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Photo Story: I took this photo in 2018 at the Louvre in Paris. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the historic palace with the modern glass pyramid, framing each other in one shared space. I chose this image for this chapter because it reflects what I aim to do when designing the Tide Pool environment: create a space that respects the fundamental needs of both students and clients while making room for new ways of seeing and thinking.
Cultivating meta-thinking requires more than just exposing the students to real-world problems. I needed to create a stable environment while exposing them to authentic client feedback and requirements. This is a delicate balance because unfiltered interaction without guidance can lead to poor outcomes.
The first step in the implementation of the Tide Pool is to set clear expectations for both students and clients.
Student: Shifting Mindsets
For students, a key challenge is their deeply ingrained problem-focused mindset. I've observed that most students tackle problems head-on without asking who it's for or why it exists. This often leads to generic solutions with limited impact.
To encourage the shift to customer-focused thinking, I use an episode from my podcast, The Square Apple Show, titled From Problem-Focused to Customer-Focused [1]. In it, I share how students learn to ask better questions and identify the real customer before rushing to answers.
I also address a second shift: from solution-focused to learning-focused. Students often worry about getting the "right" answer on the first try. They see failure as a sign of weakness, rather than an opportunity to test and refine their ideas. I remind them that in innovation, every idea is a hypothesis to be validated.
"You can have the right answers, but if you asked the wrong questions, then your answers don’t matter."
One student wrote in her reflection:
"We learned that a good business model should always center around customers’ real needs... Once we overcame our anxiety to rush to an idea, we could identify and understand our customer and propose an appropriate recommendation."
As part of the course, students listen to the podcast and complete a short quiz to reinforce these concepts. Using a different medium adds novelty and leaves a more lasting impression.
Client: Staying Open-Minded
It is equally important to set expectations with the clients. Prospective clients often believe their problems can be solved with a single discipline, usually marketing. I found this perspective restrictive because it prevented students from exploring the problem from multiple disciplines and angles. To address this, I meet with the clients two to three times before the class starts. During these meetings, I help them shape their problem statements. I also explained the benefits of using a holistic business model perspective, which matches the course’s multi-disciplinary goals and leads to more complete solutions.
As part of these meetings, I use specific tools to help shift their perspective. I present a standard client onboarding deck, making it clear that the solution will involve "multiple levers" beyond just marketing. My goal is to ensure clients agree to stay open-minded about solutions that may differ from their initial expectations and to accept students’ ideas without dismissing them prematurely [2]. This "change management process" is key to helping clients embrace innovative, sometimes unexpected solutions from students. I’m upfront in asking them to keep an open mind and let students explain their concepts, so that the ideas get a fair hearing.
Managing Interactions Between Students and Clients
The next critical piece is managing the timing and intensity of interactions between students and clients. I've found that friction can arise at the early stages when students ask similar or unclear questions, and clients may become frustrated or unsure how to respond.
To mitigate this, I manage these early interactions closely. I set up a shared Q&A Google Sheet where students submit their questions. I review them before requesting the client to provide their answers in the same sheet, allowing me to oversee the interaction until both sides are comfortable. This process also allows me to provide feedback to students on the nature and quality of their questions, and to coach clients on how to respond effectively.
This controlled environment is like protecting a "young seedling" that needs time to grow before being exposed to strong winds.
Once students are grounded in their proposed solutions, typically around Week 7, they can then engage with the clients with minimal intervention. This structured approach ensures students can develop their ideas independently first, then work more closely with clients as their project matures.
In summary, this approach helps to reduce the flux, doing "just enough" to preserve the real-world complexity students need to develop true meta-thinking.
[1] Episode 5: From Problem-Focused to Customer-Focused, The Square Apple Show by Dr Hsin-Ning Yong. Here’s the link to the full transcript of this episode.
[2] Here’s another podcast episode where I explain why the students are well-positioned to develop an amazing business proposal even though they have little real-world experience. When I first meet the client, I will convey these reasons to them. It’s aptly titled “Mr Client I Know Nothing - And That’s My Strength!” (Episode 34). Here’s the link to the full transcript of this episode.
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