Ideation platform - Brainstom ideas with open innovation

Open the ideation platform in the language that you prefer, but remember to write in english as much as possible!

and press there

The Open Innovation ideation board is powered by Nolt and is integrated with the famous Slack (click here to join the official channel). For any technical issue reach to us.

If you don’t have a solid existing project or squad, your roadmap would look like this:

The possible users journeys with or without the ideation platform — The possible users journeys

Table of Content:

How the board is structured
How to use the board
How to handle team
Recruitment tips
Useful resources
FAQ

How to use NewHopeU Nolt’s board

***Example*** of searching function to find post of interest (Category, Searching teammates, Continent, etc.)

Example of a problem discussion thread on the ideation board — Example of a problem discussion thread

Example of a idea discussion thread, that can be iterated to deepen them — Example of an idea discussion thread (*like it’s a room*), that can be **iterated to deepen** them

The expected outcome is that in the board there will be a series of “[Prob]” posts, each with a narrowed real problem description/title, that have a few direct ideas (2 extremes as divergent visions and some shades between them). Each shade could have other shades and so on, until it becomes a relative simple&precise project idea to be concretized by some people that want to team up. In this way, there are 2-3 layers of specialized rooms, where a deeper discussion and a stronger connection can take place. Then the Status “Searching for teammates” can be activated.

How to use NewHopeU Nolt’s board

Whenever you need guidance, you can refer to #help Slack channel of your post. Please refresh often the webpage!

How to search posts

Search posts among the category you prefer from the 9 proposed by the buttons “Find or post ideas” in the homepage. With

, select an additional parameter you want to explore. The basic ones can be:

“Status is empty” for new proposal of thoughts that needs your attention to grow;
“Searching for teammates” if you want to be involved in a potential start-up project as an active member;
“Searching Rare Skills” if you are a skilled young with a particular skill that someone is looking for and you want to join;

Use advanced filters for Phase of posts!
Or search for other keywords by pressing the magnifying glass icon at upper right of the box or the page.
“Merged” to see posts that have been inserted in other thread as they’re related to it and offer a deeper discussion related to that particular aspect. You should upvote them or add a comment there only after viewing it’s father thread (see FAQ #4 below);

How to interact with posts

Upvote the posts that resonate with your personal viewpoint

;

or Comment (as follows!) in the threads you think you can add value:

giving a viewpoint that has never been submitted yet;
if they’re still searching for a team member, offer your help based on your skills that they need or ask;
The comment, that can be always edited, should follow this structure: Your_comment_in_short newhopeu.nolt.io/#XX (which derives from the creation of a new post; see below how to create it) to be iterated. This ensures to have a dedicated post (like “a discussion room” for that idea) to explain complementary ideas.

How to fill the new posts

If you want to give more space to your thought and want a deeper discussion around it, in order to hopefully create or lead a team (to work on it), create a post: click in the header

While choosing the title, it will appear the ones of existing posts that are similar. Please check them (after a click) before continuing with your to not create duplicates.

Choose a explicative title (starting with [Prob] if it’s a problem, with [Idea] if it’s a solution you’ve thought and want to validate/search for niche approval) and a compelling description

If you want to post an idea to solve a problem, add a great title, the description and a category
If you want to post a problem, call it “[Prob] Your problem title” and try to fill all the required voices (Category, GeoTag, Phase,..) reading the suggestions in the form placeholder (the expected value of an input field).

Insert into a Category (here you find the list that can guide you)

Add a GeoTag where you think the problem/idea has a major impact.

Motivate which aspect clearly define your propose, to limit its dimensions

If you’re posting a problem, add the boundaries that define its scope (like if it’s geographically or culturally restricted, etc.) or their constraints.
If it’s a solution idea, explicit all the hypothesis it’s based on, to be sure to work on something clearly defined. It can be useful to mark the differences from what already exists.

How to comment posts

Insert comments (with attachments) only if there is not something similar or to ask to join a team. If you want to proceed with your project after your team has formed, please see the instruction below (and go to our Slack platform or choose a private chat tool).

If you find some teammates, register to the platform and edit your bio (see FAQ #1 below) with the link to your favorite chat software.

How to use the brainstorming and members searching platform

The passages to brainstorm before discussions on the Slack channels

How to interact with mentors and teammates

How to comment and handle teams

As this is a public and global platform, chaotic and endless chats are not allowed. Also for your privacy and for team strategy! That’s why the first part is done in Nolt! So the comments are allowed only to define few different viewpoints and to update the status of the project.

ANY COORDINATION INSIDE A TEAM WILL BE IN SLACK or A PRIVATE THIRD PARTY CHAT SOFTWARE (like Telegram, Jetsi.org, Discord). To make people aware of the software that each Team Leader decides, he will change its Bio with the invitation link of the third party software he prefer (so it can be changed or removed privately and discretely).

Using our Slack channel, you can perform easily the steps needed to structure your project:

To receive help from mentors (FAQ#5), go to the related #mentors- challenge (e.g. #mentors-education, #mentors-mentalhealth, etc.) or share there which post you are referring to (sharing it from the #nolt-flow channel). You can mute the channels you are not interest in.
To talk privately about your project (FAQ#6), create a new channel (you can decide to make it private and invite there the mentor who is available to help you) and invite your team there. See mentors list in the pinned messages of each #mentors-[challenge] channel.

Rules are:

If a mentor is interested in taking your problem on, they’ll mark the post adding the reaction :raised_hand: + comment
When the problem has been solved, please mark the post with :heavy_check_mark:

One of the following status should be set for your Slack profile:

:house: for any paticipant
:eye: for Team Coordinator for who is responsible of a Nolt [Idea] post
️️:heav_ heart_exclamation: for any ️mentor (present on a pinned message)
:sunglasses: for Challenge Lead (expert mentors)
:computer: for IT supporters
TM Organisers (HQ) is only for Giovanni Turri, Omid Gholamzadeh

Useful Resources

You can find resources about how to use al best those software, social entrepreneurship tips, impact analysis or business plan examples:

Guides

Recruitment tips

Here are some tips to attract talents and maintain them in your team:

To recruit at best, you have to clarify the Profile you are looking for, the more specific as you can. We suggest to create a comment on your definitive [Idea] post focusing on:

Job description: express the amount of experience you think it’s required
Character traits: state if you think the candidate for that position requires to be particularly extrovert, know about negotiation or if the applicant can work “behind the scenes” if he prefers to be at self-peace
Skills: list if there are precise requirements of abilities that the candidate has to be comfortable with

To be more effective, consider to add there those “advanced” tips:

Benefits: The added value you can offer them. Your vision or mission, why with you they can grow rapidly. Use your Storytelling skills 🙂
Leverage the Motivation: explain why they can increase their
- Autonomy: they will be able to front all the challenges together
- Mastery: they will grow transversely
- Aim: their personal goal matches your mission

FAQ – Frequently Answered Questions

This is an extract from FAQ page. For any other question, reach out to us by email. A more detailed version will be expanded with community’s feedbacks. Please don’t hesitate!

To change your bio (in order to publish a link you can hide or show at your will) go in the upper right corner (right to the ) where you see your profile (the first letter of your name or an image after you claimed your account). Than click on “Account Settings” on the popup under your name. Than edit the bio, like in the picture:
Search for other specific words by pressing the magnifying glass icon at upper right of the page.
If you want to embed the thread in an other bigger discussion, use the command Merge from the … “More options” menu at top, than choose the other post to link typing its name
Father meaning: When post are merged, they are linked. If you find a post with the comment , it means you are in the main thread. So please explore it with attention before commenting to not create duplicates. If you find “->Merged into “, you are in a sub-folder post, so there may be comments at a previous (father) level you can miss!
To mute Slack channels, right click over it and select “Mute channel”
To add a member on your channel, go to the very beginning and choose “Add people”. Or you can click on the Icon near the number of participant and click “Add people” on the “Members” right column that appears.