Putting some cred behind things I am already doing!

Due to the nature of what I do with start-ups and small businesses, I am already using tools from the Business Analysts toolbox. So it made sense for me to do a short online course with RMIT University to put some official credentials behind my skill set!

It was a bit of a challenge as April ended up being a very busy month for Kyco related activities and in May, I became severely ill with a seasonal cold. As a result, I fell behind and had to play catch-up for most of the course. I even had to take the automatic 1-week extension and I was still audibly sick in the final project presentation video, which you can see below.

Medisafe 2FA: RMIT Assignment Presentation

I am happy to complete the credential and fill the holes in my knowledge when it comes to the business analysis process. It’s an ego boost given that I was working on this at the same time I also started a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment through TAFE QLD.

I have a new respect for my mom, who is a secondary teacher, and my trainer from the NEIS program. Because that certificate did my head in! I had to withdraw, which is something I have never had to do in all my years of learning. I fell hopelessly behind and didn’t think I could catch up but it is something I am interested in doing. So hopefully, I’ll be able to restart next term and actually manage to orient my brain around the adult learning and vocational education space!

Soulful Social: Social Media for Business

Yesterday I attended a free masterclass hosted by Tracy Stubbs, a participant in the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS). She s building her business around providing social media services to business owners. So her talk was half about convincing business people, especially those who are a bit older, that they can build a brand on social media. But business owners of all ages can get a lot of benefit out of the systematic approach to social media posting that Tracy was teaching.

I have been on various social media platforms for a long time. But it should be obvious that social media for personal use and social media for business is two different ballgames. Like, a lot of my social media use was and is dedicated to fandom. Then I moved to the UK and needed social media to keep my mum, brother, sister-in-law, and whoever was interested in the loop. So my social media was private and mostly contained food, travel and shopping stuff.

I never bothered with a social media following as research. Because I didn’t see a lot of value in academia being placed on a social media presence unless you wanted to do “popular science” type stuff.

It was after I started working in the startup scene that I made my Twitter public. My Facebook is still private, but then again, on Facebook, business pages work better. I only got on Instagram leading up to the MIT Bootcamp. So I am always looking for tips on how to maximise social media for business.

Tracy advocated approaching social media as not “I need to say something” but by taking the approach, “I have something to say”. She outlined an approach of thinking about what to say in terms of categories. When to say it, so there is a consistent schedule. Finally, how to say it in an engaging but authentic way. That was a big take away from her class, and I think its a good one.

I mean, I have read “The Thank You Economy” by Gary Vaynerchuk, and there is no shortage of tips and tricks out there. But sometimes, you just need a system that works for you. Not to mention a mindset change if you really are not a social media person, no matter your age. I think she’ll be very successful with her business, given her niche and approach!

Careers & Mental Health Conversations Podcast: Anthony Kuhlmann

Anthony Kuhlmann is well known in the Brisbane ecosystem as an expert in sales. I talked about him before, when I attended his lunchtime workshop. So I was keen to hear what he had to say in the podcast. It was an interesting listen with some great takeaways! The ones that stayed with me after 24 hours were,

1. Don’t try to be everything to everybody: which is a lesson that was also hammered home during the MIT Bootcamp. But I think a lot of people misunderstand what the lesson is because the idea isn’t to niche yourself so that you can’t grow beyond a certain market segment. But to conquer one market at a time while slowly but surely developing an identity and reputation. People forget that Amazon started with just books and CDs.

2. Don’t try to attend everything/be everywhere: I think this is very important. Because even in Brisbane, you can easily fill your calendar with events. Not only is there something on almost every night but often multiple competing events. If you try to attend everything and be everywhere, you’ll burn out and achieve little. So I think it is good advice to be a bit more strategic with your time and networking energy.

3. Also, find a tribe of people who can support you: was a very good take away from the podcast!

So yes, I encourage people interested in business in-general to have a listen to the podcast!

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Brisbane, Australia

Happy New Year!

2018 was a big year for me, what with launching Start with Tinni among other things. 2019 will hopefully be an even bigger year with me. I am currently gearing up for the imminent release of Your Happy Place App on the Google Play Store. I also recently joined JOSARI to help them launch their app on the iOS store. But the biggest thing I am looking forward to in 2019, is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, that’s set to take place in QUT from February 2-8, 2019.

The Bootcamp gives attendees the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of starting a new venture. Problem specification, customer, solution, business model, pitching, all supported by hands-on coaching. So in that respect, it is similar to the Startup Weekends I have attended previously. But with a more formal and academic component, given it is run by MIT.

The founder and CEO of one of the startups I am currently working with attended the boot camp in 2018 and spoke very highly of the experience. So, although the tuition of the program is about USD 6,500, I decided that the price tag was worth it.

There is a pre-boot camp checklist. The list includes reading,

1. Disciplined Entrepreneurship by Bill Aulet

2. Made to Stick by Dan & Chip Heath

3. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

4. Talking to Humans by Gliff Constable

I intend to write and publish a short post here as I finish the books, so look forward to that in the coming month. I also have to complete a few online modules from Edge Edx. I am going to have to get started on that, and I have already started the “deep dive” courses offered by MIT as part of the Bootcamp.

I am excited. A bit scared because of my issues with low iron, which leads to energy issues. But I am going to work on it during January, along with the reading list and the online modules!

Creative3 Pitch 101 Webinar

Today, I logged into the Creative3 Pitch 101 Webinar, hosted by Philippe Ceulen of QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA). This was my second go at attending this event. I originally signed up for the physical workshop that took place in QUT Kelvin Grove. But it was not to be and so I was grateful for the webinar 2nd chance!

While I attended a few Startup Weekends, I always seem to miss the pitch workshops. Mostly because I wasn't going to be the one doing the final pitch and usually there was something else that needed to be done while the workshop was on. I also missed to the pitch afternoons that were part of pre-events. As a result, this was my first time I got an extended presentation on pitching.

I am not going to recap everything Philippe covered, but I wanted to highlight three resources that Philippe highlighted. Namely, the Only 10 Slides You Need in Your Pitch which remains the gold standard for pitching but that Philippe extended by two slides. I did take a screenshot of Philippe's slide list but I can't find it. But I know the last slide was "contact" and we had a discussion about how it's important to make sure the contact slide contains up to date information.  Might seem like a small thing but the early life of startups is about transitions. So it's not unusual to find broken websites and emails that bounce. Unfortunately, every failure to connect is potentially a lost opportunity. So the "contact us" slide is very important.

Figure 1: Dramatic Structure

The other two resources Philippe shared were around the need to tell a story. I think we all know that most humans are not good with facts and figures but we do remember stories. Whenever pitching is mentioned, the "tell a story" aspect is always emphasised. But Philippe made the explicit connection to the dramatic structure, using Figure 1.

Being a fiction writer who is actively writing a fantasy novel, I am of course familiar with the dramatic structure. But I didn't think about trying to think of a pitch in that context. To that end, Philippe pointed us to "The mountain pass, the berries and the princess" by Alan Jones, who is an entrepreneur in residence at QUT's accelerators. I am looking forward to reading the article.

So yes, Pitching 101 as an afternoon well spent, in my opinion! To finish this post off, I'll just mention that the workshop was held to promote and get potential participants ready for Creative3 Pitch competition. I am keen to see how the event unfolds. It should be fun!