New Pilots, New Possibilities
Piloting new programs
Perpetual innovation is part of our makeup, but ten years in, we’re experimenting with ways to frame, test, and iterate on our successes more efficiently.
This year, broadening access to entrepreneurship meant piloting programs for two new communities.
- International Student Program: Addressed the need for work-integrated learning and access to Canadian work experience for international students.
- Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Academy: Addressed the need for community-based learning for mid-career professionals exploring how to buy a business in Canada.
Our approach
One skill we evolved in 2024 was rapid piloting.
Designing and delivering new programs is straightforward when there’s a clear product-market fit. But that clarity often takes testing, iteration, and listening. And moving slowly can mean missing opportunities to lead in emerging spaces.
To move faster with intention, we built habits around documenting and testing our ideas early. This included weekly stand-ups, decision logs, and shared hypotheses. These lightweight systems helped us reduce confusion, build trust, and evaluate what worked and what didn't.
We made a significant organizational shift to develop an experimenter’s mindset. Teams used to delivering large, established programs needed time and support to adjust.
We worked on building skills around:
- Thinking in tests, not fixed answers
- Accepting that imperfect first drafts teach us the most
- Documenting hypotheses and results
- Being willing to risk getting it wrong in order to learn
Lessons learned
Talk to as Many People as Possible: Inside the organization, outside it, and in adjacent markets—asking questions and listening deeply revealed blind spots and sparked better ideas.
Start Before You’re Ready: There’s never a perfect time to plan for innovation. Waiting for the “right moment” only delayed progress. We learned to start with small teams, bring others on board as needed, and adapt our approach as we go.
Right-Sized Project Management: Structure mattered—but so did keeping it lean. We focused on the right level of process for the scale of each pilot. High-touch communication kept everyone aligned, surfaced risks early, and maintained momentum without slowing us down.
Play to Your Team’s Strengths: On a lean team, it’s key to know everyone’s strengths and growth areas. Lean into what people do best, and when you see a gap, ask: is this a chance to coach, upskill, or reassign work to someone better suited? Support your team to stretch, but also redirect tasks to align with strengths when it serves the greater good.
Build for Scale Early: When testing ideas, we asked: What would 3x this look like? Mapping that out early helped us challenge assumptions and ensure pilots could grow toward the larger vision.