How Design Thinking Helps Women Entrepreneurs: Practical Steps from the She’s Next Workshop

I, Miroslav Hažer, am one of the mentors involved in the She’s Next program in the Czech Republic, and this article covers a full-day workshop I led for the winners.

This is an English translation of an article originally published on the Ženský Byznys (Women's Business) website. You can find the original article in Czech here.

How Design Thinking Helps Women Entrepreneurs: Practical Steps from the She’s Next Workshop

Eva Štaralová | February 15, 2025

In February, we organized a Design Thinking workshop at the ČSOB headquarters in Prague for the winners of the She’s Next project. The workshop focused on strategic thinking, innovation, and business growth. The training was led by experienced consultant Miroslav Hažer. Among the participants were the She’s Next winners, who not only shared their experiences but also actively worked on business innovations.

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is an innovative approach to problem-solving that emphasizes a deep understanding of customer needs, creative idea generation, and rapid testing in practice. This process encourages experimentation, collaboration, and continuous improvement to create products or services that truly meet market needs.

1. How to Start? First, Understand Your Customer

The biggest advantage of Design Thinking is its focus on empathy and understanding the customer. Every product or service should be based on real customer needs. During the workshop, we used personas—detailed descriptions of an ideal customer, which include:

• Name, age, profession: Helps visualize the specific person for whom we are creating.

• Motivations and expectations: What drives the customer? What are their goals?

• Problems and obstacles they face: What challenges do they encounter?

• Values and key needs: What is important to them?

TIP: Don’t focus only on demographics. Ask: What does my customer need? What problem can I help them solve? How do I differentiate myself from existing market solutions?

For example, Marieta Tedenanc, a talented glassmaker and designer, focuses on deeply understanding her customers, their aesthetic preferences, and their relationship with glass—a traditional yet innovative material. By directly communicating with customers, she adapts her product designs to meet their needs, effectively combining artistic value with practical use.

2. Jobs To Be Done: What Do Customers Really Want?

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) method helped us understand that customers don’t buy a product—they buy a solution to their problem. This perspective allows us to design products or services that truly meet customer needs.

Example:

❌ Myth: People buy a drill.

✅ Reality: People buy a way to create a hole in the wall.

Applying JTBD:

• Identify the customer’s main problem. What situation are they trying to solve?

• Design a solution that makes their life easier. How does your product or service address this problem?

• Test your product or service with real users. Gather feedback and refine your design accordingly.

For example, Kateřina Rydlová, founder of Body Moody, identified the need for women to relieve menstrual pain in a discreet and stylish way. She developed a heated bodysuit controlled via a mobile app, elegantly addressing this issue.

Similarly, the Filharmoniště Association discovered what families with children were missing and brought classical music closer to kids and their parents through interactive concerts. By understanding the needs of families with young children, they create programs that combine educational elements with playful experiences, breaking down barriers between young audiences and the world of classical music.

3. Prototyping and Testing: Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

At the workshop, we demonstrated that no idea is perfect from the start. That’s why it’s crucial to create a prototype—a simple version of your product or service that can be quickly tested and adjusted based on feedback.

How to do it?

• Design a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—focus on the key features that solve the customer’s main problem.

• Test it with a small group of customers—choose a group that represents your target persona and observe their reactions.

• Listen to feedback and make adjustments—be open to criticism and ready to make changes to improve the product.

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For example, Natálie Marie Vlčková, founder of Adolphinata, started with a small collection of hand-crocheted products made from 100% recycled cotton. She presented her prototypes to customers and adjusted the design, available colors, and product offerings based on their feedback.

TIP: Instead of long-term planning, try the concept of “fail fast, learn faster”—test quickly and refine continuously. As Natálie herself says, just jump in, start your business if you have an idea, and learn as you go.

4. Strategy and Growth: How to Build a Competitive Advantage?

A growth strategy and competitive advantage lie in clearly defining the value your business offers and finding a way to stand out from competitors. The key is a combination of innovation, unique know-how, and strong customer relationships, which help ensure long-term market success. Every business should have a clear strategy that answers the following questions:

✔ Why do we exist? What is the deeper purpose of our business?✔ How will we achieve our goals? What values and practices will guide us?✔ What is our competitive advantage? How do we differentiate ourselves from competitors?

At the workshop, the instructor introduced Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle:

• Why? What is the deeper purpose of your business?

• How? How does your business differentiate itself from others?

• What? What specific products/services do you offer?

If you’re planning to start a business, create a business plan where you first write down the key aspects of your strategy and define the main direction of your venture. You can then expand it step by step.

For example, Textile Mountain builds its competitive advantage on sustainability and circular economy principles, giving a second life to unused textile materials. Through careful fabric selection and educating customers on responsible consumption, it not only creates space for creative design but also raises awareness of eco-friendly alternatives in the fashion industry.

TIP: Focus on competitive advantages that are difficult to copy—unique know-how, a strong network of contacts, or specialized technologies.

The Power of the Women’s Community

One of the key moments of the entire workshop was the atmosphere of mutual support and sharing. The women did not see each other as competitors but as part of a community willing to help and inspire one another.

For the She’s Next winners, the workshop was not only a valuable experience but also a tool for further professional growth. Each participant left with ideas, strategies, and concrete steps that could be immediately applied to their projects. Design Thinking opened up new possibilities for them in business, built on customer understanding and a focus on innovation.

What About You?

Which of these steps will you try in your business today? Let us know!

📌 If you want to learn more about the She’s Next project and our winners, visit our website.

Instructor: Miroslav Hažer

Mirek has over 20 years of experience in PR, corporate communications, marketing, and management. He has worked at IBM, Microsoft, and other international organizations in the Czech Republic, Singapore, and across Europe. As part of the She’s Next project, he focuses on innovation and global business, offering practical and academic know-how for expanding into foreign markets and strengthening innovation potential.

Author of the article, written and published in Czech:

Eva Štaralová

Intern at Ženský Byznys. She is a member of the middle management of a primary school and a foreign language instructor.