Between 2023 and 2024, a mechanical engineer and I set out to develop a product that redefined the intersection of fire, design, and cooking technology. More than just a grill or a pizza oven, it was an exploration of multi-functional fire applications, seamlessly blending culinary precision, architectural aesthetics, and adaptable heating capabilities.
Brazil’s churrasco tradition and its rapidly growing demand for artisanal pizza presented an opportunity that no company had yet addressed. But our vision went beyond that. What if fire wasn’t just for cooking, but a sculptural focal point for living spaces?1
In Brazil, the market had long treated pizza ovens, barbecue grills, and fireplaces as distinct categories, each requiring separate infrastructure, materials, and costs. Imported wood-fired ovens were prohibitively expensive due to taxes, import fees, and logistics, making them virtually unavailable. Meanwhile, the conventional approach was inefficient: homeowners installed bulky, immovable brick pizza ovens in gourmet areas, while high-end properties invested in separate fireplaces for ambiance and grills for barbecue. No existing product seamlessly integrated these functions.
This was the market gap: a single, high-performance system that could function as a:
- Churrasco grill with optimal airflow for traditional Brazilian barbecue.
- Pizza oven capable of reaching high-temperature baking conditions for Neapolitan-style pizza.
- Fire pit for outdoor heating, bringing warmth and ambiance to patios and gardens.
- Indoor fireplace with an elegant, modular design suited for luxury interiors.
The engineering challenge was formidable. We had to harmonize thermal efficiency, modular adaptability, and fuel flexibility (wood, charcoal, gas) into a single, seamless system. Following Ulrich & Eppinger’s structured product development framework, we prioritized industrial design integration, ensuring the product could complement architectural aesthetics rather than simply being a functional appliance.
From a corporate finance perspective, viability hinges on more than just product-market fit. Damodaran’s investment principles guided our modeling of:
- Balancing cost of capital with projected ROI, considering its premium market positioning.
- Scalability into adjacent markets, including outdoor furniture and architectural installations.
- Pricing elasticity and consumer adoption curves, considering luxury market trends.
Next
The execution would require rigorous financial modeling, industrial prototyping, and strategic manufacturing, distribution, and architecture partnerships. But the vision remained clear: fire, redefined not just for cooking but as a sculptural, high-performance centerpiece for modern living.
Footnotes
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Fecarotta, L., 2023. Como a tradição aliada à inovação fizeram o mercado de pizza no Brasil crescer 500% em 10 anos. Valor Econômico. URL “O mercado brasileiro de pizzarias cresceu 499% nos últimos dez anos, segundo levantamento inédito da Associação Pizzarias Unidas do Brasil. Ao longo desse período, a pizza também mudou. A farinha usada em sua base melhorou de qualidade, a massa passou a ser submetida a longa fermentação, os ingredientes usados nas coberturas passaram a ser garimpad” ↩