Venture Culture Project Page

Pitch One

Audio Only due to file issue: Link to mp3

Pitch Two

Venture Culture 2012 - Pitch 2 from Chris Hunt on Vimeo.

Elevator Pitch

Didero Digital - Summary

Didero Digital is a digital systems research, design and development company to be based in Plymouth, UK. We believe that there are a new breed of clients looking for something more than "Just a website". They are looking for digital systems to serve customers, track impact, and save time and money.

We believe that Didero can deliver, as we base all our output on our three key principals: Framework, Process and Position.

Framework

The Didero Framework is our central stack of technologies, working with Django and HTML5 we can develop and test rapidly, delivering early prototypes in a matter of weeks. We develop a system's "central point" first, and from there we can expand into mobile Apps and interoperability with other services.

The key advantage of the Framework is that it's shared in all our projects, meaning developments for one client also improve and advance the products of our other clients.

Process

The Didero Process is the way we approach our projects. As well as sharing technology, we look at ways to develop a client project into a full product. If successful, we split all profits with the client, and if it became as business in it's own right, the client would own a share.

Position

Didero is Ideally placed to make the most of the South West, with cheaper business rates and great links to new talent, we can make the most out of our investments.

Didero Digital - About the Name and branding

The name is loosely based on Denis Diderot, French Philospher and Chief Editor of Encyclopédie, one of the first comprenshive encyclopaedias to feature multiple writers and contributors.

The current branding is my own house style for projects, using GreyScale Basic and bold colours. This would be something I change early on in the business's life. It's not very strong or distinct at the moment.

S.W.O.T. Analysis

Strengths

Nimble
Proven Technologies
Rapid Development
Growing Talent pool, Possible Feeder courses
Framework, Process, Position

Weaknesses

Weak branding
Will need initial investments
Focus
Will take time to build income streams

Opportunities

Setting an example for investment
Show a start up can work outside London
Multiple Income Streams, spin offs

Threats

Bad products tarnish brand
Patent Issues, especially in America.
Employee Turnover, not being able to retain staff

Self Assessment.

In my first pitch, I really didn't feel confident about having a coherent plan. This came across, I fired off a load of information. I repeat my self a lot, and because I've not prat iced, I've not making sure I'm getting my point across and I'm practically dancing across the room because I'm nervous.

In my second pitch, while I've honed down my "idea" more, I'm still making the same mistakes with my presentation. It's pretty painful to listen back. Because I missed the presentation sessions, I've had to record the pitch by myself, which means I've missed out on any immediate feedback I would of had from a group.

I must script these presentations properly, and make sure I know what points to make. Then I can speak up and be more clear and more confident. Frustratingly, I know I've presented ideas a lot better than these pitches.

I think I lack conviction and confidence that my ideas can work, and due to my health issues last year, I think this is harder for me to do. Looking back at previous pitches, I can really see my enthusiasm for my work, and that energy carried me though the preparation. That work felt far more "effortless", whereas here, I find it hard to get something stronger together. It's not that I can't do a great pitch for something, It's that its becoming clearer how important that self belief is for me - it's a vital component of being an entrepreneur after all - It will give me that energy to do those great pitches which I know are in me.

My thoughts for Didero seems sensible, rolling my ideas into a company, getting a few clients and employing the right people, yet part of me feels that it's unobtainable. I don't have a clear product (although the framework and rapid development seem to be clear selling points) which could mean difficulty obtaining investments. I have a good ideas about people I would employ, and what projects I would develop but that should be set out in a plan for the future.

Thinking about it, what I'm trying to do with this is set out my own vision of my own future. I want to spread my expertise across many different projects, and ideally, I'd want to do it in and around Plymouth, because I believe doing so here would have the most significant impact. And to my own selfish ends, I'd be creating things that would outlast my own involvement in them. I know to this be mentioning Spin-off companies, when products effectively out grow Didero.

I guess I'm looking towards the company acting as an entrepreneur, which I think is a interesting position. If the company where to build up a sustainable profit, It would make a lot of sense to try creating new opportunities. It would also require the whole company to not be adverse to failure, but I am aware it's also a risk. I'd effectively be taking employee time off of a core profit maker. I'd also need an investor on board with a company working like this, which could be difficult if it was capital from an investor used to working with other start ups. Therefore I think that Didero would have to grow to the point where these issues can be addressed, however with the technology framework, we could balance the risk with the total benefit to all the other projects.

Right now, I think I need to get creating and networking, coming up with potential clients and products to fit into the principals. Then I can shift my focus to creating a realistic plan, and this will be the thing I can start building my confidence around.

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