Bastian Jacobsson

Describe yourself and your project. How did you get the idea?

I am a 25 year old male living in Karlskrona and just finished my studies at BTH. My project idea is to receive computer equipment from companies that would otherwise be trashed and turn them in to “school computers/equipment”. The equipment will be shipped, with the help from existing help/charity organizations, to schools in need of this kind of equipment in other countries.

Who are you? Previous education/jobs/ experiences etc

I am a happy and fun guy with great interest and knowledge in computer science and project management. I just received my Master of Science degree in computer security and had a vision that now has become this project. I have previously worked at Telenor and Ericsson as well as some smaller software companies in Karlskrona.

What will you do during these three months? How will you spend the time?

These three months I will establish contact and relationships with relevant companies that may assist this project with equipment or their services. I will also have some installations and shipments during this period to make certain this service will work and be able to create the necessary workflows and a structure to develop this idea further in the future.

What do you expect to achieve during Leapfrogs?

I expect to have launched more than two shipments abroad and established good relationships with companies with their support for this project. I expect to have an office/location and the necessary equipment, personal and support for further work and development of this project.

Bastian Jacobsson #2

Tell us what you have done on your project so far during the Leapfrogs time.

During the first month I worked with customer relations, gathering contacts from potential suppliers and customers as well as working on structuring all my proceedings. I have also collect computer donations that will be ready for delivery soon. The remaining time and what I am currently working on is my first shipment of computers. This is and are my first real shipment since I got the company running.

Has everything gone according to the plan? Has anything unexpected occurred? Has something been easier/harder than expected?

It has been way harder to find companies ready to commit to the charity part of my business model, my hope was that at least 40% of the companies in the field of computers, would want to minimize the cost and equipment waste and help others in need. Sadly that number is right now below 5%. Otherwise everything else has gone very smooth without any major bumps.

What will you focus on during the remaining time? Will you follow your original plan or has anything changed along the way?

My original plan was to build up my way of work, gather potential sponsors and deliver two shipments of products. My current plan is the same as the original plan but with some delay. I was planning to have the second shipment delivered late august but my current plan is aiming for early september. This is due to lack of equipment, supplies and commitment from companies but will hopefully be solved later next month.

Bastian Jacobsson #3

How did you experience the three months?

The experience from working 100% with the start of a company and develop everything from business idea to an actual product, has been extremely educational and fun. Three months sounds like a large period of time, but with all the fun work and high working speed, if feels like only some few weeks has past. However the experience of those months have given me a good start with my project.

What has been hardest/most enjoyable?

The hardest part was getting everything structured and on paper. Creating the business model from the previous workshops has been very fun but hard considering I had started with manufacturing and deliveries before this period started. The workshops so far has been very fun and have helped me gain some knowledge to help me see further and beyond my previous visions. Most enjoyable part was my first delivery to a school in Ukraine with very positive response from my customer.

Did it go as expected? Will you continue working on your project in the future?

Almost everything went as expected with some minor changes due to new experiences and knowledge. I have receive greater positive response from customers and expected and have produced more equipment than planned and thanks to that I will be able to extend this projects lifetime by 1-3 months. That time will be the most crucial one for the project and will decide if I can be able to continue with this project or not.

What would you say is the most important lesson learnt while working on your project?

Even if it seems hard, do it! Most of the projects this year has sounded to me as very hard and very far away for unexperienced entrepreneurs to do, but after this time with other “Leapfrogers”, I will say that most of the things sounds harder and further away than it really is. Also working with professional help with business models and ideas has been very helpful in creating a view necessary for building upon an idea.

Do you have any tips to other ”new” entrepreneurs?

Think about the idea you have from as many perspectives as possible and ask a friend or someone you can thrust what they think about the idea or gather some people to talk about possible problems or solutions. After that, go to work! Ask for help with issues or problems outside your field of expertise, they are many good organizations that can help you with your idea and problems.