EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Polaris is a start-up that will revolutionise the executive leadership training industry. In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men sailed for the Antarctic. Following a crash, the sailors were stranded in the ice desert for over two whole years, however through perseverance and brilliant leadership, miraculously all 28 made it back home alive. By creating a truly immersive course, on board a 1:1 real life replica of the Endurance ship, Polaris’ clients will be offered a one of a kind unforgettable experience. Programmes are based on the genius philosophy of Shackleton, the captain of the original ship, making the knowledge thought especially useful and needed in today’s ever changing and dynamic modern world.

Goal

The main goal of this course was to create a fully encompasing and professional business plan, as well as an accompanying 30-minute presentation. However due to the nature of the idea, the Polaris team also had to design and plan out the whole start-up in a feasible and fully realistic manner as well.

Methodology

Building a start-up of such scale and magnitude required multifaceted approaches and methodologies tailored to different aspects of the project. Preliminary research on the market size and average C-level course pricing was conducted. Following acquisition of the original blueprints for the Endurance ship, estimations for the building cost of the replica were calculated. Home port and operating location were chosen based on relevant factors, such as number of days at sea. Supplementary products were designed, such as a day course, in order to maximise the usage of the boat. Finally a pricing model and all financial statements were created in order to validate the feasibility and potential of the start-up.

Results

The results of this project are a comprehensive business plan and presentation containing all relevant and necessary information for the development of the Polaris start-up. Complimentary materials are mock-ups of the website and social media pages, as well as pitches and pitch slides that reached semi-finals in the E&I Touchdown.

Cooperation Partner

• Sebastian Mayer - Polaris Start-Up

Contact Person

• Sebastian Mayer

• sebastian.mayer@penguin.vg

• +43 699 16624440

Student Team

• Severin Österreicher

• David Rass

• Lukas Johannes Schulze

• Ivan Belyanov

Project Manager

• Melina Mazzucato

• Benjamin Monsorno