This is the final experiment in our 2023 monthly series on interpreneurship, #12 of 12, designed to get you inspired, thinking creatively, and organized in the pursuit of bold life ambitions of deep personal meaning. (Click on the numbers to read the January through November experiments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10, 11.)
So here we are, the end of the year. If you’ve been following this series since January and running the experiments month by month (bravo!), you should have a good start on:
finding your WHAT’S NEXT? interprize (a grand, dare we say audacious, legacy ambition of deep personal meaning, Experiments 1 and 2),
identifying the resources needed to pursue it effectively (Experiment 4),
optimizing its concept design to maximize your passion for the project (Experiment 5),
conjuring an authentic, powerful brand (Experiment 6),
developing early prototypes for feedback from allies (Experiment 7),
selecting the most effective channel to touch patrons (Experiment 10),
drawing out a timeline to interprize launch (Experiment 11),
and adopting a regime of balance to keep you resilient, energized, and motivated (Experiment 8).
That’s a lot, but there’s one final consideration: your interprize reveal.
Startups need a pitch: a concise statement – understandable, irrefutable, and irresistible – that captures the appeal of their concept in under 60 seconds. The pitch is a powerful statement, invaluable in those unanticipated situations – perhaps standing in an elevator or waiting for a coffee – when the aspiring entrepreneur realizes that person right there is a big investor, targeted customer, or key hire who can take their startup to the next level. Okay, 3 deep breaths, calm the nerves, … oh, hey aren’t you…?
The entrepreneur’s elevator pitch is at its core a short story; very short. Interpreneurs need a story too. You may or may not be seeking investors. You may or may not be seeking customers in the traditional sense. But there is an audience eager for your interprize. Seek them out, tell them your story, and share your gift.
The greatest value of any pursuit is unlocked when shared with the world. Yours may not yet be launched and may never be fully realized. And that’s okay. Your dogged commitment to pursuing this defining ambition will inspire others. (Note that 9 out of 10 startups fail, yet through my 25 years in the world of entrepreneurship I’ve never, ever met a founder who’s regretted making that effort. Most are planning their next venture while standing on the grave their former dream.)
Unveiling experiment
Firstly, enjoy this final experiment, find delight in running it. The story of your greatest ambition should be one that thrills you to write and excites you to share. If you’re not getting a tingle reading that, maybe you need to reconsider the ambition?
Create 2 lists of short, bulleted responses to these questions:
How will you be fulfilled by the pursuit of this grand ambition, your interprize? This list should explain the big question WHY.
What value will your patrons/customers/admirers gain from the pursuit of this grand ambition? This list should explain the big question WHAT.
Driving off these 2 lists, write a short story that you can deliver in 60 seconds or less (our attention spans are short these days!) that explains in vivid terms what your interprize is and why it’s important, both to your patrons and yourself.
Is the story consistent with your Mission? Will it help optimize your Wheel of Life and contribute to the eulogy you want delivered? Is the story on brand? Is it drawing on your resources and delivering real value to those you serve? Revisit earlier experiments if you’re not convinced, then redo the story.
As with all earlier experiments, walk away from your work for an hour and then a day, and return when in different moods and changes in sunlight. Tweak and optimize as needed.
Now, when will you be ready to tell your story to others, to unveil your interprize? The November experiment on launch timing will help. Maybe you’re eager now, maybe you prefer to remain in stealth mode until your confidence and comfort are higher. Set a date and commit to it.
Finally, who will hear your interprize pitch? Perhaps you’ve already been sending up trial balloons about this or that project you’ve been considering. Now that you’re serious, committed, and ready to share, who will be the lucky audience?
With the workshops I run on startup creation the afternoon of the final day is always reserved for a pitching competition amongst the teams. It’s their time to shine: what’s the brilliant innovation and its go-to-market strategy? Teams tend to start with a short, compelling elevator pitch to set the hook, then delve into the details.
Our Life Leap Workshops also finish with big reveals. It’s your I Have a Dream moment about what’s next and everyone is at the edge of their seats. This is my bold life ambition, my interprize, this is why it fills me with so much passion, and this is how I’m going to pursue it. Sharing this, being on record for that vision and commitment, will be an exhilarating start to next leap in your life. Now it’s time. Let’s go!
If you want to know more about the art of interpreneurship and the work we do at the Interprize Group contact us here, or ping me directly at bill@interprizegroup.com.
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