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Lots of things happened over the past two days but I shall just reserve this post for whatever that went on in the morning - the Boston Consulting Group Business@School Programme Phase III presentations, the business ideas.
The outcome - Team Sleekicks took home a bronze award.
But it's just not justifiable. A bronze doesn't justify all that we have put into our BCG work since the holidays last year. It just doesn't quite cut it.
Yes, I believe we delivered - our presentation was at its peak, all five of us rocked and filled the entire theatre with our presence, with Tom's really infectiously impressing starting jig about the need for Sleekicks sneakers, to zhengxuan's really effective and also elaborate risks analysis and future scenarios analysis. I was really wowed by the five of us - we were peaking, peaking at that very moment of our 15-minute presentation.
But we got whacked by the judges and invited guests - our concept was thought to have many gaps, and our main focus wasn't quite right as they put it. It was agreeable that our idea wasn't exactly the best idea to start with. I agreed truly.
I have no reservations about not making it to the BCG Asia finals. I feel that it's quite alright. But at the point when deputy headmaster Mr Kwok handed me the bronze trophy, I couldn't really control my emotions.
I mean, what's the point of this bronze. Does it even justify the level of hard work we have put into all our three phases? I believe it doesn't even come close. Every single team took home awards, meaning that Team Sleekicks took home the lowest award of the day. It just doesn't quite cut it.
It's alright if we go home empty-handed, actually I'd rather that than get a bronze award, because by receiving this bronze award we're tagged 3rd class, behind the silver winners and the gold winners. We're in no way 3rd class. We had the team attire, we had our prototypes - not just one, two, but 5 pairs of personalized sneakers lying there in full glory before the judges to show we've done our work. Our presentation and financials were by far the most realistic. I guess it really was the concept gap.
But does this concept gap warrant us a tag of a third class standard?
No. No way. They don't see how we, on the day before every single phase presentation, make it a point to stay over at Tom's place, preparing and finalizing our stuff, before going to school and entering the presentation theatre as a team. They don't see how we, painstakingly whack ourselves again and again, trying to expose flaws in our own business plan, wondering again and again what can possibly go wrong with the business. They don't see how we desperately push on despite strong competition and lack of time as an all-prefect group, handle and pull everything together nicely.
But it's okay, I will let it pass. BCG has come to a sweet end for us, and I will live to remember it.
I was filled with endless thoughts on the way home, aside from trying to keep my emotions under control. And I thought about the entire year, and what BCG really means to me, and to my team.
I believe I have failed as a leader of the group, to put it shortly. So many possible explanations as to why we aren't up there, preparing to compete in the asia finals - blame ourselves for not having a mac and keynote perhaps, blame ourselves for not starting on our business plan earlier perhaps, blame ourselves for not placing BCG as top priority perhaps. I have failed to garner that level of enthusiasm and passion for the project.
I admit I have put people off. By being very authoritative and demanding in terms of work and results from my team. I'm very sorry. But I know for sure - yanliang, jiahao, tom and zhengxuan, you guys definitely didn't give up, and saw it through the whole process, and really gave your all for the end product. I said it earlier, I will say again - you guys rocked the presentation and I have never seen a finer one than this. We are champions.
I also have another team in mind which I am full of praise of, and that is Team Envirob.
Team Envirob were thought to be the sole winners, the hot popular choice for the asia finals. But they were awarded the silver award, falling behind two other BCG teams. I agree again, this time with a higher degree, that silver definitely does not justify their level of work.
For Team Envirob has been my personal motivation factor. They were, undeniably, the most accomplished - Start-up Singapore 1st Runners-up, National Science Camp champions, having started on their business plan in term 2 when everybody started in term 3, releasing a full complete set of Envirob cards and stunning the audience with a professional presentation done by none other than Readon.
We were under the same mentor. We were in a way, always behind them. But I pressed on because of them. I pushed myself to keep behind them, no matter in what terms. I pressed on and tried to equal their presentation standards using a powerpoint, and got nearly there. I felt accomplished. As a team, we tried to step up our financials analysis quality because theirs seemed superb.
Actually, they should've been the ones making it to the asia finals. I guess it just wasn't a lucky day for both of our teams.
And thank you linan. We ARE the joint champions of the day. We're never going to forget this. For we have come this far, we're versatile and we're going strong.
We definitely have the Sleek streak. Thank you all.
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