Alessandro's story is that of an idea taking shape, or rather of an ear. It starts from a simple but effective thought: creating a product for daily use, which can be used as many times as possible. It is an innovative solution which is, at the same time, a totally original product made in Italy, a recipe for sustainability, a collective fundraising experience. Despite this, the difficulties showed the strength of a man who believes in change, who does not give up on seemingly impossible challenges and who believes in improving the health of all.
The story of Alessandro, designer
Alessandro Paulis is a independent designer, who has lived in Venice for seventeen years. “I think that design is not only a question of style, but also and above all of project planning – Alessandro says – A project is an objective to achieve: To be a functional designer, you have to observe a problem and try to solve it, with a solution accessible to everyone. One of the most problematic items to make is the cotton swab. Every day, around the world, a billion and a half of them circulate. The cotton swab is a disposable device that ends up down the drain.”
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The first months of 2020 require a moment to stop and reflect on Alessandro's story. “I thought that providing a solution to the disposal of cotton swabs was the right answer to this critical problem. I called on Alessio Serafini, who offered me his support for the part relating to market research and fundraising. The first prototypes were made using a 3D printer, relatively inexpensively. Obviously, to set up large-scale production, my partner and I needed the support of a larger investor, who arrived thanks to the intervention of a Lombard investment company.
Alessandro tells his story
Like a hummingbird, with light and efficient gestures
The name of the startups, protagonist of the story of Alessandro and his companions, he recalls the hummingbird, the light bird with a long beak. “The name comes from a Kenyan legend. One night, a fire breaks out in a forest. All the animals were petrified by the event and frightened by the fire, with the exception of the hummingbird which, armed with courage and patience, began to take a few drops of water with its beak to throw them into flames. The gesture initially took the wildlife by surprise: after seeing that the water brought by the hummingbird extinguished the fire, the animals imitated the bird's gesture. This story shows that you can make a difference with small actions. The more a solution to a problem is within everyone's reach, the more successful and effective it becomes.
THE Q-tip biodegradable, protagonist of Alessandro's story, it is a plastic body in three eco-compatible pieces, recyclable and produced between the provinces of Venice and Brescia. The first hundred thousand copies of the product were ordered via the platforms of Kickstarter crowdfunding And Indiegogo. Crowdfunding it is an English word that means “mass financing”: each entrepreneur can finance his business by presenting his projects on special portals and raise money from anyone who wants to support it. In this way, the know-how of ideas is rewarded. THE crowdfunding it is a “short circuit” mechanism: there are not many particularly complex structures interposed between those who produce and those who buy.
The key to the success of Alessandro's story
The story of Alessandro, of his team and of startups who made the first Q-tip fully biodegradable made in Italy, rewards originality and the desire to experiment. “To those who want to try their hand at entrepreneurial adventures, I advise you not to expect sensational results immediately – concludes Alessandro – Everything comes with time; 100% is never reached straight away. The greatest satisfaction came from the ENT doctors: my partner and I turned, at different times, to two different professionals. At first they were both skeptical, but then they asked us for product samples for their patients and in the near future the products will also be offered to 4-legged friends.”
