We are in a time of change. More and more people are searching for meaning. Millennials in particular are a driver of this movement. They often seek their personal purpose, are in search of enriching experiences and want to live and act more sustainably.
But the desire for a more fulfilling life can rarely be matched with the comfortable routine. Getting started is usually the most difficult step. This problem gave Prof. Dr Thomas Suwelack the idea to found the start-up 21Done.
The platform combines the offerings of small, local companies that provide services for personal growth with people who long for holistic experiences and support in their personal development.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Suwelack lets his students from the Master Brand Innovation participate in the process of building a start-up. In his seminars and in practical projects, they can experience first-hand what it means to create a company from an idea and actively shape the process.
One of these occasions is the practice project in the 3rd semester. In their final project, the Master’s students apply their concentrated knowledge from their studies to a specific topic. Five of them researched different tasks for 21Done.
For example, some took on B2B communication for the acquisition of service partners. Others concentrated on optimising the website. The Brand Research Lab was also used for this. Technologies such as eye tracking and facial expression analysis helped to closely examine the user experience.
In the final presentation, the students shared their findings with the founder and his core team. It became clear which aspects of the still young business are already well received and where it needs to be optimised. Based on their analysis results, the students developed strategy approaches and identified which topics the 21Done team should focus on next.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Suwelack is enthusiastic about the results of his students, whom he accompanied both as a practice partner and as a teacher: “Each of the five students made a great contribution to important topics concerning the design and presentation of 21Done. Also because they themselves are the core target group, they were able to empathise very well with the topics of the start-up and sketch out helpful ideas for solutions.”
