From Sketch to Success in Michelin-Starred Restaurants: The Story of Effium
Surya Prakash is the founder of Effium. He turned his idea — an energy-saving frying pan — into a company. Today, his pans can be found in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, as well as in the homes of passionate home cooks. But that did not happen overnight. It is particularly in the choices he made along the way that you’ll find insights which are immediately useful to you as an entrepreneur.
Choose what you won’t do
Does the Effium pan also work on induction? It’s a logical question, especially in a market where many pans are marketed as suitable for all heat sources. But Surya has deliberately chosen not to try to do everything at once. “No,” he says. “The Effium pan is specifically engineered to capture heat maximally from an open flame. If you make a pan that must work on everything, it ultimately isn’t optimal for anything. We believe that you need focus to be extremely good at something.”
That choice to focus has paid off. Independent testing by TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) show that the Effium pan absorbs roughly twice as much heat from a gas stove as a conventional pan. So, not a pan for everything, but a pan that does exactly what it’s made for — and does this very well.
“A good idea only becomes valuable when you know exactly whose problem you are solving and how you are going to solve it.”
What can you take away from this?
Entrepreneurship means making choices, from idea to market launch.
Read how to make smart choices from the start to protect your idea.
Listen to your customers and be prepared to adapt
During the pandemic, Surya visited chefs, restaurants and food trucks. Not to test his idea, but to improve it. “I didn’t want to make a product for someone I couldn’t see. I wanted direct feedback.” He had them test every prototype – more than ten in total. That’s how the pan improved, step by step.
And something else changed. “We thought people would buy the pan to save on gas. But in the reviews, they say the pan cooks fantastically.” A nice bonus: these enthusiastic customer reviews help drive Effium's growth through word of mouth.
What can you take away from this?
A strong idea grows in stages.
Read how to ensure your invention remains yours, even while it's still in development.
Don’t try to do everything yourself
Even whilst studying in India, Surya applied for a patent for an invention himself. It didn’t go to plan. The application needed to be reworded, but he didn’t follow up on it. Eventually, the application lapsed. “That proves you shouldn’t try to do everything yourself. Experts exist for a reason.”
He took that lesson with him to Effium. To protect his ideas, he brought in specialists for patents, trademarks and designs. And he worked out for himself what he should and shouldn’t record and share, so that he could collaborate safely with restaurants and gather open feedback.
“To give you an idea: I had the restaurants testing my pans sign an NDA. All 14 staff members!”
What can you take away from this?
Good preparation helps you collaborate with greater confidence.
Read how to make clear agreements with partners right from the start.
For connoisseurs: how Effium protects its idea
Effium protects various aspects of its innovation.
- The name Effium® is registered as a trademark.
- The pan’s technical functionality is protected by a patent.
- Its unique design is protected by design registrations in Europe and beyond.
| Surya Prakash explored the options, but also called in experts. “Experts exist for a reason.” |