oo8. Business Models

  1. Polarize people.
    Kawasaki says not to be afraid of polarizing people and limiting our audience because then we can narrow down our focus on a particular target audience. Instead of trying to make a general and broad documentary on the issue of maternal mortality, we will want to make it specific and focus on one thing. Whether that one thing is specifically about bringing awareness in Sierra Leone or reaching out to Western audiences who are able to contribute resources, we will want to keep our film’s scope narrow. If we can kill two birds with one stone (bringing awareness), then that would be great too.
  2. Weave a MAT
    It is important that we make milestones that we want to achieve, whether in terms of research or camera/editing work. I tend to have a short attention span so I quickly change between research topics instead of digging deeper into the one I am currently studying. By setting milestones, I can focus on one thing at a time. Additionally, it is important to write down any assumptions that I would want to test once I am on the field. That way, I can go in prepared and I won’t waste time wondering what I need to do. Finally, I will complete tasks that will allow me to accomplish the milestones or test my assumptions. Ideas and plans mean nothing if I do not execute them through tasks.
  3. Increase the quality of life.
    It is essential that we understand the purpose of our project. We need to build morale and motivation to help us push through in times when we are in an inspirational slump. We should aim to make meaning for our customers by increasing the quality of life. It’s important for us to understand our customers and understand what their problem or need is so that we can aim to increase the quality of their lives. We can’t just go in blind and do what we think will improve their lives. We have to assess the problem properly first.
  4. 10 slides (title, problem, solution, business model, underlying magic, marketing and sales, competition, team, projections, status and timelines)
    This one is just helpful for us when we make presentations for our project.
  5. ignore the irrelevant
    It’s easy to get discouraged and unmotivated when we don’t know much about camera work or documentary making and we’ve never visited the country but that shouldn’t matter. Regardless of our lack of a certain skill, we should remember our passion and the purpose of us making this documentary. We should work hard based off of that passion.

Business model:

  1. Value proposition: We are creating a documentary aiming to spread awareness in Sierra Leone as well as Western audiences. The problem is the high MMR and the lack of infrastructure leading to it. There are efforts being made to reduce it but the lack of resources prevents them from going so far so they need help acquiring those resources which Western audiences may be able to provide when they are aware of the problem.
  2. Customer Segments: My customers are the people in Sierra Leone and by extension, Western audiences. We want to spread awareness by desensitizing the Sierra Leonean community and inspiring Western audiences to make an action.
  3. Channels: Once the film is undergoing its process of editing and the narrative has been determined, we will be reaching out to organizations and corporations to spread the film on various platforms.
  4. customer relationships: We will have to look into how our film can be shown throughout rural Sierra Leonean communities and think about how we can make its impact tangible and measurable. I don’t want this to just be a short film they see and not do anything about afterward so we have to figure out how we want our film to motivate action.
  5. Revenue streams: our documentary will be free to the public audience and the returning value to them is the awareness and the resilience portrayed in the film. We want others to see the efforts being implemented by the professional health care system and local community members and how Western audiences can help in the process.
  6. Resources: We’ll need filmmaking equipment as well as funding to push out the film onto different platforms once it is finished.
  7. Partners: We have Stephanie Veto to guide us through the technical aspects of our project. And we’ll also have a translator on the ground to help us when needed.
  8. Activities: We’ll need to interview various people and test our assumptions on the field so that we have a better sense of what our narrative will be. Then we’ll have to edit and organize our videos once we have them.
  9. Costs: Our project doesn’t really require a lot of costs at the moment since Lehigh provides the camera and editing equipment. Our only costs are finding funding for the fieldwork.

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