My Innovate Readiness Training (IRT) Experience.
Innovation is the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods to get better results with less work. Merriam. webster.com dictionary
A new idea or method, or the use of new ideas and methods. cambridge.org dictionary
I have always had a passion for solving people's problems, that deep concern at how better things can be done, or can there be an easier way out of this?
Before I enrolled in the Novustack fellowship program, I always thought that solving these problems will only require top-level genius and BIG technology. Over the course of the month of Jan 2022, my definition of innovation and approach to solving human problems was expanded. With my UI/UX design skills I had the privilege of pursuing Product Management training. This post seeks to provide a documentary of my insight into what the past four weeks of the Innovative Readiness Training serve.
Novustack as an organization is creating the next generation of African Innovators. They do this by identifying, training, and supporting aspiring African talents like me to add value to startups. Novustack IFA program seeks to incorporate innovation, grit, collaboration, growth mindset, inclusion, and diversity amongst her fellows.
The Novustack team consists of experienced educators, entrepreneurs, and consultants who are passionate about building powerful learning experiences and preparing their fellows to make a difference in their communities.
IRT though rigorous, I can attest that it was carefully planned not just to teach but to ensure fellows get hands-on strategies at solving human problems through innovation. The synchronous and asynchronous sessions were entirely virtual. There were workshops and sessions with several guest speakers, and the fellows implemented the following in the course of the one-month training period.
Design Thinking
Strategic Analysis
Hard Skills Lab
Personal Branding
Being vocal and an excellent communicator (oral and written); the first thing I learned even from the interview stage is to always ensure every member of my team is carried along, feel a sense of belonging, voices are heard and respected, and are allowed to contribute. As an aspiring Product Manager, OI took that all through the training and will ensure it stays beyond.
Design Thinking
I and the other fellows applied our design thinking in an intense two-week hackathon, identifying a problem and proffering a viable solution. I collaborated with a team of 5 fellows with different skill backgrounds to proffer a tech-based solution to the communication gap among learners and tutors across digital education platforms. As a team, after identifying the problem we conducted interviews among our target audiences, create a clear problem statement, and came up with a prototype. At the end of the second week of IRT, we pitched our solution to our facilitators and judges. My team finished at a close second place with a grade of 68 points. Check the project InPACT case study for more information on the project.
Strategic Analysis
This strategy involves researching an organization and its working environment in order to develop a plan. With this, I learned how to conduct detailed research into a company, brand, or organization. We were taught how and preceded to conduct extensive research and strategic decision making using the following analysis tools
SMART - Strengths, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threat.
STEEPLE - Social, Technological, Economic, Political, and Environmental Factors
PESTELE - Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal, Ethical
Hard Skills Lab
As part of Novustack's effort to expose her fellows to industry experience, we were grouped into a separate team from the hackathon, and each team was tasked with working with a startup on a consultancy project. My team worked with ABETEC Business Solutions, in Kenya. With this project, I was able to enhance not just my leadership skills, but also my communication skill, product design as a UI/UX designer, and improving my Product Management skill.
The hard skill lab ran n concurrently from the first week of IRT, and at the end of the fourth week, my team did a PowerPoint presentation of our deliverables to the client. This includes
Roadmap for the project
Product Requirement Document
Prototype of the proposed redesign of the ABETEC website.
Kindly check the details of the ABETEC Project case study for more information.
Guest Speakers
We had incredible sessions with guest speakers where we got to hear them talk about their life experiences, from hardships to accomplishments and everything in between. Being exposed to such information and experiences from diverse fields was extremely enlightening.
Some key takeaways from these sessions are;
Before considering a career change, keep the following in mind:
You must be focused and motivated, be devoted to what you want to achieve, and be willing to put in the necessary effort.
Prepare yourself for personal development.
A career is a lot of hard work.
Prepare to make a road map.
Find accessible resources for the job and be dedicated to it.
Careers should not be devoid of passion.
More passion leads to increased motivation.
Find out what you’re strong at and what your weaknesses are.
Figure out what you want to do with your life.
When you want to move to the next level the first thing that shifts is your mind)
Opposition shouldn’t keep you from moving forward but should cause you to expand and learn.
Personal Branding
People will definitely go online trying to find you or to know more about you; what do you think they will find? Yes, I had always maintained a consistent brand across social media channels, but with the help of this session, I learned and improved on it as this is vital in one's career journey. "What sets me apart from the rest of my pack? or What distinguishes me from them?". These are some of the questions I addressed while re-carving a better Curriculum Vitae that exclude buzzwords and include well sought-after skills and experiences that I possess. Now not just my C.V, but my LinkedIn profile has been optimized and this amazing portfolio website which you are reading my first blog post. Thanks to Novustack for all these.
Mentor, Mentee Relationship
I will forever be grateful to Novustack for providing me with an amazing mentor Mrs Bisi Josh-Falade who especially cares, and is always on the lookout for my progress along this journey. Below is a snippet of what our conversation is before scheduling calls. She is amazing!
Reflections and Insights
Like I said in my LinkedIn post on the 2nd two weeks of IRT review, It was a long month of Jan 2022 with Novustack infusing excellence and drilling the best from her fellows. The best part of this program was having a supportive community, the entire Novustack team, the mentors, the hard and soft skill coaches, and the other fellows.
2022 started on a brighter note for me because of Novustack. I have not only learned to be a better product designer and product manager but also how to be better creatively and with a sound innovative mindset. Going forward, I look forward to using these enhanced skills and knowledge to positively contribute to startups by tackling challenging problems people are facing using a user-centered design approach. I will always embrace continuous learning and iteration.
IRT Jan 2022 did not just end ordinarily for me, but with some awards and recognitions, they are
Most Collaborative Fellow
Constructive Engagements
Exemplary Assignments
Ultimate Novustack Value Award
I honestly didn't see all these coming, I was just giving my best as usual and ensuring my team deliver the best as well. Like a teammate said, "Congrats on the awards, you deserve it" I embrace it and I am grateful to the entire Novustack team for the privilege and opportunity for this amazing program. Novustack is the best.