Last weekend Gloria Viganò (gloriaviganodesign.com), a London Met graduate with a Masters in Product Design, participated in 3 Day Startup’s exciting 48 hour startup event in London. The hackathon-style event, which was run in partnership with travel company HomeAway, challenged participants to come up with a travel related startup idea in 48 hours. We had the chance to sit down with Gloria to hear about her experience.
Can you tell us a little about the event?
Sure – the aim of the weekend-long event was to conceive, plan and pitch a travel-related startup idea in 48 hours. The event started with a boot camp training explaining the company, HomeAway, and their vision and mission. During the 3 Day event, groups formed based around a common interest in an idea and started to discuss the idea and to brainstorm. The next day, customer discovery workshops taught the participants how to run successful interviews and ask insightful questions. We went into Victoria and Coach Station to discuss with the public our ideas. The weekend culminated with each team developing a pitch and presenting it to a panel, which included Mariano Dima, Global Chief Marketing Officer at HomeAway. I remained hardworking throughout the entire event and admit to staying up into the late hours to perfect my presentation. A neat aspect was receiving feedback from the Global CMO and being able to network.
Have you ever participated in an event like this before?
Never! But I was keen to try something new and this looked like an interesting opportunity
What was your team’s startup idea?
My team created a platform to organize and manage group travel for HomeAway in which flights from Expedia and houses from HomeAway would be combined.
Why did you decide to participate and get involved?
I wanted to see how a startup event would work and if I could actually create a startup in only 3 days! It was fun to push myself to create it and become involved in a challenge. I wanted to continue even though others had given up.
What did you learn throughout the weekend?
I learned that teamwork is key. I had to work with people I did not know in different fields and with different backgrounds and ages. I relied on my teammates throughout the entire process and learned from them. I was interested in entrepreneurship before the event, and now have even more passion for it. I was excited to get my hands dirty and truly accomplish something.
What skills helped you the most?
My graphic design skills helped us with the mock-up for the platform, but each participant on my team had a different skill they brought in order for us to succeed. It was the group effort that created the entire idea.
Would you recommend this style of event to other students?
Absolutely. This event opened my mind and helped me to trust in myself that I could become an entrepreneur. I realized that if I put my heart into something it would pay off. At the conclusion of the weekend, I was able to see what I accomplished during the three days and was amazed. I met new people and realized how much power we all have. I cannot wait to do it again and my next step is to apply for the Big Idea Challenge!
If you’re interested in taking part in a 3 Day Startup event, register your interest here.
