These communities will be able to increase the yield of farms due to biochar, while at the same time reducing and distributing the costs of biochar, thus achieving a blue ocean. After identifying the blue ocean, with the use of design tools such as value modelling and business model canvas, we designed the implementation of biochar systems in CSAs.
To envision the far future, we used trends, principles and developments collected during the research phase. Using these elements and our creativity, we created 9 clusters that show 9 different world views. The interaction of these clusters with each other shows the future behaviour of people. The interaction of 3 clusters with each other showed us an interesting practice of ‘Getting your hands dirty’, the practice of people forming and actively participating in the efforts to build a small eutopian community.
While interviewing the founders of the startup, we realised that Pyropower is a company made for people, which helps people to collectively come together and solve the problems they face. Extending the same beliefs in the future, we took a stand of facilitating the value addition by community members so as to actively help build a ‘eutopian’ community.
Socially aware people should be recognised as a valuable resource; Pyropower facilitates the exchange of it.
By exploring the future we realised that just recognising socially aware people is not sufficient, we believe the exchange of this resource is equally important in small communities which is the future. We designed a digital service concept for Pyropower which allows the exchange of community members between different communities so as to ensure overall development and innovative culture within the communities.
Using value models and business model canvas we visualised the designs. The digital service concept was showcased using Figma. To seamlessly shift between completely different concepts for the near future and far future, we created a strategic roadmap.
As a result, we provided a blue ocean to capture and successfully introduce the biochar systems in the European market, a position and vision for the future to look forward to, to bind the startup together and guide other activities of the startup. To make the strategy actionable, we built prototypes, and visualisations using business model canvas, value modelling, Figma etc.