During my time helping the Intently team in the YCombinator accelerator, our goal was to disrupt the Climate Tech market. Originally the company was called Carbon Science, we entered YC with an idea that needed to be developed into a product and generate revenue before Demo Day.
Problem:
The idea revolved around companies having to become eco-friendly, but this required scientific expertise. Attracting scientists to business proved challenging. Surprisingly, finding actual demand for eco-friendliness in the business world was even more difficult.
Solution:
With no demand, we had to pivot. We systematically changed our business model across four levels: 1. target audience, 2. product's core purpose, 3. technology used, and 4. positioning. Despite these changes, demand remained low. We diligently studied the market, piecing together its intricacies to identify causes and effects.
We discovered that the market readily purchased tree planting and other greenwashing solutions, but no one did a genuine change. It posed a threat to enterprise economies.
Resolution:
Realizing quick revenue was unlikely, I organized the brainstorming session for the founding team. This session gave birth to the idea of Intently, an AI-powered marketing automation product. Through test sales, we generated over $150k in just 1.5 months. After our successful demo day, we raised an investment round.