More Than Just Bread With Nutella.

​Over the past few weeks, my friends have countlessly asked me: "what will your Innovation Academy business be?"A question which I'd answer by saying that Loor, Chiara and I are starting a company dedicated to serving delicious bread bombs filled with hazelnut cream. I'd elaborate on our mission and attempt to paint them a mental image of the product and our goals, however, regardless of my detailed explanations, I'd persistently receive the same response: "So basically just bread with Nutella, right?" But contrary to common belief, BombZ is much more than just that.

There are multiple aspects that my team and I, as a business, have to oversee. Starting with the logistics department, we have to contact suppliers of materials like bread, hazelnut cream and the papers for distributing the product. This process alone takes time and effort, and will have to be complemented by a financial analysis of the costs and the prices that our product will have. Once the materials and the fees have been sorted out, we have to worry about the marketing of our business and the communication to our customer sectors. Not only this, but defining who our audience is, and catering specifically to them will be what makes BombZ succeed.

But before even worrying about the operations, we have to build a brand. Think of the personality our business will attain, and the purpose by which we, as a team, stand. This was the first step Chiara, Ariana and I decided to take. We opted to define BombZ by determining its mission, logo, and core values, something we were able to accomplish this within first few days of class. I believe that we were extremely productive throughout the branding stage, and we have an attractive logo to prove this. Nevertheless, while efficiency was high through the start of the week, I do believe that we could have challenged each other more by the end. There are various tasks to be completed, and right now it feels like we are a little scattered. Granted, only one week has passed since we began working in this business, but it is important acknowledging the problems early on.

In my opinion, the root of the issue emerged a while ago when we decided as a group that our roles should not be set in stone. Ariana took on the job of the leader, and we decided to divide marketing between both of us. Logistics was Chiara's task, and I was left to do finance as well. As you may see, we were all over the place. Having such ambiguity led to our expectations being vague, all of which caused an imbalance in work and vast confusion. We were asking ourselves what to do next when in reality that should not even be a question. There is so much to do at the start of business development that a second should never be wasted. 

Upon realizing this, I began thinking of solutions. My mind kept reminding me of the iWeek culture problem, where we found each other neglecting many systems due to lack of accountability. The only way I see we can make sure our business is always productive is to define the tasks and make sure we are holding each other responsible for fulfilling our roles. 

So if you ask me if BombZ is "just bread with Nutella," I would have to disagree. BombZ is a business dedicated to adding joy to our customers, and the journey towards achieving this will not be an easy one. We are only one week into this company, and challenges have already emerged. Nevertheless, although three people are not many, I find comfort in knowing that I am part of a team of excellent workers and am confident that we will figure it out. GO BOMBZ!