Somaspace delivered a tailored workshop for startups in the ESA BIC Milan ecosystem, hosted at PoliHub during the ESA Bootcamp. The objective was to help founders and teams build “communication maturity”, i.e. the ability to explain value clearly, position the product in the right context, and adapt messaging and channels to the company’s growth stage.

The training was structured as a progression: from understanding where the startup is today, to building the foundations of value-first communication, and finally to turning strategy into message, channels, and pitch.

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Six modules to build communication maturity

Module 1 – The Pulse

We started by assessing the startup’s current stage and complexity, from Seed to Scale-up. Because the same communication playbook cannot work across every phase: what you must prove (and to whom) changes with traction, resources, and market expectations.

Module 2 – The Foundations

We aligned on a core principle: value first, not product first. Participants worked on clarifying why they are on the market — the purpose and value they deliver — before going deeper into features or technical details.

Module 3 – The Mindset

A key shift: innovation is not only invention. It becomes innovation when it is adopted. That means the market often needs to be educated, with clear narratives, proof points, and content that reduces perceived risk and increases understanding.

Module 4 – The Strategic Matrix (communication focus by stage)

This module connected business objectives to communication priorities, showing what to emphasize at each growth phase:

• Early Stage: validate the problem by demonstrating empathy for the customer’s pain
• Seed: validate the solution to build awareness and early traction
• Series A: build credibility and revenue by proving the solution works for others
• Scale-Up: create brand resonance and help set market standards

Module 5 – Building the Message (Value Proposition Canvas + FIT)

Participants used the Value Proposition Canvas to build “FIT” between:

• Customer profile: Jobs, Pains, Gains

and

• Value map: Product, Pain Relievers, Gain Creators

The goal: a message that is specific, repeatable, and anchored to the customer’s reality, not to internal assumptions.

Module 6 – Stakeholders and Channels

Finally, we translated the message into an execution logic: mapping content types to platforms and stakeholders. We connected four content intents to real channels, including LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, B2B platforms, and more:

1. Entertain
2. Inspire
3. Educate
4. Convince

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Key strategic concepts introduced

Context as positioning

Just like the opening scene of a movie sets the genre, a startup must set the context for its product, otherwise the audience will place it in the wrong category. Clear positioning cues (e.g., “Salesforce for Aerospace”) reduce confusion and speed up understanding.

The Content Marketing Matrix

Participants learned to categorize content across two axes: Emotional vs. Rational and Awareness vs. Purchase. This helps teams create balanced communication that builds interest early and supports conversion later.

Pitching to specific audiences

We differentiated three pitch formats, because each one optimizes for a different decision:

• Sales pitch: solving a problem today
• Investor pitch: the potential for tomorrow
• Company presentation: identity, strengths, credibility

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Closing takeaway

For deep-tech and space startups, communication is not decoration, it’s an adoption lever. The workshop equipped ESA BIC Milan teams with a stage-aware framework to position correctly, build the right message, choose channels with intent, and pitch with clarity.

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About PoliHub

PoliHub is the Deep Tech Hub of Politecnico di Milano and the university’s Innovation Park & Startup Accelerator, managed by Fondazione Politecnico di Milano. At the center of the Politecnico’s innovation ecosystem, PoliHub promotes entrepreneurial culture and supports research teams, startups, and deep-tech scaleups through technology transfer, acceleration, and incubation programs.

https://polihub.it/

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About ESA BIC Milan

ESA BIC Milan is an incubation programme supporting European space tech startups, part of ESA’s Business Incubation Centre network. ESA BIC Milan is managed by PoliHub in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, and is promoted by ESA, ASI, and Regione Lombardia.

https://esabic-milan.it/

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Want to bring value-first communication to your team?

Contact us to start working together on your next project: liftoff@somaspaceagency.com

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