Good growth hunting

We’re halfway through our ScaleupNow week at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and between sessions, the participating companies are launching collections and signing deals.

Hollywood once sent a janitor to MIT in Boston to solve impossible maths problems on a hallway blackboard in the movie Good Will Hunting.

We’ve sent eight companies and their problem is harder - learning how to grow methodically.

Every session here is a mental workout, and MIT's 24 steps of Disciplined Entrepreneurship are being “massaged” into the participants, one step at a time.

Case specific work

The participants apply everything they learn into their own cases and work on them with the MIT discipline.

The mentors Owe Hagesæther, Bjarte Fagerås (GCE Ocean Technology) and Camilla Moster and Kristin Aamodt (PwC) supports from the sidelines.

In front of them lectures serial entrepreneurs from the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, guiding the companies and asking the hard questions, with Ask Me Anything sessions in between.

The MIT center is bringing out its best people to spend the week with our eight companies Bill Aulet, Nina Teng, Doug Williams, Ben Soltoff, Jenny Larios Berlin, Macauley Kenny and Emmanuelle Skala.

Meanwhile, back in business

While the participants learn by day, there is plenty happening on the sidelines too.

Moo Knit launched its new collection during the stay.

IceFresh and Visito both signed agreements: IceFresh with a major US grocery chain, and Visito a letter of intent with a major property developer in Bergen.

Mongstad Tavleteknikk is sharing the journey on LinkedIn. 

"For two Norwegians who are used to waiting for coffee before we start talking, it's refreshing to be asked 'so, what's your challenge?' before we've even had time to hang up our jackets."

Lessons from the Charles River

Outside the classroom of MIT, the Back Bay glitters in autumn colours, and the rowers on the Charles River pull together in tight teams which underlines the messages.

You need a good team. Don't fall in love with your technology, fall in love with your customer, and build real customer intimacy. Get that right and earn their trust, and you have a lot going for you.

Still to come

Now, the companies head home to Bergen and the work continues there with two more modules in December and January.

Want to join?

We recruit continuously for our programmes. Interested? Just get in touch.

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Join our cluster gathering at Gardermoen 18. november, where you can learn more about GCE Ocean Technology and our services.