Capstone Projects & Portfolio

Objective: Deeply understand how successful businesses work by mapping them onto the Business Model Canvas.

Instructions:

1. Choose 3 companies: one traditional (Nike), one tech (Spotify), one marketplace (Airbnb)
2. For each, complete a full Business Model Canvas:
   • Customer Segments (who are they targeting?)
   • Value Propositions (what problem do they solve?)
   • Channels (how do they reach customers?)
   • Customer Relationships (how do they maintain them?)
   • Revenue Streams (how do they make money?)
   • Key Resources (what do they need to operate?)
   • Key Activities (what do they do?)
   • Key Partnerships (who helps them?)
   • Cost Structure (what are major costs?)
3. Compare the three canvases: What patterns emerge?
4. Write a 500-word reflection on what makes each model work

Deliverable: 3 completed Business Model Canvases + comparison document

Objective: Practice customer discovery by interviewing real people about a problem space.

Instructions:

1. Choose a problem space you're curious about (e.g., fitness tracking, meal planning, remote work tools)
2. Write 10 open-ended interview questions (no yes/no questions)
3. Recruit 5 people who might experience this problem
4. Conduct 30-minute interviews (record with permission)
5. Synthesize findings:
   • Common pain points across interviews
   • Current workarounds people use
   • Surprising insights you didn't expect
   • Quotes that capture the problem well
6. Create a "problem persona" composite

Deliverable: Interview guide, synthesis document, problem persona

Objective: Learn to analyze competition systematically using real market data.

Instructions:

1. Choose a market you're interested in (e.g., project management software)
2. Identify 5-7 competitors (mix of leaders and emerging players)
3. For each competitor, research:
   • Founding story, funding, team size
   • Target customer and positioning
   • Pricing and business model
   • Key features and differentiators
   • Customer reviews (G2, Capterra, Product Hunt)
4. Create a comparison matrix
5. Build a positioning map (2x2 matrix with key dimensions)
6. Identify whitespace opportunities

Deliverable: Competitor report with matrix, positioning map, and opportunity analysis

Objective: Create a complete plan for building and launching an MVP.

Instructions:

1. Define your product idea (use insights from customer interviews)
2. List all possible features, then ruthlessly prioritize:
   • Must-have (MVP launch)
   • Should-have (version 1.1)
   • Nice-to-have (future)
3. Create user journey maps for core use cases
4. Design low-fidelity wireframes (paper or Figma)
5. Estimate development timeline and cost
6. Define success metrics for MVP launch
7. Plan a 4-week launch timeline

Deliverable: MVP specification document, wireframes, launch timeline

Objective: Create a comprehensive financial model for a startup business.

Instructions:

1. Define assumptions (customer growth, pricing, churn, expenses)
2. Build revenue projections:
   • Customer acquisition (monthly new customers)
   • Customer retention (churn modeling)
   • Revenue per customer (ARPU)
   • Expansion revenue
3. Build expense projections:
   • Headcount plan by department
   • Marketing spend (tied to customer acquisition)
   • Infrastructure and tools
   • Office and G&A
4. Calculate key metrics: CAC, LTV, LTV:CAC, burn rate, runway
5. Create P&L, cash flow projections
6. Build 3 scenarios: conservative, base, optimistic

Deliverable: Complete financial model in Google Sheets/Excel with dashboard

Objective: Create a comprehensive go-to-market plan for product launch.

Instructions:

1. Define positioning and messaging:
   • One-liner elevator pitch
   • Key differentiators
   • Target customer persona
2. Channel strategy:
   • Evaluate 5+ channels using Bullseye framework
   • Select 2-3 primary channels
   • Define channel-specific tactics
3. Content plan:
   • Content pillars and themes
   • 12-week content calendar
   • Distribution strategy
4. Launch timeline with milestones
5. Budget allocation by channel
6. Success metrics and targets

Deliverable: GTM strategy document, content calendar, launch checklist

Objective: Build a compelling 12-slide pitch deck that tells your startup story.

Instructions:

1. Create all 12 slides:
   • Title (company, tagline)
   • Problem (pain point, urgency)
   • Solution (your approach)
   • Why Now (market timing)
   • Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM)
   • Product (demo, screenshots)
   • Traction (metrics, growth)
   • Business Model (revenue, unit economics)
   • Competition (positioning map)
   • Team (founders, key hires)
   • Financials (projections, use of funds)
   • Ask (amount, terms)
2. Design for visual impact (consistent, clean, memorable)
3. Write speaker notes for each slide
4. Record yourself delivering the pitch (5 minutes)
5. Get feedback from 3 people, iterate

Deliverable: Pitch deck (PDF/Keynote), speaker notes, recorded pitch

Objective: Experience the full fundraising process from investor research to term sheet negotiation.

Instructions:

1. Create target investor list (30+ investors):
   • Research thesis, portfolio, check size
   • Find connection paths
   • Prioritize by fit
2. Develop outreach strategy:
   • Cold email templates
   • Warm intro request scripts
   • Follow-up cadence
3. Create supporting materials:
   • Data room structure and contents
   • FAQ document
   • Reference list
4. Analyze a sample term sheet:
   • Identify key terms
   • Calculate founder dilution
   • Model liquidation scenarios

Deliverable: Investor CRM, outreach materials, data room, term sheet analysis

Objective: Create a comprehensive plan for scaling a startup from $1M to $10M ARR.

Instructions:

1. Organizational design:
   • Current org chart (10 people)
   • Target org chart (50 people)
   • Hiring timeline and priorities
2. Process documentation:
   • Write 3 key SOPs
   • Create process templates
   • Define handoff procedures
3. Technology roadmap:
   • Current tech stack
   • Scaling bottlenecks
   • Infrastructure investments needed
4. Culture preservation:
   • Core values documentation
   • Onboarding program design
   • Communication rhythms

Deliverable: Scaling playbook, org design, SOP templates, culture deck

Objective: Create a complete, professional business plan that could be submitted to investors, accelerators, or business plan competitions.

Sections:

1. Executive Summary (2 pages)
2. Company Overview & Vision (3 pages)
3. Market Analysis (5 pages with primary research)
4. Product/Service Description (5 pages)
5. Business Model & Revenue Strategy (3 pages)
6. Go-to-Market Strategy (5 pages)
7. Operations Plan (3 pages)
8. Management Team (2 pages)
9. Financial Projections (5 pages + model)
10. Risk Analysis & Mitigation (2 pages)
11. Funding Requirements & Use of Funds (2 pages)
12. Appendix (supporting materials)

Deliverable: 35-40 page business plan document + financial model

Objective: Create a comprehensive exit analysis including acquirer mapping, valuation modeling, and transaction preparation.

Instructions:

1. Acquirer analysis:
   • Identify 10+ strategic acquirers
   • Analyze acquisition history and rationale
   • Map strategic fit for each
2. Valuation modeling:
   • DCF analysis with assumptions
   • Comparable company analysis
   • Precedent transactions
   • Triangulate valuation range
3. Exit preparation:
   • Due diligence checklist
   • Data room organization
   • Deal timeline
4. Scenario analysis: acquisition vs. IPO vs. secondary

Deliverable: Exit strategy document, valuation model, acquirer mapping

Objective: Design an innovation initiative for an established company entering a new market.

Scenario: You're the Head of Innovation at a $1B revenue company. The CEO wants to explore entering an adjacent market.

1. Market opportunity assessment:
   • Industry analysis and trends
   • Competitive landscape
   • Fit with company capabilities
2. Innovation approach recommendation:
   • Build vs. buy vs. partner analysis
   • Startup partnership options
   • Internal venture approach
3. Implementation plan:
   • Phased roadmap (18 months)
   • Investment requirements
   • Success metrics
   • Risk mitigation
4. Board presentation (executive summary)

Deliverable: Innovation strategy document, board presentation, implementation roadmap