Required Program Work

Customer Interviews

You are required to interview 40 customers/end users between Feb 16th - Mar 22nd (we suggest front-loading 10/week).

Log your interviews in Idea TestLab Customer Interviews. (Bookmark this link for future use.)

Get started now building your contact list right away - aim for more than 40 names. Schedule interviews now for after 2/16. But don't interview anyone prior to 2/16.

Important Notes to Get Started:

• Identify people who fit the description of your customer segments (and/or end user segments, if your business model includes customers and users. You may want to interview end users first!)

  • Try to not interview friends and family - instead use them to find people to interview! Get them to make introductions for you. Also use LinkedIn and other social media to find your targets.

• To help you secure interviews, plan to reach out initially via phone or email and follow up at least once via phone. Consider using a script like the one below.

  • "I'm an early-stage entrepreneur who is part of the Penn State startup accelerator program Idea TestLab. I am doing research to help me work on my business idea. I am trying to understand peoples' experience with [high-level description of need, problem or process associated with these]. I am not selling anything nor do I need personal information. Would you have 20 minutes to chat with me? "

  • For business customers, include "I am not selling anything, nor am I looking for proprietary or sensitive company information."

  • End each interview with "Who else should I talk to? Could you please introduce me?" And "Can I follow up with you if I have more questions?"

• Schedule 30 min interviews that are in-person or via videoconferencing. You want to see your interviewee.

• In your interviews, try to learn about the customers' experience of the problem you are trying to solve. Keep the questions open-ended and don't talk about your product. We'll review interview techniques in class.

Please observe social distancing and safety protocols with in-person interviews. Consider Google Hangouts for videoconferencing.

Weekly 1:1 Coaching

Complete at least one 60-min coaching session per week between Feb 16th and Mar 23rd. (6 sessions total)

• Three of the coaching sessions must be with your assigned coach. Reach out directly to coaches to schedule sessions (see Coaches page for contacts).

• One must be with Annie. Schedule here.

• Two can be with any of our available coaches at any point during the program. (See Coaches for contacts.)

Coaching can be via videoconference or phone, but video is recommended.

It is suggested to use coaching sessions to (1) get help with interviews, (2) apply interview learnings to the assumptions you are testing, and (3) prepare your final pitch deck.

Complete the following before Class 3

• INTERVIEW: 10 customers/users and enter names in the Customer Interview sheet under your team # tab

  • ENTER/UPDATE: your critical business assumptions in the Business Assumptions Testing & Learning worksheet. Enter any learnings in tab 2.

• READ: Don't Build When You Build-Measure-Learn article (~20 min) - all about building and testing MVPs

• COMPLETE:

  • **Verbal Pitch- Prepare a 6 min verbal pitch script to present at class** (2 hrs)

    • Download the Final Pitch Deck Template -- use this format to as your outline

    • No slides are required for your verbal presentation, but prepare a script for yourself.

    • Practice your pitch 5x before class.

  • Week 4 Presentation (~45 min) - download and complete

• • • Upload presentation HERE by 5 pm on Mar 9th