The next day we started working. The work was not just limited to the defined scope but to an extent that you could contribute. I had worked on various aspects of business like the positioning of Fitnapp services and in continuation, I had analysed the digital media content and defined what type of content should be used in media in line with the positioning that company is aiming for. In between, when we found some breathing time we used to read about our competitors and tried gaining some insights. For a while, we worked on investor pitches and financial projections for the next three years taking the expansion strategy into consideration. Some of the intrinsic experiences that I got are invaluable, the more we learn the more ignorance we discover.
The first twenty-four days gave me a wide exposure to various aspects of business. We took pride in working late nights and finishing a major chunk of work that was to be completed. It was then, we decided to work on generating revenue for the business which is vital for investors' pitch as well. Two ways of revenue generation were recognized, direct on app sale and through b2b. Further b2b is divided into institutional sales, corporate fitness solutions, and strategic alliances.
I worked on strategic alliances for the next 34 days. I had the opportunity to give lots of inputs from my side and I rendered support for colleagues and founders whenever and wherever required. I figured out various segments and companies that I had to target that would be of strategic importance. I had contacted more than fifty companies and finally bonded with more than eight companies. I had executed the agreed alliance and brought out some interesting offers for Fitnapp customers which increase the number of downloads and plans sold.
Important learnings:
1. It is important to be short and effective in communication. Once I had just two minutes to convince a country business head of a major fitness wearable company.
2. I had met founders of many start-ups and there were times we had interesting and inspiring discussions about intricacies of business their learnings in the industry.
3. It is very important to love what you do. When you meet people, a thorough research about them helps to bridge connections. Once I received a phone call from a lady telling me her name, and I spelt her full name and she was amazed that I knew her by the last name. Later when we met I spoke to her in another language, she again wondered how come I knew about the languages she spoke, which no one in her office knew. Of course, it was a successful business alliance.
Overall it was a great experience to work in a start-up. The most satisfying thing that I could see was that my work was generating business. Two days before I completed my internship I trained another newly joined member on how to handle strategic alliances. This was far more satisfying when one day he texted me thanking me for the insights. He mentioned that they were extremely useful and he could use them in bringing bigger names for strategic alliances. Hopefully, Fitnapp would do a great business with fitness solutions and expand its horizons.
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