What was your experience with the Shark Tank?

Practical Exercise: Turning the Worst Ideas into Great Startups Story: I needed new sneakers to start working out in a new country. After visiting several stores filled with ordinary pairs, I stumbled upon a shop with the most creative display: sneakers with mismatched left and right shoes that somehow looked perfect together. Excited, I asked if they were for sale, only to learn it was just a fun setup by the staff - those sneakers were from different sets. One of the examples in the picture in the post. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it should show you the idea. And at first glance, it's a terrible idea: a shoe where the left and right sides of the shoe are different. But oh, how cool is it! Disappointed but inspired, I couldn’t shake the idea of owning such shoes. How hard could it be to find a brand that makes intentionally mismatched sneakers? Or... should I just start my own sneaker brand to solve my problem? Practice: There are many techniques to brainstorm ideas, and one of the most unconventional yet effective is starting with the absolute worst. Here’s a fun, practical exercise to spark innovation: The challenge: start with "Worst Ideas" Imagine the most ridiculous, impractical, or absurd ideas in your industry. Then, challenge yourself to transform them into something valuable. It’s harder than it sounds—but that’s where innovation thrives. Examples of “Worst Ideas” to get started: 1. Shoes in which the left and right parts of the shoe are different 2. A restaurant on a trash field. 3. A food delivery service where meals arrive half-cooked. 4. A social media app where everyone can only post complaints. 5. A dating app where matches are based on how much you dislike the same things. 6. A mobile game that crashes every time you try to use it. 7. A game where players must do nothing but wait for hours to make progress. Example solutions: Restaurants on a trash field: Garbage Café, India: Meals are exchanged for collected plastic waste, encouraging recycling and community engagement. Rub & Stub, Denmark: A restaurant using food that would otherwise go to waste to create gourmet meals. A mobile app that crashes every time you try to use it: A puzzle game where the crashes are part of the gameplay. Each time a character dies - the app crashes and the player has to start over. This can enhance the emotional effect of losing a character. It's not just a bunch of pixels. When the hero dies, the entire game world is destroyed. A game where players must do nothing but wait for hours to make progress: A mindfulness or meditation game that rewards users for taking real-life breaks. Progress happens when you leave the app, encouraging relaxation and balance. Your turn: take one "worst idea" from this list (or your own) and transform it into something viable. Share your solutions in the comments - let’s see what you come up with! #startupidea #GameDev #Creativity #brainstorming

😎 Prototyping Challenge! 😎 One of our most popular Icebreaker activities from the Cambio Labs curriculum: how might we quickly create prototypes out of garbage, recyclables, and other basic and cheap materials? Could one person's trash be another person's treasure? ♻️ Prototyping and creating testable products is an essential part of the design and entrepreneurial process. Although this challenge may seem silly, this is a valuable creative thinking muscle that any innovator or creator will need to learn to flex 💪 Our Startup NYCHA entrepreneurs were challenged to think outside of the box and use these materials to create innovative solutions for some interesting (and whacky) problems... 🐦 Build a home that will keep your bird family safe 🌻 Design a way to get to know your garden gnome 🤖 Make a present for a very shy robot Participants had 4 minutes to build something...Now give it a go yourself! ⏲️ How well would you do in the Prototyping Challenge? #designthinking #prototyping #StartupNYCHA #playislearning Shoutout and credit to Diana Trushell for originally developing these imaginative prompts! New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

On Wednesday we held our end-of-semester pitch competition for the MBA Smart Startup Class at Riga Business School. The jury consisted of Andrei Doktoroff, of theIntelligent, Martins Bratuskins of Monetizr, Egils Grasmanis of Brain Games, and myself. We listened to 9 inspiring pitches for the startup ideas they have been developing using a combination of their own brains and AI for the past 14 weeks. First Prize went to the Drink Me (Kristians Purvins and Jānis Salenieks). The company allows customers to create custom-made labels for beer and other drinks. The team impressed the jury by creating and providing MVP (Minimum Viable Product) samples of drinks designed with the judges' own brand logos. "This business seems like one that could be bootstrapped without much investment, which is a big plus," said Martins Bratuskins. Second Prize went to PawCare, an all-in-one app that simplifies finding, scheduling, and purchasing a wide range of pet care products and services for busy pet owners. (Paulis Grinhofs, Renate Mikelsone, Martins Melnacis, and Andris Valters.) Andrei Doktoroff commented, "This solves a problem I have myself. The pet market is hot and growing, and this service could work if positioned well." The Best Individual Presenter award went to Karlis Haks of DroneOps, which makes a refilling station for drones used in agricultural applications. The jury was impressed with Karlis's smoothy, clear and especially confident delivery of his team's project. As a token of appreciation, I presented each of the winning students and the judges with a signed copy of my book, "Against All Odds," which chronicles my journey in building an American company to the INC. 500 level. It was an honor to share this part of my story with the next generation of entrepreneurs, and I hope it serves as inspiration for their own ventures. While the the other startup pitches did not secure winning spots in our competition, they are certainly worthy of recognition: LoopPack, for its innovative reusable packaging solution that enhances sustainability in e-commerce; EduNest, a vibrant learning center that engages children aged 5-12 through fun, educational, and social activities; Gift Finder, a convenient platform simplifying the process for parents to find the perfect gifts for their children; SportsMatch, which connects sports enthusiasts with like-minded individuals for games and workouts; RentFlow, an integrated property management platform streamlining communication and maintenance; and VAT Navigator, a specialized VAT and compliance solution tailored for the energy sector. Judge Egils Grasmanis summed up the competition nicely:  "I truly think that every single one of the ideas can succeed - they might pivot or transform, but all are great business ideas that solve a problem or a need." Congratulations to all! Many thanks to our judges and to Linda Pumpiņa for providing additional gifts and the wonderful after-party that followed.

Part 2: Following a Recipe while Building Your MVP Welcome back to our culinary adventure in the world of startups! Today, I’m going to tell you about the key step in building your MVP - following a recipe just like in cooking. The MVP Recipe Just as a recipe guides you through the cooking process, a well-defined plan is your roadmap for building an MVP. This 'recipe' should outline what features to include, how they interact, and what end result you're aiming for. Remember, the best recipes are often the simplest ones. Setting Clear Objectives In cooking, we start with an idea of what dish we want to create. Similarly, define what success looks like for your MVP. What problem is it solving? How will it improve your customers' lives? These objectives are like your recipe's main ingredients, crucial for the final outcome. Timing is Everything A chef knows that timing is key. Your MVP development also needs a timeline. Set milestones for when to complete certain features, just like a chef sets timers for different stages of cooking. This helps keep the development process on track. Choosing the Right Tools In the kitchen, you need the right tools for each task. For MVP development, this means the right technology and team. Whether it's choosing a coding language or assembling a group of talented developers, ensure you have the best tools at your disposal. Adjusting as You Go Cooking often requires adjusting the seasoning or cooking time as you taste. Similarly, be prepared to tweak your MVP as you build it. Feedback is crucial; it's like tasting your dish and adjusting the flavors to get it just right. Presentation Matters Your MVP might be simple, but it should still look good and be user-friendly. Just like plating a dish beautifully, your MVP should have an appealing and intuitive interface. And there you have it! With a clear plan, defined objectives, proper timing, the right tools, a willingness to adjust, and attention to presentation, you’ll be on your way to creating a successful MVP. Stay tuned for our next part in the MVP Kitchen series! Referance: Alex Muchaluv #mvpdevelopment #startup #innovation #webprism #techentrepreneurship

A Startup's Journey Through Manufacturing HELL - Part 2 As we learned in Part 1 of our startup journey, nothing in business is ever straightforward. Finding the perfect manufacturer? Well, that turned out to be a rollercoaster ride of its own. Picture this: We're out of stock for nearly three months. Orders are pouring in (a good problem to have, right?), but we're absolutely desperate to fulfill them. It's the kind of situation that keeps entrepreneurs up at night, tossing and turning as they brainstorm solutions. In our desperation, we turned to a backup factory. They were fantastic, swooping in like cookie-baking superheroes to help us get products back on shelves. But as with all good stories, there was a twist: this facility also handled peanuts on-site, unlike our previous manufacturer. Quick thinking led us to a temporary fix - slapping a sticker on the front of each pack, warning that the cookies were made in a factory that handles peanuts. Crisis averted? Not quite. Despite our best efforts, this stock was eventually rejected further down the line. It was back to the drawing board. But wait, there's more! Just when we thought we'd cleared one hurdle, another appeared. The backup factory's bagging machine wasn't the right size for our packaging. Picture pallets upon pallets of freshly baked cookies, tantalizingly close to being ready, just sitting there outside the ovens. It was enough to make a cookie lover weep. Never ones to admit defeat, we conjured up another solution: placing a tray inside the packaging for the cookies. It wasn't perfect, but it got the job done. Now, after months of trials and tribulations, we've finally found our cookie paradise. Our new manufacturer is certified GLUTEN, MILK, and WHEAT-free, as well as PEANUT-free. It's like finding the Holy Grail of cookie production! We're still using the tray solution for now, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. A shiny new bagging machine is on its way, set to arrive by the end of the month. Soon, our cookies will return to their original, perfectly packaged glory. This journey has taught us that in the world of startups, adaptability isn't just a nice-to-have - it's a must-have. Every problem is an opportunity to innovate, every setback a chance to come back stronger. So, the next time you bite into one of our D*MN GOOD cookies, know that you're tasting more than just a delicious treat. You're experiencing the culmination of persistence, problem-solving, and a whole lot of cookie-fueled determination. Stay tuned for Part 3 👀 Evie Waxman

🏷️ 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 300%!💰🚀 Canva is raising the cost of its Teams subscriptions, with prices jumping over 300% due to the addition of new generative AI features. Many users have seen their annual fees rise from $120 to $500, although a first-year discount lowers the cost to $300. The price increase relates to the value Canva is adding through AI tools like Magic Media and Magic Expand. I have a personal Canva subscription, so I’m guessing the price will go up for that too! #Entrepreneurship #startup #Canva #Innovation #AI

✨️The Art of Product Development and Testing in Startup Success. 🚀 Behind every successful product lies a journey of creativity, refinement, and testing. It's like baking a cake - you start with a basic recipe and tweak it until it's perfect. That's where prototyping comes in. 🎨 Prototyping is like creating a rough sketch of your idea, allowing you to see what works and what needs improvement. Just as a chef tastes a dish before serving it to guests, prototyping lets you refine your product before it hits the market. 💬 But the journey doesn't end there. Feedback is crucial. It's like asking friends for their thoughts on a story you wrote. Their insights help you polish your product and make it even better. 💡And of course, quality and scalability are essential. You want your product to be reliable and able to handle more users as your business grows, just like a sturdy playground slide that can support a crowd of kids. 🌟So remember, behind every successful product is a story of innovation, iteration, and dedication to creating something truly remarkable. Let's keep pushing boundaries and turning ideas into reality! Visit Website Post - StartupInsights.in https://lnkd.in/gMkaeA9x #ProductDevelopment #Innovation #Prototyping #Feedback #QualityAssurance #Scalability #BusinessGrowth #CreativeProcess #Testing #IterateAndImprove #Entrepreneurship 🚀👨🔬🔧

Want to turn clothing into cash? Artisanal handcrafted clothing from recycled fabrics is the way to go. It’s all about sustainability and uniqueness. Shoppers want eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind pieces. Here’s the deal. Source quality recycled fabrics. Create stunning designs. Market them as eco-friendly must-haves. Sell online, at local markets, or pop-up shops. That eco-conscious crowd is waiting for you. But let’s be real. Not every idea is a hit. Before you dive in, you need to check your concept. That’s where SANDBOX comes in. It’s your go-to spot for idea validation. Don't waste your time or cash on something that flops. Get feedback, find your audience, and nail it. In the F/MS Startup Game, hit up the SANDBOX to shape your startup idea. 🫡 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://femaleswitch.app 🔈🔈🔈 🫵 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 #startups #femalentrepreneur #zerocode #ai

Yesterday I was at an event at Startup Incubator Berlin, where I had the opportunity to listen to the Founders' stories, as well as one-minute pitches from teams that have just started working under the auspices of the SIB. And I have to say that this event really empowered me to look for the next life challenge. Their energy is contagious! 🎉 I took part in several user tests, both for teams that are finishing their MVP, MLP and Beta versions, as well as those that have just started. I signed up for notifications for the launch of xounds (consensually sexy) and Dreamsome (whose visual identity I love, by the way), as well as taking part in the test for Moodify (amazing tool and amazing founders with vision), and admiring the presentation of Fixit (who have just secured funding from EXIST -Gründerstipendium - congratulations!). While interviewing, Anastasia Lymperopoulou gave me free fitness advice and Sarah Meisinger encouraged me to use her product once I find my other half 😉 I was also very impressed by the solution of Nabil Bensabre, both for its scaling potential and social responsibility. If any of you have funds and would like to invest them in having an impact, I think it's worth considering a trip to the Incubator and learning about startup ideas. Also, many of the start-ups are looking for Data Analytics 📊 and Developers 💻 (anyone from Ironhack a.ka Ironhack Germany looking for challenges here?!). From my personal perspective, sadly, I believe that many of the fresh entrepreneurs underestimate the role of UX Designer. Proper User Experience evaluation with corresponding Information Architecture and pleasing, consistent Interaction Design fitting the cross-cultural contexts is this extra mile that differentiate your product in the ocean of startups.. Here I can "only" recommend myself as a Designer with a sociological and scientific mindset. MVP is so 2010, do MLP! 😎 Ps. In the photo the amazing Tinush aka Tina Weise from Trueffles, who has an absolutely unearthly energy, as if they came on stage straight from my favourite podcast. And they propose a really great tool for anyone doing a lot of research, especially needed for science industries and research units. Hit them up for collaboration!

Why do most startups fail? 🚀 Startups are the lifeblood of innovation, yet the harsh reality is that about 90% of them fail. But why? Lack of market need, poor product-user fit, and inadequate funding certainly top the list. However, there's a less talked about culprit - neglecting the power of UI/UX design. In today's digital age, your product isn't just competing on features or price; it's battling for attention and ease of use. Users have zero patience for confusing interfaces or frustrating experiences. This is where many startups miss the mark. They focus heavily on what their product does but not enough on how it feels to use it. Here's the kicker: Investing in quality UI/UX isn't a luxury; it's a fundamental component of your product strategy that directly impacts your bottom line. From increasing user retention to driving higher conversion rates, intuitive design can be the difference between a failed startup and a successful one. So, if you're building a new business or leading one right now, ask yourself this: Is my product designed not just to function but to delight? Remember, in the crowded marketplace of startups, exceptional design can be your ultimate differentiator.