2. StartupScholarship Phase 2 Application - May 2013
Prodsmart is a company aimed at boosting productivity in
factories.
Their analysis includes not only the objective, plain-obvious data,
such as time the employee passes away from its workspace,
absentism and other data, but also measures the relative
productivity of each one of the factory’s team members,
highlighting the most productive, the most motivated.
This also helps the Human Resources sector, because it very clerly
shows the state of the team, and the possible problems it may be
hiding. If the productivity is being negatively affected, Prodsmart
makes it easy to find out why (or who). This goes way beyond the
traditional “Productivity Analysis” that is generally done.
3. Marketing (or “What can I do for you”)
Prodsmart’s work is largely unknown, and we need to find a way to make it the
first thing to pop into the mind of a Production Director in Portugal.
HOW?
The Academic Approach - Creating a real Case Study, and mediatize it, hopefully creating
discussion about it throughout society. For this, we would need a client, dramatic results and the
elimination of external factors that can be argued to have helped us. The stronger the brand of
the client, the stronger this approach is.
The Dramatic Approach - The common air-time on TVs is probably around 20h, and the
newspapers usually have around 52 pages. Here’s the plan: We approach some media organs,
and try to boost their productivity, to make them largely exceed those numbers with the same
resources. This is not our “habitat”, it’s not our core business, but we have the know-how,
nevertheless, and I believe we can do it. The results would be (hopefully) shocking, giving us the
recognizement that we need to ensure growth.
StartupScholarship Phase 2 Application - May 2013
4. Why me?
I’m probably the youngest candidate here, which is as much of a handicap as it is a
strength. It’s a strength because I have plenty of time to learn before I enter the market,
and therefore, I’m sure I will be a very competent and capable professional when I finish
my University. Also, being young means I’m full of ideas, and these are the root of
Marketing.
Yes, some of those ideas are impracticable, or downright maniac. But some say (and I
agree) that some of the most revolutionary ideas, when launched, are right at the
borderline of sanity! And therefore, I believe I can’t be too far off what’s required.
Also, I’m great at communication, and I believe this is a strength to have when convincing
the media that they have an interest on working with us. Communication is their area, is
something they instinctively learn to recognize and admire (or despise).
This, allied again to the age, makes me a valuable asset, because if I pass this stage, and
end up as an intern on your company, it’s an incredibly rare situation, and will surely
attract some attention that we can focus on our business and our products.
StartupScholarship Phase 2 Application - May 2013
5. And (probably what you’re thinking
on) – Why shouldn’t you choose me?
I made a powerpoint full of text even though I’m a strong defender of the
“as few words as possible” policy on this kind of presentations.
I’m not on University yet (Maybe this means I can think even further out of
the box, so maybe not a problem!)
…?
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Thank you for your time!
StartupScholarship Phase 2 Application - May 2013
