The FireΔForm
The FireForm is your solution to starting a handmade fire perfectly, the first time!
Our Idea
Who are we?
The FireForm team is above all else, passionate about the natural environment. We are positive that when people get outside, and make positive memories in the outdoors, they will lead more sustainable lives in the effort to protect the land that affords them the adventures they crave.
We are a team of backpackers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts, with a background in structural engineering, environmental design, and most importantly, starting fires by hand!
What are we offering?
The FireForm is a small cardboard structure that both holds the tipi in place and allows the kindling to generate enough heat for the twigs to catch fire.
The form is comprised of three discs stacked on top of eachother, with enough space between each to place the kindling. The discs have grooves in which sticks are slotted, forming the classical tipi structure of most fires and preventing the setup from falling over during ignition. The kindling is lit on the uppermost disc, and will burn through the cardboard disc, falling onto the second layer and igniting it. The process is repeated again until the kindling is on the ground and the form begins to burn away; this is when the tipi “falls” in a controlled fashion directly on top of the kindling, bringing the sticks (main fuel) within range of the burning kindling, igniting the fire.
Who are we offering it to?
A FireForm is for anyone who has trouble lighting a fire manually. Often when setting up a fire tipi, a delicate procedure is necessary to maintain the shape, and without a lighter these tipis can be quite difficult to ignite.
The FireForm will save you from the embarrassment of being unable light a fire, and it will ensure that beautiful aesthetic of a burning tipi.
Why does that person care?
Not everyone is an outdoorsman, and even the best outdoorsman can be marred by the difficulty of setting a fire in the wrong conditions.
The FireForm will help light your fire the first time, saving your materials, and saving face in front of guests at your fire.
The availability of kindling in the backcountry can be limited, and the most experienced of campers know the value of using material sparingly. The FireForm will keep the kindling off of the ground, and therefore dry enough to ignite immediately, saving precious time and resources.
For beginners in the fire-starting scene, the simplicity of setup will be very attractive! Our FireForm will not only ensure a perfect setup, but it will teach the basics of fire construction; namely, the importance of airflow and a particular arrangement of the materials.
Since our users are outdoors, the environmental impacts of our product have been analyzed from production to use, and a sustainable design has been chosen. The biodegradable properties of the cardboard ensure that any pieces left un-burnt will fade away into nature and not leave a trace.
Additionally, the FireForm is sold in a compact disc that is easy to pack, and most importantly extremely lightweight. The FireForm comes with shredded cardboard (fast ignition) mixed with thicker cardboard (slow burn), to maximize the burn time and heat generation of the kindling. Our product will become a staple in your backpack, and you’ll barely notice it’s there on those long days spent trekking to your campsite.
Our distinctive competencies
Our team at FireForm are experts in fire-making, and passionate about the outdoor lifestyle. We understand the trend toward outdoorsmanship, and we will make that dream a reality!
Our combined knowledge of lifecycle design, ergonomics, engineering, and mountaineering makes for a perfect kindling that will ignite this ventures future!
The substitutes & alternatives
Our product is entirely unique, and if you don’t have any trouble setting fires yourself then we are not for you. If you have no troubles finding kindling, setting the fire-tipi, and igniting in any condition, then you do not need our product.
But if you have troubles with your tipi falling, the ground being too moist, wind blowing out your kindling, or just general anxiety about not being able to setup a nice fire in your yard or campsite, then we are the product for you!
There is no product on the market quite like ours. Competitive fire starters consist of slow burn kindling, but that doesn’t help with the setup of the tipi whatsoever, and then the issues of moisture and wind are still present. If you want a way to ensure your fire catches the first time, every time, you can either gain the experience through years of starting fires (such as our team has) or you can get the FireForm, and look like a pro from the start!
Our Pitch
Our concept pitch
Our personal pitch
The Value
Our first key person
Hikers and backpackers will love the FireForm for it’s ease of use, lightweight design, and completely biodegradable materials. The FireForm will maximize the utility of every piece of kindling found (or brought in the pack), saving valuable time, weight, and resources, as well as adhering to the “leave no trace” mantra that many of our fellow campers follow.
Here at FireForm, we promise to provide a way to setup fires in any condition, on any surface, and have the fire catch every time.
Our second key person
Backyard fire enthusiasts will benefit from the simple, aesthetic design of the tipi, which will provide heat radiating outward in all directions evenly; this type of fire is perfect for multiple people gathering in a backyard over s’mores and smokies. Additionally we ensure those who have little to no fire starting knowledge will look like a pro in front of their friends and family, lighting the fire with minimal effort and time, allowing the good times to crackle on!
Our third key person
Outdoor stores value locally produced, sustainable goods, that take up little space in the store and can be sold at a high markup; making the FireForm perfect for retail! Our product is small, lightweight, innovative, and cheap to produce, making it a perfect addition to any outdoor stores hiking and camping sections.
A large part of any outdoor store is small gadgets that make life in the woods a little easier, and what is more essential to the outdoor enthusiast than a fire? We will bring beginners the ability and confidence to take that first firey step toward being an outdoorsman, increasing the market for the outdoor stores.
Your feedback and ideas
Feedback on our idea and your assessment of it are incredibly important. Please provide yours below.
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Customer (C)
10
Value proposition (VP)
9
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
7
People (P) on the team
10
Offering (O)
10
Distinctive competencies (DC)
9
Customer is clearly identified and is a reachable market.
Value is clear, as it makes camp fires easier to start. Clear and effective product.
Substitutes are an issue as it is easy to imitate.
Alternatives are building it for free with sticks and therefore prevalent, however with this product the customer pays for a quick setup and ease of use.
People on the team are experienced with starting campfires and their challenges. IE) Wet earth
Offering is feasible and highly impactful for the niche customer.
Overall great idea and great design, very innovative take on the age old inventions of starting a fire.
Customer (C)
9
Value proposition (VP)
8.5
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
8.5
People (P) on the team
8
Offering (O)
9
Distinctive competencies (DC)
7.5
This is a really novel idea, and one that could appeal to a lot of people. It might not necessarily be for the more stubborn outdoors people, but the largest sector of the market are those who go out occasionally and who aren’t experts.
The idea is valuable for those who have the space to bring one on a trip – again, hardcore backpackers might not bring one for each night of their trip but you still have market share and added value for campers.
You’ve got *almost* no substitutes for your product. There is such a thing as a log holder, but they’re heavy iron and made for firepits. That may take a chunk of your sales away from site campers.
Your team seems qualified, but to get a perfect score on competencies and team, it might be best to provide a specific experience where the product would have been useful.
Overall 9/10 idea!
Customer (C)
10
Value proposition (VP)
9
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
8
People (P) on the team
10
Offering (O)
8
Distinctive competencies (DC)
8
FireForm is what every great outdoorsman needs. The ability to easily light a fire is incredible and needed in a plethora of scenarios. The offering is clear and concise and I can see myself lighting fires already. You have clearly defined your customer and I think your team has the passion to create a product that will change the camping game forever. The only downside is that I can see quite a few people just googling ways to light a fire easily rather than buying a product, but the fact that FireForm is an awesome way to light a fire is very desirable. Love this product and will definitely be one of the first customers.
Customer (C)
8.8
Value proposition (VP)
6.8
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
8
People (P) on the team
8.9
Offering (O)
8.7
Distinctive competencies (DC)
7
As a woman who has issues getting a fire going, and typically just sits back and watches other people start the fire, I would invest in your product! It is cheap, easy to install, and lightweight, and great for bonfires.
My biggest concern is that since it is a one-time use product, you would have to carry multiple sets during hikes if you have the intention of creating more than one fire during the trip. By purchasing a firestarter and using scavenged materials, I may be saving money, as well as saving myself the effort of things to bring during a long camping trip,