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Central to our culture of ongoing experimentation, the 'Rural Incubator' program matches technical professionals who would benefit from space and time to develop their ideas with rural landowners who would benefit from an extra labourer. This arrangement creates synergies that benefit both parties:
Benefits for Innovator-Partners
Benefits for Innovator-Partners
- Free rent, and possibly subsidized food
- Assured mild exercise - burnout is a common problem among startups. By doing a few hours a day of manual labour, partners can break up two periods of deep work with one period of mild exercise, leading to a more sustainable work-flow over the long run.
- Feedback - building a great product nobody wants is another common pitfall. By working closely with an outsider who has no personal stake in the project, honest feedback is built in.
- Mentorship - those innovators who are EITs would have access to professional mentorship for the design work they undertake.
Benefits for Landowners
Benefits for Landowners
- Free labour from someone with a work ethic and a reason to stick around
- A chance to give direct feedback from a potential customer's perspective - many toolmakers for the food production industry have little actual contact with food producers. By being in close contact with innovators, the chances of getting a product that actually solves one's problems increases.
- Alternative revenue stream - if a project leads to a useful product, landowners are in an excellent position to gain another revenue stream by retailing it.
- Access to tools - Investing in tools with a positive payback is one of the core activities of Virtuous Cycle Investment. Landowners gain access to these tools as part of the program.
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