#SharksDen Day 1: The Road to (Product) Realisation Begins!

by Paul Mignone

After our hugely successful inaugural SharksDen Innovation Challenge in July, the adventure started again this week on September 16th. Four teams will once again work towards developing products to present to an investor panel on the last day of the 3D printing showcase on October 10th. Before that date, these teams will learn how to design using CAD, 3D printing techniques, as well as work on their project live at the Showcase!

The event started off as a networking session, where individuals enjoyed drinks and nibbles as they got to know each other. There was also a strong turn-out from Girl Geek Academy, Make-Create as well as a number of UX specialists from general assembly. Such a diverse and potent mix of talent can only result in some fantastic products being made by the end of #SharksDen!

In the team building exercise, individuals discussed their strengths and whether they saw themselves fitting into CEO, CTO, CFO, or CMO roles. The participants who gave the best ‘first impressions’ were then nominated as CEOs, and the teams were picked for the upcoming weeks. The teams were then confronted with the ‘infamous’ challenge of redesigning the door. Each team came up various door designs and had to pitch it to the rest of the groups.

The biggest change to the second iteration of #SharksDen will be that teams are encouraged to ‘dream big’, and to develop products that address one of the global challenges facing humanity outlined in the millennium project. With such a strong showing of talent on only day 1 of this event, I’m personally excited to see what these teams can come up with when they dream big!