Over the past several years, I’ve been engaged with the startup community on a bunch of levels – mentor, interim C suite, sounding board, product/experience/design consultant. At the same time I’ve been honing and documenting the Superhuman toolkit, which contains frameworks for addressing a range of issues that most (if not all) businesses face at some point. And since I see a lot of startups in need of these kinds of tools, I’ve been doing a good bit of thinking about how to get this stuff out into the world and make it more accessible to those who need it.
At first I thought the answer would be a how-to book around the toolkit, but as I’ve begun to work through the actual writing, I’m no longer convinced it’s enough. The tools are simple and the outcomes straightforward and clear, but getting from the blank framework to the usable outcome doesn’t just take time. The process needs to be approached with a different frame of mind, and that usually needs some hands-on guidance. So I’ve been experimenting with ways to streamline the consulting process to make it more affordable for business owners with smaller budgets. The outcome is Superventions.
Superventions are packaged mini-engagements designed specifically for startups. They contain, in the words of one client, “everything you need to frame a business” and you can get results in as little as a week.
The trick to making this offer affordable has been sharing the workload with clients, which also has another benefit – by collaborating, clients learn the process on a deeper level than if I simply went away, did the work and presented the final outcomes. It helps ensure we’re all on the same page and everyone’s thoughts and ideas are included, because we’ve both put our input and expertise into the process.
So have a look at the Superventions (there’s also a downloadable PDF here) and tell me what you think – does this resonate with you? What would you change?
Looking forward to working with you!
[NB: the tools and process used in these engagements also scale for our work with larger corporations]