The Perspective
In the beginning of this
project, I was close of winning about 10000 Euros in a competition directed
towards final-year students of the Swedish Gymnasium in Sweden.
The
competition rules were easy: Describe what dream you would like to fulfil if
you won the money. I described my goal, to buy a sailboat and sail around the
world in it. They discovered me, and I was elected together with 5 other
participants in the competition to get featured on their website. In the end
I never won the money. I was instead able to get my hands on a cheap Hurley 22
for 1000 euro.
This was back in 2014, I was
18, just getting out of high-school without money but with a head filled with
motivation and determination to realize my one single dream: to acquire
unlimited freedom in my young years to explore myself, the world and the sea,
and as well acquire time to create. A boat was the key to my freedom and self-fulfilment.
The Question
of Today
That was 4 years ago. Today
I'm 23 years old, much richer, both in money and in knowledge, such as French
and mathematics, problem solving techniques and project management. And when I
think of my aging dream, to acquire ultimate ability and freedom to explore and
create in this world, in a sustainable but highly adventurous manner, on the
sea sailing, I get the same feeling of potential as I had when I started. And I
get eager to pursue work in accordance to that potential.
And I ask the question repeatedly
to myself: is it worth to continue study?
My wisdom says yes; It is, because a degree in Innovation Engineering is very
good for an aspiring entrepreneur to have, it is a mark-of-proof that the
person can handle innovation projects and succeed with them. It is also good training
ground before the real work starts. It is possible to fail, it is not your money
and time that is spent, it is the governments money. To get paid for creating a
business is a fantastic opportunity.
The subject of choice for me
is to create a boat that proves the idea of ultimate and unresistable freedom
on the water. A boat that offers to its user a simpler life that is more adapted
to our current situation, where we define our lives on internet, and where we must
travel sustainable, and feel that the quality of our life is great, and that
our effort having a low footprint on the environment is at the same time successful.
The Problem –
Time
But there is not enough time
for that now. I have only one year left of my studies, and a boat takes awfully
long time to build, even a small one. To that opportunity, the door is shut.
However, it would have been
enough time if I initiated such a project in the beginning of my studies in
Halmstad. But I didn’t, despite I was writing to myself that I would. Why didn’t
I?
I realised why during my
second year in university. It was because I had not yet given to myself before I
tried to give to others. I had built a
theory, a vision and a why that had little connection to
personal experience to the subject itself: Sailing on the sea, the life of a live-aboard,
becoming a self-directed learner and experienced in maintaining relationships in
a travelling through internet, as a traveller and boatowner. I could therefore
not pursue the ideas and visions I had, even though the thought on freedom on
the seas had occupied my mind daily since I was 18 years old.
This is also the reason why I
avoid praising about the subject too much, on blogs and in the daily life. I
cannot encourage an idea to others I am not myself representing. It was fine during
Southbound and Solo, but during my studying years I didn’t feel the
qualification just as much, also, I had my mind on mathematics and a lot of other
new stuff that entered my mind at that time.
There is a difference between
theory and experience. For example, Elon Musk had the idea of an electrical car
start-up long time before he decided to invest in Tesla. The moment he decided
was when he got a ride in their sportscar prototype. It was first when he
experienced the product himself he got involved in the work of the
entrepreneur, to share the product with the rest of humanity. Become the change you want to see. That
is step number 1. I can therefore not build a boat and start to sell it. First,
I need a prototype and the self-earned experience on the sea that proves my
theory.
I still have this work in front of me. I
am not a liveaboard sailor. I have not yet experienced the sea, and I’m
therefore yet unqualified to contribute in the area.
An entrepreneur must be
determined the product has value to the customers before launching the business.
The realization of a prototype creates that assurance of delivering direct
value to the customer. If the prototype fails, no customer has been involved
and the trust in the idea is maintained.
This is the reason the CEO
talks in broad strokes about the vision and the why about the company, and not about the
product specifically. The product is just a footprint of the status of the
business ability to realize the vision to the customer. It has nothing to do
with the product. However, it is necessary for the entrepreneur to take a leap
of faith in the process of reaching the end-goal, a satisfying prototype in accordance
to the vision of the business. Here UNITI and Lewis Horne is a good example, it
was his vision, which was based on brainstorming with POST-IT notes in a dorm,
that realized the promising prototypes he has now showed to the investors and
customers.
The idea can be clarified by
talking to customers, but it will not be enough. To be able to know how they experience
the product, it is necessary to put on the shoes of the customer, to be the
customers yourself. As an entrepreneur,
you are an interpreter of the customer’s needs and wants, and the interpreter must
know the language and the subject to be able to interpret effectively towards
greater value. Keep in mind: The customer does not work for better value,
because it doesn’t plan to start a business on its ideas. The ideas and opinions
are extremely valuable, but they are not law, and should not be treated as
such. It is between the lines that the value lies.
The Third
Year
So,
the third year lies ahead, and the following thought appears: what if I sign up
to something that is not going in the same direction as myself? The subject is
Mental illness, depression and loneliness. Very interesting subjects for a
person that want to encourage people to get even more lonely on boats. (ironically,
but still true). But is there time for such a project, and will it work, and
will I learn what I ought to learn? It is a lot of work, especially if one aims
on becoming the best group.
Also, Sven Yrvind is back in
Sweden and has begun the work on the new cruiser. He needs money. Perhaps we
can make a good collaboration, realise the visions together, and get two boats
ready for the seas. Doing that is inspiring and great. It will create synergy
effects. It will be in accordance to your purpose in life, to demonstrate the
potential of sailing and the freedom it gives. It is truly an opportunity.
However, when one reflects
upon it, the time and effort for building a boat is perhaps never compatible
with studying in university. It is just too much construction time and too costly,
focusing on the academics becomes too hard at the same time. It is only one
year left, and if you chose a subject which will benefit from the resources available
in the school, for example a subject in illness, the leverage will become
greater and the profit higher. It is very risky combining innovating boat
building with academics, because of the complexity of the problem. Better to
stand on own feet with Yrvind after school, as a separate innovation project.
Then the resources will be better for such an project.
Alternatively, you finish
the prototype, sail it, and then return to school to finish your studies. But the
question arises, how prepared will you then be to confront the last year with
success?
Perhaps quite so, you will have
a lot of time to reflect as you sail. But still, it will be another chapter in
your life, will you even have the motivation to finish the studies?
After all – Do you want to
have a degree in innovation engineering?