Reflections on CivTech
This week I attended the CivTech Scotland Demo Day 8 and Lauch of their Challenge round 9. I have the opportunity to be present on a panel discussing our journey with CivTech Scotland .
DeepMiner was founded in 2017 as part of the government-private accelerator, CivTech. CivTech 2.0 was our first step into the Scottish Government accelerator programme, and we returned for CivTech 5.3 and 7.2. With our technology, we're helping shape economic policy development in a complex ecosystem by generating economic insights for governments and businesses alike.
CivTech has allowed us to tackle real-world problems, collaborate with government, validate our solution, and scale up. It's made it easier for us to thrive, innovate, and make a lasting difference in Scotland, and realise our ambition to help shape the future of the world we live in.
The newest challenges have just launched, so I thought now would be a good time to share a couple of reflections on our experience.
First things first, the CivTech model is different. It's a mutually beneficial, collaborative partnership, where silos are dismantled, common approaches are built, and our success becomes our sponsors' success. CivTech is like a symbiotic relationship, where both parties thrive off the success and effort of one another. It's a win-win relationship where the collective benefits far outweigh the individual gains.
It's so important to build a relationship with your sponsor team early. You might ask your sponsor team to look at technologies they've never heard of or to do something radical, and they have to trust you with their reputation. The great thing about the process is that it helps you build that trust - and pretty quickly too. By DemoDay, you've already proven your competence, integrity, and ability to deliver value.
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So don't be afraid to be different. Don't be afraid to challenge current thinking or methodologies. CivTech allows you to step out of the norm and truly innovate. To do that though, you need to get to the nitty-gritt of what your customer really wants, so ask the difficult questions - and listen to their answers.
And be accountable. Be accountable for what you do and what you do not do, just accept the feedback and make adjustments.
Leverage expertise. CivTech has provided us with direct access to government experts, policymakers, and decision-makers. We've been exposed to the intricacies of working with government entities, understanding procurement processes, and navigating regulatory landscapes. We've been able to develop more effective and relevant solutions by using this knowledge.
Enjoy it. We’re incredibly lucky to have a government in Scotland that values the innovation that’s inherent in the entrepreneurial community, they’re supportive and excited to iterate and learn. You’ll never have a more encouraging customer that’s willing you to succeed.