Spotting the Team Dynamics

We're coming in the last few days of the selection process for this season of Startupbootcamp HightechXL. But we can already see that access to brilliant mentors are one of the main reasons for a high-tech startup team to choose a particular accelerator program. Only a few focus as we do on hardware high-tech, but as the Internet of Things morphs quietly into the Internet of Everything (at least CISCO would like us to believe that), it looks like this a just the right moment to add the hardware side. And just as the teams pick and choose their accelerator, so we pick and choose team. As Richard Branson wrote recently, 

There is nothing more important for a business than hiring the right team. If you get the perfect mix of people working for your company, you have a far greater chance of success. However, the best person for the job doesn’t always walk right through your door.

The first thing to look for when searching for a great employee is somebody with a personality that fits with your company culture. Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality. If you can find people who are fun, friendly, caring and love helping others, you are on to a winner. That doesn't mean you can’t take risks when building your team. Don’t be afraid of hiring mavericks. Somebody who thinks a little differently can help to see problems as opportunities and inspire creative energy within a group. Some of the best people we’ve ever hired didn’t seem to fit in at first, but proved to be indispensable over time.

Guus Frericks is the manager of Startupbootcamp HightechXL. He believes we can go further that just that gut feeling.

Guus Frericks, Startupbootcamp HightechXL

"As entrepreneurs, we know that team dynamics are the key differentiator for successful start-ups. So during our Final Selection days on October 14 and 15th we've partnered with InContext to do some rather sophisticated personality assessment of the finalist teams. So rather than just relying on the intuitive approach that Branson refers to, we're also using technology to explore strengths and weaknesses. That helps our selection teams ask some explorative questions. And all the teams, whether they get in or not, will get access to their respective team reports. These are a great way of understanding the team dynamics and what motivates (and really annoys) others. Some of the missing talent you can hire in when needed. But there are also things that founders should never delegate to others until they have validated their business model canvas"

We have also been talking to other mentors in other programs, making this compilation of views on why mentors matter. Enjoy. 

The Value of Mentorship 1 f

Why Choosing the Right Mentors is so important

Working through the Business Model Canvas

We just completed the first of two Mentor Master Classes for Startupbootcamp HightechXL.

At first, it might seem strange that an accelerator would organise a master class for their mentors. Surely, they already know everything there is to know about entrepreneurship? Indeed several have started up companies on the Hightech Campus which were later sold for hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet we are taking a different approach with our accelerator. We're cherry-picking from the Lean Start Up methodology and adapting it to fit the world of high-tech startups. Since hardware is involved the money needed is more substantial and you can't change a minimum viable product by tweaking a few lines of code. But the rewards are also bigger if you get it right.

Last week, Startupbootcamp HightechXL organised its inaugural Master Class for mentors. It was designed to explain the Business Model Canvas approach we're taking and what we've adapted. It was also a chance for two startups to explain their challenges and how mentors really make a difference. Michail Boloudakis
Co-Founder and CEO of Kinems, one of the 9 teams selected for the 2013 Startupbootcamp program in Amsterdam. He came down to Eindhoven to explain the challenges of building a company that helps builds games for children with a learning disability. In my personal opinion, Kinems was one of the best teams to come out of the Amsterdam program.

Michail Boloudakis explaining the lessons learned by Kinems

Michail was clear that they were looking for mentors with very specific qualities.

"They must be an entrepreneur. We tended to avoid consultants because they often explain theory rather than practice. Entrepreneurs understand the pressures when things go wrong, as well as how to validate hunches with real customers. They speak from recent, practical knowledge and always keep trying. We also looked for mentors willing to open up their network, even though they know the startup is still at the early stages of development and may pivot. Having said that, the startup also needs to show initiative (i.e. following up suggestions or saying why the contact is not relevant). Good communication is essential.

"In the beginning you get a whole avalanche of advice, both on selection days but also in the first weeks of the program. We listened to all the advice. But we also had done a lot of homework.. We arrived at Startupbootcamp Amsterdam with something like 11 Business model canvasses already worked out. We knew where our weaknesses lay. I cannot stress enough that preparation is essential because there is no time during the program."

"I have a very specific recommendation for the teams joining Startupbootcamp HightechXL to do during their first few weeks of the program.  Be very clear as soon as possible about what kind of expertise you’re looking for. For instance, I knew we needed sales advice (cold calling, etc). Rather than wait for something to pop up  in the program, I used our mentor network and was talking earlier than others to someone who runs a sales accelerator. Our team got a lot of useful advice as a result of being pro-active."

"That preparation in the beginning was worth it because we clearly made the right choice of mentors. That's because even though we're 6 months further in our development, the lead mentors we chose are still on board. Because their skills are still relevant."

"The Amsterdam program is now over. Our technical support has moved back to Greece. But our headquarters and our sales team is based in the Netherlands. This part of Europe is an important market for us and it's a good base from which to plan our global expansion. We've found it an excellent environment for entrepreneurs. The Dutch are very focussed on the bottom line and deadlines. And they say what they mean. That takes some getting used to, but it means you identify problems so much faster. There is also none of the hierarchy that you find in other countries.  The mentors lend their credibility to the program. For instance, when we were talking to a hospital in Ohio, they immediately asked for references. We were able to report that we were doing trials with a Dutch therapy centre, through our mentor circle at Startupbootcamp.  That made subsequent acquisition so much easier. Lead customers often don't want to be the first customer.

Adapt don't copy if you're planning to succeed

Mapping out a strategy at the Hightech Campus Eindhoven

There is a very thoughtful post over on the Lean Startup Blog which caught my eye. That's because I'm working with a team who are adapting the great practical learnings from Silicon Valley and applying them to building successful high-tech companies in Silicon Polder. 

I see that a discussion about the different business cultures is taking place on September 24th, although it is 3 am here in the Netherlands. Startup experts Kevin Dewalt, Takashi Tsutsumi and Justin Wilcox will meet for a webcast to compare notes. Not sure if I will be the sharpest at that time of the morning. So here are some thoughts up front. Let's start with that blogpost that inspired me: 

In her post today, Lisa Regan, a writer for The Lean Startup Conference notes: 

Entrepreneurs beyond Silicon Valley, including those working abroad, often have to retool Lean Startup methods to apply them in places with very different business cultures.  Kevin Dewalt—a speaker at this year's Lean Startup Conference—is an entrepreneur, investor and adviser who has served as an investor for a strategic U.S. government fund and as Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the National Science Foundation. Two years ago, he moved to Beijing, where he founded Lean Startup Meetup Beijing, as well as his current venture,SoHelpful.me, a platform for leveraging one-to-one relationships to build reputation and word of mouth. 

“Two years ago I moved to Beijing...... If you ask people in Asia about Lean Startup methods, they’ll often say, ‘I’m not sure that would work here,’ and in a sense they’re right–many of the familiar methods won’t work if applied unmodified. That’s why I recommend that people focus on ideas rather than tactics. Lean Startup ideas will work even in places as different from Silicon Valley as Asia–the specific tactics will need modifying, though. 

“Think, for example, about the way we talk about sales and customer development and the idea of ‘getting out of the building.’ In Silicon Valley, you can go to people and ask them what their problems are, and what solutions they would value, and they’ll be happy to answer you. People in Silicon Valley are accustomed to openly discussing change, and to talking about what’s wrong or needs fixing —it’s culturally accepted there and you get a lot of practice at it. In most of the world, that’s just not the case. If you walk into a manager’s office almost anywhere in Asia and say, ‘I want to talk to you about your problems,’ he’ll tell you that everything’s fine, that he has no problems. He’ll probably suspect that his boss sent you. Right away, by talking in terms of problems and change, you’ve lost that person; they’ll just shut down. 

“This is not to say that you can’t get out of the building in Asia, too. But you'll need to do the legwork to get introduced, and to become really known to people before you ask them for help or information". 

“Another resistance or challenge faced by people starting businesses in Asia comes from within the startup itself, around getting support from co-founders and investors. There’s often a practice in Asia of locking onto the first idea as ‘the idea.’ Impatient investors and team members give little support to a founder trying to do Customer Development to verify or modify that idea. They often look on this as a waste of time. And then, when customers are not buying the product, the blame will tend to focus inward — on the founder for perceived shortcomings in the product, rather than examining the question of whether the product itself is actually solving a problem. 

Many of the challenges Kevin describe resonate with Takashi Tsutsumi. Takashi has been a venture capitalist for fourteen years, investing in technology startups both in Japan and in the United States. Enthusiastic about the scientific approach for a startup, he personally translated both The Four Steps to The Epiphany and The Startup Owner's Manual into Japanese. On weekends, he evangelizes Customer Development and runs a Lean LaunchPad class nationwide in Japan. Takashi spoke to us specifically about what it’s like to try to bring Lean Startup methodologies to a business culture as conservative as Japan’s. He described two challenges, and two pieces of good news. [Ed note: Takashi emphasized to us that his ideas here are his own and not affiliated with any companies that he works for or is involved with.]

“Japan is known for its conservatism and the norm of lifetime employment, both of which result in a lack of entrepreneurship. The following are a few examples.

“Challenge #1:  Perfectionism and detail-oriented culture

“Japanese are known for their perfectionism and the Japanese culture is highly detail-oriented. This culture particularly contradicts with minimum viable products. Entrepreneurs worry that they will lose their trust and reputation with customers if their products compromise features, UI/UX, quality, etc. In addition, although entrepreneurs come up with good MVPs, they gradually add more features as customers say that A, B, and Z are missing, resulting in a ‘maximum’ viable product instead. Therefore, one of the keys for success to practicing Lean Startup methodology in Japan is to encourage entrepreneurs to be patient in minimizing their products. I sometimes refer the nice rule of thumb from Eric Ries, ‘Take what you think is right now and cut it in half and do that two more times and ship it back.’

“Challenge #2:  Pivot is failure?

“Pivoting is a key Lean Startup concept, but in Japan, pivot mostly means failure. The Japanese perfectionism affects this thinking in that people consider it right to complete a plan once it’s developed. First, this is true for entrepreneurs. They stick to the initial idea (i.e., the hypothesis) even if facts tell them it’s wrong. They just hate to admit being wrong, or they believe themselves too much to change their mind. Second, and more important, stakeholders, such as investors and management, think this, too. Even when entrepreneurs get used to the principle of Lean Startup, in which a pivot is not necessarily a failure but is progress, their stakeholders don’t share the sensibility.

“Good news #1: Perfectionism and detail-oriented culture

“Perfectionism and detail orientation inhibit adapting Lean Startup methodology in Japan, but they turn out to be strengths once people buy in. Once they buy in, entrepreneurs in Japan follow and execute Lean Startup exhaustively. 

“Good news #2: Customer Discovery nurtures entrepreneurship

“Customer Discovery is never easy in Japan. Ordinary people do not talk to strangers, knowing they hate unsolicited inquiry. However, the more customers an entrepreneur talks to, the more they learn. What surprises me, however, is that talking to customers also turns non-entrepreneurs to entrepreneurs because they feel a sense of fun and confidence in their idea. 

I hope these thoughts encourage you to explore the full post.

In my work with Startupbootcamp HightechXL, a hardware accelerator right in the heart of the High-Tech campus in Eindhoven. With Philips, ASML, NXP next door, and with 60 nationalities on site, it's one of the most inspiring ecosystems I have ever worked in. And it's expanding rapidly so 10,000 people will be on site within a couple of years, 2000 more than now.

Kevin and Takashi are spot on when they say you should adapt the ideas to fit the local culture. We've taken the lessons learned from Eric Ries and Steve Blank and adapted a few things. European VC's usually have a financial background rather than experience in running a start-up themselves. Explaining that a Business Model Canvas needs to come way before any thoughts of a plan are alien to many, especially those who worked in research units that then spun out into their own companies. Companies invented for you, making huge guesses behind high walled fences. 

Plenty of friendly faces at the recent Expat meet and greet in Eindhoven

We're seeing in the South of the Netherlands much less of the arrogance that you see in big cities. May be it is because they have to try harder to find and keep the international talent. But it is also because Philips and others were some of the first to adopt an open innovation approach based on trust and collaboration. 

Getting start-ups to present their idea in a clear, logical, interesting format is much harder in Europe than in the US. Sometimes it is the language barrier - you write a news story in French or Dutch in a different way to English. It is more like a zoom in rather than a zoom out. Which is why English VC's shout at many European startups to get to the point. 

The other challenge is the mainstream media. Science reporting has been seriously neglected by many European public service broadcasters. It is either event journalism with no substance, or foreign material (often excellent) reworked into a local language. That means that local ideas and developments never get the credit they deserve. The work that the Dutch have done with wifi, bluetooth, and chip design are known only to few. That may be because companies like ASML make the machines that make the chips, but there is never an ASML inside label on the outside. So startups in this part of the Europe may have world-class technology. But they have to work 3 times as hard to get the attention of the public as well as investors. Fortunately the better accelerators realise this challenge and help the start-ups build a media strategy as well as finding a context for the new product or service.

Can I also say thank you to the Lean Startup Conference and the eco-system around it for all the inspiration and guidance you have given through books (we bought the Kindle versions), podcasts and blogs. We understand that content is king and putting the ideas to work in a new context is probably King Kong. 

We're blogging about our adventures on these pages and we're always willing to share our experiences with those in this vibrant community.


Onward!

Last call for Hardware in Helsinki

Will we see you in Helsinki? Team of high-tech mentors and investors flying in to the Finnish capital on September 25th. If you're serious about your hardware hightech startup, you know you gotta be there. Full details on the Startupbootcamp HightechXL event page.

Startupbootcamp HighTechXL Pitch Day in Helsinki September 25th from StartupbootcampTV on Vimeo.

Elon Musk, Tony Stark, and the Future of Design

So is Elon Musk, the American entrepreneur, industrialist and inventor a sort of real-life version of fictitious hero Tony Stark, Marvel Comic's Iron Man? I don't think he really cares. He's got his hands full with ventures like SpaceX (space launcher) and Tesla (Electric cars) is hardly out of the headlines at the moment. The difference is that, in contrast to some others trying to develop alternatives to petrol engines, Elon has engineering at heart. Other companies are driven purely by design. That might work for an app. It doesn't seem to be working when it comes to designing an electric car - which is basically a giant battery on wheels.

Musk is worth following because he shares at least some of what he's up to. Look at his recent release on the future of design. It's like Microsoft's Kinect, but then in 3D. Why would hand gestures be useful? Because you have direct control over the navigation rather than trying to fiddle with a joystick.

SpaceX is exploring methods for engineers to accelerate their workflow by designing more directly in 3D. We are integrating breakthroughs in sensor and visualization technologies to view and modify designs more naturally and efficiently than we could using purely 2D tools. We are just beginning, but eventually hope to build the fastest route between the idea of a rocket and the reality of the factory floor. Special thanks to Leap Motion, Siemens and Oculus VR, as well as NVIDIA, Projection Design, Provision, and to everyone enabling and challenging the world to interact with technology in exciting new ways.

They Threw Away the Best Bits

The Dutch current affairs TV programme, Een Vandaag, conducted an interview between Elon Musk and (what they claim) is his Dutch counterpart Michiel Mol (who currently lives in New York). The first bit of the interview was the PR stuff to please the Dutch authorities. Of course that went out on air. But I had cause to explore the public broadcaster's website for a client, and discovered a longer un-cut version of the interview with Elon Musk. Skip the first bit that was used and explore the latter half of the interview. The interviewer gets into a discussion about the technology, especially in current capabilities of batteries. They are not there yet, but much further than I thought.

Elon says the Model S has a useful range of around 400 km at the moment. The new car can charge at 120 kW, 60 times the power consumed by the average household. So the charger and battery need to perform a dance which needs to be monitored. Charge too fast and the battery will overheat (and could catch fire I suppose). Charge too slow and the customers start looking for alternatives. Public expectation is that the battery can be charged just a little slower than filling the tank with conventional gas. Science hasn't yet caught up, but you can be sure they are working on it.

By the end of this year, there will be supercharging stations in metropolitan cities in the US. It should be possible to drive coast-to-coast in the US and remain in range of an electric charging station. As far as Tesla is concerned, the first charging stations in Europe will be installed in Norway. These guys, who made their fortune with oil, have now bought more electric vehicles than anyone.

By the end of 2014, you will be able to be able to travel across Europe and charge the car through the network. And charging is always going to be free. The charging stations are powered by solar cells. Elon also explains why he got involved in the SpaceX project and his fascinating with the planet Mars. He points out that for the first few years they got no help from the government, relying on something like the Lean Startup Method in order to get across Geoffrey Moore's Chasm that faces most hardware entrepreneurs.

Google has been setting up Hangouts between Richard Branson, Elon Musk and the public. Pity that Google doesn't do anything like the preparation required to bring tempo to such a fascinating conversation. Note how emotional Elon becomes around 39'10"into the interview when he went through a very difficult year and had to decide where to put what was left of his money. Clearly he is passionate about what he does. That's the mark of a true world entrepreneur. We shall continue to watch and learn. Hope that Elon comes to this part of the world more often.

Sorry, my lips are sealed on this one. But did take photos....

As a journalist, it's kinda frustrating not being able to blog or tweet about the great high-tech pitches I saw today at the second open pitch day for Startupbootcamp HightechXL.

That's because it would be unfair to dozens of teams who spent 30 minutes interacting with several mentors from the lead partners EY (formerly Ernst & Young) and Dutch Expansion Capital. You need "Chatham House" rules in order for both sides to be open with each other. It's all about trust, especially when the intellectual property could eventually be worth a lot of money. But I can say that the teams from several countries gave us all the backing we needed.

One team even went as far to say that access to Europe's Silicon Valley in the South of the Netherlands was even more important that his current sales activities in Palo Alto. "People forget that the Netherlands has trade agreements with hundreds of countries, making it so much easier to expand to other markets."

Most of the teams have ambition to expand their ideas to wider markets. For those on line who still want to be considered for the October 14th finals in Eindhoven, there are only 4 days left. September 8th is the deadline because we want to be fair to others. If you know teams that haven't yet heard about Europe's leading hardware accelerator, break the news to them today!

Here's a sneak peek as to who dropped by at the office for the Startupbootcamp HighTechXL side of the selection call.  I was there too, but someone had to be behind the camera.

Know a great team that should be in Eindhoven for the finals? Then stop reading this and persuade them to head off to HighTechXL.com. They'll thank you for it, believe me.

Patrick Gabriels, Eric van den Eijnden, Bart Lugard (seated), Eric Broekhuizen, Guus Frericks take a serious look at a great pitch. Bart and his team have screened 5000 potential companies.

Victoria Martinez and Nick Kalliagkopoulos also cast a sharp eye on the conversations coming in.

Solar Car Eindhoven - innovation passes by our window

The Startupbootcamp HightechXL selection team is moving into the final lap for the selection of great high-tech startups. Even though we're in the middle of summer holidays, the hightech campus in Eindhoven is always buzzing with events. The Solar Team Eindhoven, who were featured in the launch of HightechXL in June, have now been driving around town - including right past our office on the Hightech Campus.



Great to see how this young team of student entrepreneurs has such a clear strategy - and a great drive to make it happen across Australia. They have everything going for them. It's refreshing to see how large companies here in this part of the Netherlands are quick to back people who take initiative and celebrate their success. May be because the history of NXP is also full of entrepreneurship as it was spun off from Philips. They have been there before and know how crucial this stage is the launch of a great company. 

Eindhoven radiates ambition and talent

Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission and vocal champion of the continent's digital agenda ruffled a few feathers in the Netherlands at the end of last month by saying that when it came to digital technology, this country had few ambitions. She spoke in her native Dutch during a popular programme on public TV (entire programme is above). This is what she said during the interview.

"The Netherlands needs to look much higher up the ladder, with much greater investments needed in research and education. The world is already digital. Europe is investing 41%  of the budget in agriculture What a missed opportunity! Why not an injection of 10 billion into the nano and micro-electronics sector? That's a drop in the ocean compared to what we're spending on farm subsidies."

Indeed, it does seem crazy that several US venture capitalists and banks are now popping up more often on European technology parks. They recognise the talent and technology that is growing in places like the HighTech Campus. And that these developments are the lifeblood of the global digital economy. The Netherlands is a leader in many areas. It has a robust digital infrastructure already in place.

Neelie Kroes again "I believe we should be doing a lot more to encourage startups. All the large names, now household words around the globe, all began as an small company in a garage".

" It is incredible hard to start a successful business. There will be difficult steps. And some ventures will fail. But as Europeans we have to get over the continuing fear of failure that prevents many European banks and VCs from investing just at the right moment."

Action speaks louder than words

Shortly after Neelie's interview, came the public launch of the HighTechXL accelerator program. Backed by Dutch Expansion Capital, as well as Ernst & Young, it's a perfect example of a local initiative with international impact. Actually it has taken almost 12 months to get everything in place. But it comes at exactly the right time.

Guus Frericks is the man leading the HightechXL team preparing the program in Eindhoven.

" We know that 70% of the teams we're looking for are outside The Netherlands. We're doing a pitch session in Singapore this Friday June 28th. We're setting up more in places like Bangalore, Silicon Valley, Cambridge, Paris, Graz, Munich & Marseille."

" What we're really doing is tapping into a brilliant ecosystem that already exists here in Western Europe, and especially in this area of the South-East of the Netherlands. Our private equity firm has a long history of working with young high-tech companies. By working closely with Startupbootcamp network, we're able to cherry pick lessons learned from the app and software development & accelerator world."

"Quite often great software startups bootstrap their first few months. But if you're building hardware in the high-tech sector, constructing your prototype or proof of concept can't happen without some seed or so-called Series A investment. The teams we're looking for are working with hardware as well as software, so the earlier they get feedback from the market, the better."

" If a customer tells an app developer he doesn't like one aspect of his app, fixing it is usually a few lines of code. If someone says the design of your 2 metre solar panel doesn't meet their minimum requirements you have a very different scale of problem. It could take months to fix it. "

" As we launch HightechXL, we'd love to invite Neelie Kroes to have a look at what we're doing with high-tech. We don't have mountains in Eindhoven. So no physical valleys. But we're bursting with talent and ambition. And we're inviting the world to share. " 

Robocup 2013 kicks off in style - and a more serious purpose

Eindhoven has always welcomed international students, especially those studying techology

I kid you not. For the next few days, Eindhoven, The Netherlands is home to over 2500 robotics enthusiasts as part of the international Robocup2013 competition. A huge effort has gone in to hosting this international tournament.

While to outsiders it may just look like a geek fest, the artificial intelligence technologies being developed by researchers are increasingly important. to society. Not only to do the jobs that are routine, but also to go into areas where no humans would dare to tread. Robots are already used in natural disasters, but they always need to be driven. To build effective robots that can operate and think for themselves will need another couple of decades. The Robocup organisers have set themselves a goal. To build a robot soccer team that beats a human team by the year 2050.

Live feeds from the event are here below and are active throughout the tournament (Eindhoven is on time zome UTC+2). It ends on June 30th.



The competition is split into various leagues, for example, how can robots be used in the home? Look at this video from a previous event.

Are you building a robotics company? 

Many of the contestants in Eindhoven are doing more that just playing games. This is a great opportunity to show the outside world just what artificial intelligence has achieved so far. 

High Tech Campus from the air.  We're in the building by the lake....

Our brand new HightechXL accelerator is actively looking for teams that are interested in applying for a high-tech accelerator program we're organising in Eindhoven in November 2013. Robotics is one of the 8 fields of interest. Here are ten reasons to consider the High Tech Campus as a place to build your robotics company. 8000 next-door neighbours who are engineers, entrepreneurs and developers sounds like a pretty good reason to me.

Eindhoven University of Technology

First Dutch Technology Week - Now the Rest of the World

Public Launch of High Tech XL in Eindhoven

It has been a busy but inspiring couple of weeks for the team behind Startupbootcamp HightechXL. That includes me, as I'm currently Managing Editor for the project.

It has taken since the middle of last year to build the plan for the world's best high-tech accelerator. We've learned from the experiences from our great Startupbootcamp colleagues in Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Dublin, Haifa and London. But we have also listened to local high-tech entrepreneurs who have been successful in what is called the "Brainport" part of the Netherlands.

We were especially delighted when talks with the High Tech Campus resulted in a prime office position right in the heart of what's happening. All systems are now go.

The High-TechXL program has access to a unique network of global mentors

So with the everything in place for the next 3 years, we now have but one goal.

To find the best 20 high-tech teams for our finals on October 14/15th 2013.

Over two days at the High Tech Campus we will select the final 10 teams who will go through to the full accelerator program starting on Monday November 11th.

Getting the word out.

We made a very public launch of HighTechXL during the recent Dutch Technology Week held all over the Eindhoven region. This gives a chance for the public and other sectors of industry a chance to get the "backstage tour" of what's happening in high-tech in the region. Partner Ernst & Young organised an afternoon workshop for its network to explain the difference between an incubator (who provide facilities) and the High-Tech Accelerator which provides an organised program plus access to an unrivalled network of mentors. 

"We have seen other presentations of the Business Model Canvas and the Lean Start up methodology. But the workshops have often been with fictitious examples, or a project taking place on the other side of the world. Carolien Sandee, who organised the event on behalf of Ernst & Young as well as Startupbootcamp HightechXL, took a different approach".

Carolien Sandee

"We found out about a great renewable-energy project working at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The Solar Team Eindhoven are competing against many other universities in the world for the annual solar-powered car race. It takes place in Australia over the 3000 kms between Darwin and Adelaide. The Solar Team Eindhoven caught our eye because they're competing in the cruiser class. This means that as well as being judged on speed, they are also being examined for how many people they can carry, the external energy requirements and the general handling and comfort of the car. The car will be revealed to the world on July 4th, but Lex Hoefsloot, the team leader, was able to share a few secrets with us about how far they have got. This team really rocks!"

 Lex Hoefsloot of Solar Team Eindhoven 

"Lex also posed a number of dilemmas to the audience of several hundred participants. So we asked Samantha van Rooij of Business Models Inc (the publishers of the Business Model Canvas Book) to facilitate a very practical workshop. We split up into groups and 90 minutes later came up with a number of very practical suggestions in their quest to build the solar family car of the future. We also demonstrated the way we will be helping the HightechXL teams when they join us in Eindhoven in November. And the first prize for the winning group is a test drive in the new solar car. 

Working out the different Business Model Canvas options for the solar car!

Focussed brainstorming need to work out the answers to the Business Canvas

The exercise yielded very useful practical business ideas for Solar Team Eindhoven

Bert-Jan Woertman explains their cunning plan for Solar Team Eindhoven to Samantha van Rooij

The afternoon concluded with encouragement from former Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende. He's retired from politics, but now takes a keen interest in corporate governance and the growth of small medium enterprises.

First prize is a test drive in the new 4 person solar energy car.

Patrick Gabriёls of Ernst & Young closed off the day's proceedings.

"HightechXL is now no-longer a dream. It's all systems go. The next step is our global search to find brilliant teams.The first of these global pitch days starts on Friday June 28th in Singapore. If you're in the region, now's the time to sign-up."

Patrick Gabriёls, E & Y, one of the lead partners driving HightechXL 

Now we're opening the hunt for brilliant teams in the rest of the world.