The Reef pitch: first version

After the team kickoff meeting with @noemi, @ilaria, @matthias, @BaobabUrbain and @chantal_vanoeteren I had a go at a revised version of the pitch. I re-used the structure of the document we sent to Climate-KIC back in April. Here it is, do go in and comment, suggest edits or what not.

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Thankzz will do tomorrow morning !

Just finished my comments / suggestions in the documents.

Overall comment: it appears to me that it’s difficult to have a one-pitch-for-all document. We need one, and will put it on the frontpage of the website for example, but then also would need separate pages for the different audiences. The page for future inhabitants, for example, would list the benefits, indicative rent price, and social arrangements in one place, a bit like a “looking for flatmates” ad.

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might be useful for you guys:

  1. Programmable property pitch deck: One -process focus Two Property focus and Storytelling focus
  2. The Reef Membership and economic model - backend (draft): The Reef: Membership and Economic Model (Draft) - #10 by nadia
  3. Members’ contributions and resources at the reef: Members' Contributions and Resources at The Reef Brussels (Draft)
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Completely agree. Maybe help thinking how to break the text into a hypertext, with different pages addressing different audiences?

I’m working on the Reef website right now, so I will make a proposal by means of the initial menu and page structure of that site.

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Noted, thanks! Was just looking through these older materials for the workshops too!

Such a powerful exercise of synthetis you’ve done here @alberto :slight_smile:
Yet I do agree on Mathias view on specifiying the speech regarding its audience.
And maybe it can be : ahalf a page max of percutant positions (the core ideas) + 3 types of operationnal aspects, one for policy makers, one for investors and real estate agents, one for large audience.
All the knowledge we need to do it so is already inside the doc

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I just went through it again briefly, and I think I’m missing more of a focus on Brussels. The project scale, for now, is about making a single building happen in Brussels, right? We’re looking for relevant partners for that undertaking. It may grow into a real state agency and a worldwide movement of co-living spaces later, who knows.

So what would catch the attention of potential partners more than starting with that global perspective would be: Hey, we are in Brussels and seek to scale our co-living space. It could be in this and this city quarter and it could be like a cross-over of this and this project that you know in Brussels. And here’s what is in it for you and how to get in touch.

Just an opinion though. Hope it makes sense :slight_smile:

You have a point. Can I get the opinions of @BaobabUrbain and @chantal_vanoeteren?

Hello Alberto!

Thank you for this first proposal.

This pitch is a little bit too long!

I would also suggest explaining it all on one single
A4 page.

It would be interesting to start with a very short and
catchy presentation of the project.

With a few words, tell the people that it’s an
opportunity to live in a full concept project.

A low carbon, zero waste, innovative and affordable
co-housing and co-working experience in Brussels.

Work at a few minutes walk distance from home!

Work and live in a green and sustainable environment.

And after this first short and catchy intro…

Present a more in-depth / technical explanation of the
project.

And also mention that there will be an expert team to
accompany the inhabitants and the potential professional investors willing to
develop the concept.

And ait would be great to concentrate all the info on max
one page.

Good luck :wink: and I hope this will help you.

Chantal

Le mar. 17 sept. 2019 à 15:01, Alberto Cottica via Edgeryders contact@edgeryders.eu a écrit :

maybe @inge can help shorten it a bit?

Two questions here:

  1. Do we want to speak the language of advertising? (“Come live in The Reef! It’s great! We are going to CHANGE THE WORLD!”)
  2. How much simpler can we make this? I think I am close to my limit here. The advantages of The Reef come from the synergies between different dimensions (ecological, social, financial) rather than by dominating any one of them. Also, different stakeholders should be attracted to different things. Explaining this stuff takes space. Not explaining it means that the advantages become hidden.

But maybe others can do better than I?

If not, can we provisionally work with this version?

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I think the length is fine. Just add an executive summary in front.

For the purposes of the website, I would not want it shorter. I’ll just split it into different pages, and the summary would go to the frontpage.

Maybe there is a balance between advertisment and setting a milestone from which every one will be able to gather ppl and $$ around the project.

Proposals to reassemble this puzzle :
The pitch could begin page 2 from its title to the paragraph on “the reef cannot stand alone.”
First page of this doc is golden material to create visuals for large audiences and nourrish the first pages of any kind of dossier to advocate for the reef whoever is the interlocuteur.

Then, on the second page, the 2 last paragraphs are made 4 investors, its true.
I guess they could be splitted to keep focus on the core half a page, edgy part of all this note. These materials could b used on purpose when meeting the adequate audience.
Same thought on the city level benefit. Here I’ll add that it could be strengthened.

voilà,
Yet, its a deep job you’ve done here. Yet, maybe a finale sharp sentance could b created on the interactions between reshaping communale housing, means of productions and decarbonization.

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Not sure, @BaobabUrbain… at the beginning we need to say what the Reef is. In page 2 we say why it is good, but that only makes sense if you know what it is.

And @matthias: if I could write an executive summary with all the relevant parts, I would also be able to write a shorter version! :slight_smile:

Guys I think you can learn from the simplicity of these guys description https://ecospace.net/

an open praxis for ecological research & cultivation

That’s not simple. Compare:

The Reef is a new kind of living space. It uses the power of community to help people transition to a happier, healthier, greener, more social lifestyle.

Living space: I understand it. Open praxis: I don’t.

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yes but the praxis tells you it is about practical experimentation and learning. For me I got it immediately, but maybe it’s because it is closer to germanic languages?

Praxis is Greek, not germanic. It means more or less “action”. That is to say, it means nothing. Doing anything, from retreating to a mountaintop to organizing a street demonstration to starting a company, is a praxis. The key words are “research and cultivation”, but then I’m like “hey, are you a model farm? Because that’s where you do research and cultivation: a farm run by scientists, typically university scientists”. And “farm” is simple, whereas “praxis” is… not. I had to look it up to make sure I understood it correctly.

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