We were dining at an Italian restaurant, downtown area, after our business plan competition ended. Nobody of our side won the game but we celebrated our milestones anyways. It had been almost 9 months with serveral products testing, market validating, strategic planning and business presenting. The event took about 2 days but we were there for a week, spending our days and nights in the hotel fixing our strategy and rehearsing our presentation.
For us, EnerSav, this had marked the end of our journey. It was heartbrokening to come only this far and were not able to attend more bigger competitions in Texas nor Portland (No shopping in US TT). We were basically not one of the finalist chosen by the school but we were fortunate enough to be selected by the Ivey Business School, and so our 9-months of hard work were not wasted. While dining, Aj. Bill specifically asked our team individually to share our learning curve with the group. There were so much that I want to say but I could not manage to speak a word. I was feeling overwhelmed and tongue-tighted. Two of us shared our experience while the rest sat back and jetlagged.
As a design-based professional with rare business management background, this had been somewhat a great learning experience. The way that the syllabus at MIM is structured, has navigated me into the profession of marketing management, in the sense of entrepreneurship. First it gives you a handful of theory and then second it challenges you to apply the theory into real business practice. Only if you get out of your comfort zone, all the way to challenge your potential, hell boy! you will surely make the most out of everything. So firstly the experience has comprehensively broaden and deepen my understanding in business, not only marketing. It gave the opportunit to get of my own office to talk to people, analyze information and strategically transform them into achievable plan.
Secondly it would be about team player. My team had been a handful of a character, individually. But I truly appreciate that none of us dominate the group so we took turn to lead and challenge each other assumption. We always had our armours on and swords in our hands ready to make war. Compare to other teams that I had witnessed, our team was the most violent verbally and mentally. We did fight a lot - almost ripped off each other’s head. But of course the sole purpose was to achieve the best outcome and it was never personal.
I believe that by looking at the namelist once 3 Moot team were chose, nobody from our classes thought our team would have won the game anyways - not even within the batch, let go of the competition. Although we felt worthless but that was definitely not the excuse to make us work lesser. Instead we took that and drive our performance as a team. We may not have the noticable wits but we were, are and always be the best presenting team.
If there is anything I feel thankful about MIM, that will surely be the PJW :)