I’m back from Session 9 of the Create Growth programme at The Studio in Bath. This workshop had the title: ‘Who do I want to reach?’
I’ve been struggling with the “finance and VC” part of the business recently (as my last post probably hinted). So, coming back to the topic of audience and market felt like returning to safer ground. As a creative technologist, I love making things for people.
Here is how the day broke down.
Evolve, Stagnate, or Perish
We kicked off with Becky Sage, who presented on the reality of growth models. She used the Greiner growth model, which I found surprisingly comforting. The model plots maturity against size and shows that growth isn’t a linear, smooth curve. It’s a series of evolutionary phases separated by Crises.
My Takeaway: For Octopus Immersive right now, I am stuck squarely in Phase 1 (Growth through Creativity) and am barrelling fast towards the Crisis of Leadership. My creative output is high, but the “business directing” side of my brain is screaming for focus. Becky’s central challenge—”evolve, stagnate or perish”—isn’t just a dramatic title; it’s a necessary reality check.
Blasting vs. the Niche (Finding Your ICP)
Joyann Boyce returned to build on her “AI is a Puppy” session from earlier in the course. This time, we focused on Social Media Strategy and identifying your Ideal Customer Persona (ICP).
We all fall into the trap of thinking our target audience is “everyone who might like cool immersive tech.” Joyann broke that illusion immediately. In the age of algorithmic feeds, trying to reach everyone means reaching no one.
We worked through a framework to define our ICP. Not just demographic data (who they are), but psychographic data: what are their motivations, their frustrations, and why would they actually pay Octopus Immersive for a solution?.
Octopus Immersive Goes Global (The Big Vision)
Finally, Gamu Matarira from Global Business Advisors talked to us about international markets.
When you’re a boot-strapped, mostly solitary founder, talking about “global expansion” seems like fantasy. But Gamu’s presentation made me realise that for creative businesses, especially digital ones, the geography of the customer matters less than the geography of the culture.
We discussed factors like cultural proximity, political stability, and currency when selecting markets.
This session forced me to think beyond Bristol/Bath for Octopus Immersive. I have worked for a US company in the past for the KAGAMI project and I would like love to opportunity to work abroad more. I need to plan in strategizing how to make this happen going forwards.
Conclusion: Homework is Piling Up
I left The Studio with a profound sense of duality. I felt inspired by the big vision (Global markets! Authority content!) but slightly overwhelmed by the homework.
I need to map Octopus Immersive’s current trajectory against the Greiner model to see how I navigate this leadership crisis. I need to complete the ICP templates to stop blasting everyone with code. And I need to start thinking about the cultural translation required to make my work resonate internationally.
The next session is the final one. Briony Phillips will be back to discuss how to manage our own wellbeing alongside the stress of a business and we will have our big final pitches.
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