En route to Delhi, India - layover in London. Even though I was in London for a just a few hours, I got to see quite a bit. It feels like a cleaner, nicer NYC.
Post by Brian
Taj Mahal, India
There is beauty ... and then there is real beauty :) We had a good time.
Between our last day of classes and our "closing ceremonies," we traveled to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal.
Closing Ceremonies and Goodbyes
Pulling up to the school for the last time, we were greeted by a small marching band--and this time, by familiar faces. Several of the students got to the center early to welcome us one last time with flowers, music, and lots of dancing.
After what seemed like an eternity of dancing, we settled down to close the week with a small ceremony and to present the women with their course certificates.
What a team!
A few reflections after being home for a few weeks:
Customer immersion often leads to big insights. Before we delivered the course, we had the opportunity to visit some of the women students in their villages. The members of the village were welcoming and matched our excitement to meet each other. During our immersive experience, we observed a lot—and came to the realization that more important than teaching, was the opportunity to encourage and empower each of the women attending the course. That pivot in mindset influenced the material we taught, how we interacted with each other, and ultimately the goal of each class. Without understanding better our customer, we would have taught the same material we created thousands of miles away, back in our office—less impactful, less meaningful. It reminded me again how critical it is to spend time with our customers—to develop empathy and get clarity on the pain or problem we are trying to solve.
Thinking big and starting small. Part of being bold is solving big customer problems. It was clear, given the context, that these women faced many challenges—even opposition with regards to developing their business. After the course was complete, we wondered if our week had made a difference—especially when you consider the macro conditions of rural India. In partnership with the local non-profit, our content will be shared with over 10,000 women over the next year. But even that is a drop in the bucket. But, I’m reminded again that every successful venture starts small—but is inspired by a big vision, and a big problem to solve.
Why innovators love constraints. I think we all felt a bit frustrated (and humbled) with our inability to speak Hindi. We felt incredibly limited—reliant 100% on our translators to communicate with the students. But we still had the goal to encourage and empower these women students. Over the course of the week, it was impressive to see the teachers be innovative in their attempts … sharing pictures they’d taken of the women, exchanging jewelry, facial expressions, etc. All in efforts to communicate and build relationships. Despite the language barrier, we were able develop meaningful relationships—and great memories. Constraints, limitations, narrow focus—all can lead to creative problem solving and innovation.
Teaching Experience
Some of my favorite images ... class registration :)
We held the classes in a community center central to the rural villages. By teaching remote, the women were able dedicate three days without the distractions of being in the village.
Here, we were met by Mr. Mohan from one of the local NGOs we partnered with to help deliver the course--and to help connect us to the local women entrepreneurs.
Final Instruction from Amit (Connecting Dreams Foundation)
Thousand of miles away but feeling right at home as we get ready for the teaching phase of our experience. The Indian culture of celebration and ceremony were welcoming and a lot of fun--we all seemed to enjoy the flowers around our necks and the paint on our face.
"TEAM C" Classrooms were held in tents that were set up especially for us. An unique experience for all of us.
Our college student translator, Ashish (right) not only helped us communicate with Hindi speaking entrepreneurs--he got the ball rollin'
Village Visit, North Ghaziabad, India
We Care & Give Back. It Begins!
We Care Give Back (WCGB). Over the past couple of weeks--along side a dozen other Intuit employees, I had the incredible experience of partnering with Team 4 Tech and Connecting Dreams Foundation to deliver a entrepreneurial workshop to women living in rural India (just north of Delhi). I've been home for a couple days now and have had a chance to process a bit of what we experienced--the places we visited, the people we met, and the friendships we made.
The process to create and deliver the content was not too dissimilar to how we create products and services at Intuit ... it started with people; talking with them and seeing them in their environment. We only finalized the curriculum after we met these women in their villages--after saw their shops, met their families--and even sung and danced in their homes.. In just a few hours, our team started to feel more connected and felt a love for the people and their rich culture--it was both inspiring and humbling.
In anticipation of our visit, the village covered their main road with messages in English. The village had just under two-thousand people and presented one of the warmest welcomes I've ever experienced.
After our welcome, we were set up to have three interviews with different owners of micro businesses/shops in the village. Our first women entrepreneur ran a tailoring business equipped with a catalog of clothing choices customers could choose from.
When interviewing, our team discovered some key insights that helped us shape our lesson plan.
1. They all LOVE their job. When asked about "they're favorite part of the day" they all referred to their time working in the tailor shop, making clothes for the their local customers.
2. Goals. Efficiency when scaling their business was not as meaningful as the opportunity to employ more women.
3. Support of husband. In order to thrive as a micro business, these women needed the support of their husbands--and family. As shown in the picture, the business represents a community of women working together.
As our team finished up the interviews, I spent some time hanging out with the men and boys of the village. We didn't get to communicate much, but they seemed to be glad we were there.
Our first day in the village was an incredible experience. As I shared on Twitter, it was a customer interview and "follow me home" I'll never forget. We all finished the day inspired and excited to teach these women of rural India. Their passion for developing their business was only matched by their resourcefulness and determination to be successful and help their families.
Back at the hotel in Ghaziabad, North Delhi