The importance of planning in starting a business
Starting a business is a complex and deeply personal process, influenced by both the skills, experience and values of the entrepreneur and the socio-economic and cultural conditions of their environment. Often, success does not depend only on an innovative idea or value proposition, but on proper planning and execution in all areas of the business . Common errors in this planning, or lack of experience can lead to wrong decisions that affect the sustainability and growth of the company.
In addition, in the world of startups , the experience of professionals who have lived the process of creating and growing companies is greatly valued. This practical knowledge allows you to avoid common mistakes, plan growth effectively, and make critical decisions with greater confidence.
In short, early-stage business management requires agility, adaptability, and a different strategy than conventional management. When it comes to management and flexibility, startups and traditional companies differ significantly. The former are more agile thanks to flat structures that facilitate communication and rapid decision-making , essential in dynamic market environments. In contrast, traditional companies have hierarchical structures that can slow down decision-making. In addition, startups embrace risk and innovation as part of their DNA, while traditional organizations tend to be more conservative, focusing on stability and protecting existing business models, which can hinder their ability to adapt quickly to change.
Aware of this reality and with the desire to provide a practical solution, Incapto, the Barcelona startup that has revolutionized the specialty coffee sector (a very traditional industry with little innovation), and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) have been collaborating on an industrial doctoral project since 2022. The project team is developing an analysis simulator for startups that aims to help entrepreneurs identify risks and weaknesses in the execution of their projects , going beyond the evaluation of the initial value proposition. Investing time and resources in careful planning during the start-up of a company not only increases the chances of success, but also prepares it for sustainable and scalable growth.
"Starting from the base of a very powerful entrepreneurial team, we decided to rebel against the thesis that after three years 9 out of 10 startups have closed"
Incapto, the revolution of a traditional sector like coffee
Founded just before the pandemic, Incapto was born with the aim of transforming the traditional coffee industry. Its inspiration comes from the desire to solve a big problem: the waste generated by coffee capsules: “ by analyzing the sector, we determined that we could create, for both companies and individuals, a coffee consumption experience that was better in every way: from quality, cost and sustainability ,” says Joaquim Mach, the project manager at the company.
With a total integration of the industrial process, which ranges from the machines to the acquisition of raw materials, roasting and shipping of specialty coffee, Incapto has eliminated intermediaries, offering more competitive prices and sustainable practices: “we make intensive use of technology throughout the value chain, both by having the machines connected (Internet of Things), and by automating all the processes that allow us to create a direct-to-consumer model”, points out Mach. A good example of this is its innovative subscription platform and the intelligent software of its connected coffee machines, which have captivated more than 20,000 individual customers and 2,000 companies.
Thanks to funding of nearly 10 million euros obtained in several investment rounds, the company has a team of 30 employees and has strong plans for international expansion. Currently, they are growing directly in neighboring countries such as France, Italy and Portugal, and advancing in internationalization through distribution and representation in other markets. In addition, it aims to adapt the business project to each country, with different business models depending on the maturity of the sector, and coffee consumption in each country.
Incapto, the revolution of a traditional sector like coffee
Although Incapto has established itself as a leader in the sector in less than three years, it is important to highlight that the business project is led by a group of second and third generation entrepreneurs with previous experience in creating and managing companies. In addition, they are also investors and advisors to other projects, as Mach explains: “ starting from the base of a very powerful entrepreneurial team, surrounded by several investors who are also entrepreneurs, we decided to rebel against the thesis that after three years 9 out of 10 startups have closed ”.
After a very complex start, born just a week before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, the Incapto team found that the business idea was able to move forward thanks to previous experience in other business initiatives . This know-how was essential to avoid mistakes, as well as to determine where to invest each effort and resource of the company. Difficulties can often become opportunities; this is the case for Incapto, and how the lessons learned gave rise to the seed of the industrial doctoral project in progress.
"you can't start scaling if you haven't first detected that the market accepts and is willing to invest in your product or service"
Therefore, aware of the importance of planning and experience in business success, Incapto and the UOC are starting a collaboration with the strategic and applied research project “ Study and analysis of key factors for entrepreneurial success in early stage stages: co-creation of a startup analysis simulator ”. The project aims to create a simulator that helps the startup ecosystem increase its chances of survival . This tool seeks to inform entrepreneurs about the mistakes to avoid and the right decisions to make, based on the accumulated experience of a significant number of multidisciplinary cases of companies that have been successfully launched and that serve to generate the methodology.
Therefore, the project focuses on developing a mathematical model and a simulator that assist entrepreneurs in assessing the risks and potential weaknesses in the execution of their projects.
First, by analyzing the factors that influence the survival and success of startups through quantitative and qualitative analyses to ultimately improve decision-making in the initial stages and increase the chances of success.
According to the project leaders, the startup ecosystem needs to incorporate new analysis systems to understand the survival and growth potential of these emerging companies , which operate in contexts of high ambiguity and complexity. This need is one of the pillars driving the development of the simulator on which industrial doctoral student Francesc Font is working, which aims to offer tools that help navigate these uncertain environments and make more informed decisions: “ to do this we have developed a mixed methodology based on the quantitative analysis of the survival and success factors of startups, combined with qualitative studies, based on conversations with successful entrepreneurs and investors ”.
Therefore, in order to develop the tool, the project applies artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to address the uncertainties faced by entrepreneurs and investors. Regarding the methodology, this includes the analysis of forty cases from the startup ecosystem, most of them from Barcelona . The framework divides the cases into four groups starting with ten successful cases such as companies acquired by larger companies or that are profitable and continue to operate. Second, ten more cases of companies in the early stages of development, followed by another ten cases from venture capital investors and in the technological field.
Finally, ten cases of emerging companies that have closed have been analyzed, allowing us to identify the factors that can lead to failure, and therefore avoid them in the future. In parallel, conversations have been carried out with successful entrepreneurs and investors to obtain qualitative perspectives, all with anonymized data to develop a balanced framework that highlights success factors and lessons learned from failures .
Based on Incapto's experience, Mach gives a key piece of advice for entrepreneurs : to focus on making sure that their product or service truly meets a market need from the start. It is essential to validate that customers need and are willing to buy what you offer before growing the business. Many entrepreneurs devote too much effort to other aspects that are not relevant if they have not first confirmed this fit: “ you cannot start scaling (in team, in financing or investment, markets, etc.) if you have not first detected, effectively, that the market accepts and is willing to invest in your product or service ”.
Impact of the project on Incapto and the entrepreneurial ecosystem
The strategic research project with the UOC has a tangible impact on the sustainability and growth of Incapto . The company applies the knowledge obtained to make more efficient decisions, adapting its strategies to the different stages of its development, from the initial phase to the escalation: “ decisions are made in a much more contrasted way and based on relevant information depending on the company's moment ”, explains Mach. Similarly, the study of the main factors of failure or success in the ecosystem, as well as the analysis of megatrends and external factors, has allowed Incapto to avoid common mistakes and optimize its resources , improving its ability to compete in a highly dynamic market.
In addition, the project aims to revolutionize the entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering an innovative tool based on artificial intelligence that helps promote the efficiency in the scalability of new startups . To do this, the tool aims to provide entrepreneurs and investors with a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the success of emerging companies : “with this project we hope to contribute to reducing the mortality of startups or to allowing them to scale more efficiently and in less time, through better decision-making ”, says Enric Serradell, the academic director of the project. This fosters a more robust and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, where new companies have more possibilities to grow in a sustainable and scalable way. The dissemination of this tool can generate a multiplier effect, benefiting a large number of projects and boosting innovation in various sectors.
"With this project we hope to contribute to reducing the mortality of startups or to allowing them to scale more efficiently and in less time, through better decision-making"
From an academic point of view, the project enriches theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship and business management. It provides a methodological framework that can be used in future research and in the training of students in disciplines such as business administration, innovation and data analysis. In addition, it exemplifies effective collaboration between university and business, promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology. This type of synergy is essential for the development of solutions that have a real impact on the business and social world.
Ultimately, and on a broader level, the project has the potential to benefit society by fostering the creation of more sustainable and successful businesses , which generate employment and economic value. In the case of Incapto, its value proposition includes reducing waste generated by coffee capsules and promoting more sustainable practices in the consumption of this beverage. Thus, the project not only drives economic development, but also contributes to environmental sustainability . Furthermore, by improving the chances of startups succeeding, the business fabric is enriched and innovation and competitiveness are stimulated at the local and global level.
Continued collaboration with the UOC
To conclude, Incapto wants to continue its collaboration with the UOC through the Open Future Lab group , working on futurization models through the analysis of megatrends and design thinking . This synergy between company and university reinforces the commitment of both entities to innovation and sustainable development.
A collaboration that represents a significant step in improving the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Catalonia, through the combination of practical experience and academic knowledge. This is how the project team is creating tools that will not only benefit Incapto, but a whole set of new companies that are looking to make a place for themselves in highly competitive markets.
