Today ends a trip that started 5 months ago, during which we have reflected, rethink and rescheduled a lot about our business model. We have been one of the 22 projects selected to be part of the Incubation Program Ashoka Changemakers challenge taught by Bridge for Billions in collaboration with Ikea .

This retrospection exercise could not arrive at a better time. In a period of transition in which we already needed to turn everything we had working on since March 2021, when we started with this adventure. We had had many strategy sessions, but only Carlos and I, without having the perspective of people who had nothing to do with Pueblos Remotos . Nor had we had time to stop and recapitulate about everything they learned to redirect our path if necessary. 

There have been a very intense months where we have finally stopped, we have analyzed each part of our business in an orderly manner and we have been accompanied by two mentors who have supported us in this process, giving us their vision, asking us questions and encouraging us to continue. 

A trip full of learning

There were many "ahá moments" that we had during this program that is composed of 8 modules. We had 2 weeks to complete each and organize in such a way that we combined teamwork sessions with weekly video calls with mentors to solve doubts and improve what we were analyzing at that time. We also had Networking and Q&A sessions with the Bridge for Billions and Ashoka team. As you can see, a most complete program.

This form of work helped us maintain the focus and focus only on a part of the business and not on everything at once. We were emerging many other ideas along the way, but we reminded us of each other that we had to keep focused on the subject of that week. 

To summarize, perhaps the 5 greatest learning we get are the following:

1) Business retreats are another world. To date we have only developed experiences for teleworking and entrepreneurial women. One of the new services that we include as part of our value proposition in module 1 of the program was precisely . Our differentiation? The rural environment as a backdrop and the contribution to the local economy, which would fit within the corporate social responsibility of these companies.

As we were advancing with the modules, the service of experiences for teleworkors had it clear (because we have already tried it!) But we realized that the service for companies is more complicated than we thought initially. For example, everything has to be very made of the company, in rural environments it is difficult The work that entails. There are already specialized companies only in this market and it would be to get into a completely different world, but we still want to test it and make an MVP next year. 

2) Only with experiences we will not be profitable. In one of the modules we were asked to carry out surveys to our target audience to understand their perception about the price (which they consider too cheap, a bargain, a bit expensive or very expensive) based on the Van Wesndorp method. The results of the surveys we did to both teleworking and companies that carry We cannot survive as a company. Therefore, we have to look for other alternative revenues.

3) We need new business lines. In parallel to the experiences, we have decided to give priority to two other work areas where we think we can contribute with our knowledge acquired and that they will bring us "cash-in" faster and with more margins than experiences. These two areas will be the following:

• Consulting: Here we want to include analysis and diagnoses of territories, mapping of rural companies/entrepreneurs, strategies for the attraction and revitalization of digital talent, etc.

• Academy remote peoples: where we will give training and mentoring in the following areas: Teleworking, Rural and Social Entrepreneurship, Communities Management, Business and Tourist Sustainability, among others.

4) We have to expand the team . We need more hands, more eyes and new perspectives. We have taken this seriously and since the beginning of September we have two new additions to the team:

• Ane Kortaberria Bilbao is finishing the Leinn degree of the Mondragon Unibertsitatea . With only 21 years he has already been involved in very interesting projects, he is super proactive and impresses his ability to assimilate the concepts and adapt to the context in which he is. We feel super lucky that he has chosen us to do his practices.

• Martina Burtscher Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program from Austria. It was #breaker of our first group just a year ago and proposed to come to make this exchange. We are delighted with everything that is already contributing to impact branding and also, personally I am very fan of your project is Sisters Sri Lanka.

5) Bet on European/national projects collaborating with other initiatives. During these months, we have collaborated with rural and ruralize it to present a joint proposal to a call of the miteco focused on the demographic challenge of rural areas. In addition, we have closed calls with friendly projects and communities: Kino Italy, Anceu Coliving, Fem Coliving and the European Creative Hubs Network (ECHN), among others. Our goal is to advance in this area collaborating in network in projects that we see necessary and motivate us.

The road is always forward

Now we have to look at the future and implement everything learned, which is said to be easy. How difficult it is to be an entrepreneur and know of everything a bit! In the end, the important thing is to surround yourself with a good team, of experts to help us in what we do not control so that we can focus on what we really know and want to do because for something we start with this business idea that has been Become one of our life purposes. 

Go on but not before giving millions thanks to all those who have accompanied us, heard and advised during this period. This is a point and followed, hopefully we can be one of the 10 finalist projects and we can defend Pueblos Remotos in Zaragoza on October 27, we already have the crossed fingers!