News
| 05.11.2025

Hopscotch Canvas: A new workshop tool from Hanken researchers that puts people first in teamwork

Philippe Saade and Daniil Pokidko sitting at a table at Hanken.
“Startups often fail due to internal misunderstandings within teams. That is why we developed a research-based workshop format designed to help individuals build a shared language and deepen mutual understanding,” say Daniil Pokidko and Philippe Saadé, the Hanken researchers behind Hopscotch Canvas, a new tool focused on experiential learning.

“We have both studied entrepreneurship, and at first it felt rebellious and liberating. But over time, it became increasingly structured, dominated by KPIs, success metrics, and rigid frameworks. It started to feel as though the exploratory journey had turned into a path paved with instructions for every step,” reflects Daniil Pokidko, affiliated researcher and lecturer at Hanken School of Economics.

“At the same time, we noticed that the most crucial element of the entrepreneurial equation - the entrepreneur - was being overlooked. We felt a strong urge to address the lack of attention to the personal and interpersonal dimensions of the entrepreneurial experience, especially the motivations and dynamics within startup teams”, he adds.

Together with Philippe Saadé, a doctoral researcher at Hanken, Pokidko developed Experiential Pattern Matching (EPM), a process-based method that serves as the foundation of the Hopscotch Canvas workshop.  

“It helps individuals and teams surface their personal experiences, aspirations, concerns, and motivations, and align them in a psychologically safe environment,” explains Saadé. 

In 2020, the researchers published an article on EPM in the journal Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, co-authored with their colleague Nadav Shir. The publication inspired Saadé and Pokidko to transform the concept into a practical tool. 

“At its heart, Hopscotch Canvas guides individuals and teams through reflection and collaboration in an intuitive way. Each participant reflects individually before sharing with the group. It is an equitable process that helps counteract biases. Unlike many workshop tools that rely on participants to self-organise, Hopscotch is rooted in developmental psychology. It gently guides users through the process, often without them even realising it” says Saadé. 

“The tool is versatile. It can be used for anything from a weekly team meeting to a long-term strategic planning session. We are working with high school students and corporate leadership teams alike,” adds Pokidko. 

Hopscotch Canvas is part of the Hanken Business Lab, where Pokidko and Saadé credit the supportive environment for helping them launch their company and explore funding opportunities. Yet they are clear about their intentions. 

“Success for us means sustainability and preserving our friendship and passion. We are building slowly but steadily,” says Saadé. 

Text and photo: Jessica Gustafsson