CREVOLUTIONZ

(Illustrations : Collaboration Between CREVOLUTIONZ x #HACK4ID Gerakan 1000 Startup Digital Hub9 I 14-15 October 2023)

Hello CREVOLUTIONZ Friends’. Are you a startup activist? A startup activist is someone who uses their business skills to create positive social impact through their ventures. Startup activists are not only entrepreneurs but also changemakers who want to make a difference in the world.

If you are a startup activist or aspire to be one, you might be interested in some tips on how to use your business skills to solve social problems. Here are some tips based on the book “Startup Activist: How to Use Your Business Skills to Solve Social Problems” by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer, who are experts in the field of social.

1. Identify a Social Problem that you are Passionate about

The first step to becoming a startup activist is to identify a social problem that you are passionate about and that you want to solve. A social problem is a challenge that affects weal of people and the planet, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, or health.

You can do some research and analysis to understand the problem better, such as:

a. Reading books, articles, reports, or blogs on the topic.

b. Watching documentaries, videos, or podcasts on the topic.

c. Talking to experts, practitioners, or beneficiaries on the topic.

d. Visiting or volunteering in the field or context of the problem.

By identifying a social problem that you are passionate about, you will have a clear purpose and motivation for your venture. You will also be able to communicate your vision and mission to others more effectively.

2. Measure Your Social Impact and Track Your Progress

The second step to becoming a startup activist is to measure your social impact and track your progress. Social impact is the effect of your action or intervention on the weal of people and the planet, such as reducing poverty, improving health, or protecting the environment.

You can also use some tools and frameworks to help you measure your social impact, such as:

a. The Theory of Change, which is a tool that helps you map out the logic and assumptions behind your venture, from the problem to the solution to the impact.

b. The Logic Model, which is a tool that helps you describe the inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact of your venture.

c. The Social Return on Investment (SROI), which is a tool that helps you calculate the social value that your venture creates for your stakeholders, compared to the cost of your venture.

By measuring your social impact and tracking your progress, you will be able to evaluate your performance and effectiveness, learn from your successes and failures, and improve your venture over time. You will also be able to demonstrate your value and credibility to your stakeholders, such as customers, investors, partners, and beneficiaries.

3. Design a Sustainable and Scalable Business Model

The third step to becoming a startup activist is to design a sustainable and scalable business model. A business model is the way that your venture creates, delivers, and captures value, both economic and social, for your stakeholders.

To design a sustainable and scalable business model, you need to consider some elements, such as:

a. Your value proposition, which is the unique benefit that your venture offers to your customers or beneficiaries.

b. Your revenue streams, which are the sources of income that your venture generates from your customers or beneficiaries.

c. Your cost structure, which are the expenses that your venture incurs to operate and deliver your value proposition.

d. Your key resources, which are the assets that your venture needs to create and deliver your value proposition.

e. Your key activities, which are the actions that your venture performs to create and deliver your value proposition.

f. Your key partnerships, which are the relationships that your venture establishes with other entities that help you create and deliver your value proposition.

g. Your customer segments, which are the groups of people or organizations that your venture serves or targets with your value proposition.

You can also use some tools and frameworks to help you design your business model, such as:

a. The Business Model Canvas, which is a tool that helps you visualize and test your business model on a single page.

b. The Lean Startup, which is a methodology that helps you validate your business model through experimentation and feedback.

c. The Social Business Model Canvas, which is a tool that helps you integrate your social impact and financial sustainability into your business model.

By designing a sustainable and scalable business model, you will be able to create value for your stakeholders, both economic and social, and ensure the long-term viability and growth of your venture. You will also be able to differentiate yourself from your competitors and attract more customers, investors, and partners.

4. Build Partnerships and Collaborate with Other Stakeholders

The fourth step to becoming a startup activist is to build partnerships and collaborate with other stakeholders. Stakeholders are the entities that have an interest or influence in your venture, such as customers, investors, partners, beneficiaries, governments, nonprofits, and communities.

You can also use some tools and frameworks to help you build partnerships and collaborate with other stakeholders, such as:

a. The Stakeholders Mapping, which is a tool that helps you identify and prioritize your stakeholders based on their power and interest in your venture.

b. The Stakeholders Analysis, which is a tool that helps you understand and manage your stakeholders based on their needs, expectations, and interests in your venture.

c. The Collective Impact, which is a framework that helps you collaborate with other stakeholders to achieve large-scale social change, based on a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support.

By building partnerships and collaborating with other stakeholders, you will be able to leverage their resources, expertise, and networks, and increase your impact and reach. You will also be able to create a shared vision and mission and align your goals, and actions with them.

5. Be Creative and Innovative in your Solutions

The fifth and final step to becoming a startup activist is to be creative and innovative in your solutions. Creativity is the ability to generate new and original ideas, and innovation is the ability to implement these ideas into reality.

You can also use some tools and techniques to help you be creative and innovative in your solutions, such as:

a. Design Thinking, which is a methodology that helps you empathize with your users, define the problem, ideate the solution, prototype the solution, and test the solution.

b. Brainstorming, which is a technique that helps you generate a large number of ideas in a short time, without judgment or criticism.

c. The SCAMPER, which is a technique that helps you improve an existing idea by asking questions based on the words: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.

By being creative and innovative in your solutions, you will be able to create solutions that are more effective, efficient, and desirable for your users and stakeholders. You will also be able to differentiate yourself from your competitors and create a competitive advantage.

Conclusion

Becoming a startup activist is a rewarding and challenging journey that requires a lot of passion, creativity, and perseverance. By using your business skills to solve social problems, you can create value for your customers and for society, and make the world a better place. If you are interested in becoming a startup activist, you can start by following the steps and tips outlined in this article, and by using the tools and resources available to you. Good luck and have fun CREVOLUTIONZ Friends’!

References:

Alt, E., & J., T. H. (2022, July 7). Social entrepreneurial action in established organizations: Developing the concept of social intrapreneurship. Journal of Business Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296322005896

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.06.047

Betts, S. C., Laud, R., & Kretinin, A. (2018). Social Entrepreneurship: A contemporary approach to solving social problems. Global Journal of Entrepreneurship. https://www.igbr.org/wp-content/uploads/articles/GJE_Vol_2_No_1_2018-pgs-31-40.pdf

Bishop, K. (2023, February 8). 5 ways entrepreneurial thinking solves social problems. Classy. https://www.classy.org/blog/5-ways-entrepreneurial-thinking-can-solve-social-problems/

Fariel, Md. I. (2023, June 26). How to identify a social problem and turn it into a business opportunity. Entrepreneurship Detail: Expert Insights and Strategies. https://entrepreneurshipdetail.com/how-to-identify-a-social-problem

MTHEMBU, A., & BARNARD, B. (2019, July 30). Social Entrepreneurship: Objectives, innovation, implementation and … Expert Journal of Business and Management. https://business.expertjournals.com/23446781-710/ Pillay, P., & Mitra, J. (2015). Socializing entrepreneurship: An activist approach. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, 1(1), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/2393957514555050

Contributors: Dani & Bagus (Writers) – Dani & Avrini (Documentations)