Partiu Empreender

Many people have business ideas, but only a few manage to execute them into a proper business, and even fewer achieve success with a profitable and impactful venture. One reason for this is the belief that passion alone will ensure a business’s success. Therefore, the challenge was to design a program that would assist entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into viable businesses and, consequently, help them succeed. Upon listening to new entrepreneurs, we discovered that their primary challenge lay in materializing and testing their business concepts during the initial stages.

Design methods were utilized both in the development of the program concept and throughout its implementation. It started with research to understand user needs, followed by cocreation workshops to generate the program concept. Sprints were used to build the concept and prototype materials, leading to a pilot program for testing and adjustments. These steps were instrumental in constructing the program, which included a pivotal stage for entrepreneurs: prototyping and testing business ideas. This approach represented a novel concept for entrepreneurship programs in Brazil and proved successful in facilitating the launch of new businesses with greater assertiveness and desirability for customers.

For SMEs , launching a new enterprise often represents a lifetime investment and can significantly impact a family’s savings. This is a common scenario that small Brazilian businesses encounter. Assisting entrepreneurs in translating their ideas into successful ventures with confidence is a challenge. Many of these entrepreneurs are new to the business landscape and lack essential business thinking skills. Hence, ”Partiu Empreender” was created to offer one-on-one guidance throughout the whole process of designing, prototyping, and testing the business idea. Over 50 entrepreneurs have participated in the program, and its model has been replicated in other states across the country.

SEBRAE, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service, is a non-profit private entity with the mission of fostering the development of small businesses. Its primary role is to provide guidance to help small businesses grow and generate employment, thereby contributing to the development of the Brazilian economy. While SEBRAE offers a wide variety of courses and programs nationwide, the challenge of assisting new entrepreneurs remains significant. Even more challenging is helping small business entrepreneurs avoid the generic route and invest in innovative business models—something crucial for their business survival. The SEBRAE branch in the southern state of Paraná pioneered the use of design methods, particularly Design Thinking workshops, to develop new solutions for entrepreneurs. They aimed to complete the cycle, from user research to model conception, prototyping, and testing, recognizing the role of design in shaping solutions that benefit the local economy and ensuring the success of new entrepreneurs. Initially, this design methodology was intended only for developing the solution. However, its value became evident, leading to the incorporation of prototyping and testing as key stages in the development of new businesses within the programme for new entrepreneurs.