Program overview

The American Association of Innovators is committed to aiding entrepreneurs and the wider community by providing research-backed resources that have been proven by successful founders. During this six-week program, aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators will be equipped with the skills to conduct research, refine, test, and convert their ideas into workable business concepts. Participants will extensively explore The Startup Canvas, a four-step framework developed at AAI, which serves as a unique tool to methodically pave the way to achieve success in the market.

Embarking on a new venture can be filled with challenges. The ability to confidently recognize a strong product-market fit, create a workable go-to-market plan, and establish a profitable pricing strategy can significantly impact the success or failure of a startup. This program, carefully crafted as a highly practical six-week journey, aims to support aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. It provides a well-researched roadmap to navigate through the most prevalent obstacles entrepreneurs encounter, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving success in your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Key Takeaways

• Analyze various techniques to develop a product prototype.
• Conduct effective interviews with potential customers to develop your customer personas.
• Create and describe a value proposition for a specific product.
• Develop a go-to-market (GTM) plan, and determine key metrics, such as customer acquisition costs (CACs).
• Present a viable profit model for a specific product.
• Apply the four-step entrepreneurship framework to a final capstone project.
• Learn entrepreneurship best practices, and avoid common pitfalls.
• Use strategies based in neuroscience to influence the decisions of stakeholders.

The Capstone Project

Using the Startup Canvas framework and your weekly workbook exercises to conduct a market test for your own idea. The process involves the following steps:

• Identify customer needs and build personas using interview techniques.
• Brainstorm prototype ideas and pick a prototype technique to create your prototype.
• Create a positioning statement and value proposition for your product.
• Identify steps to create a go-to-market plan and develop an outline for a profit model that identifies product pricing, customer lifetime value (LTV), market value, and liability.
• Complete the framework for your business idea or use one of the examples offered.
• Reflect on the steps in the framework.

Outcomes

This Program Is Ideal for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Innovators Who Want To:

• Test an idea before the investment stage to increase their odds of success in the market.
• Get proven, research-driven frameworks that translate into having the confidence to move forward with their vision.
• Learn from tenured faculty and thought leaders who contribute to Silicon Valleyʼs revered startup ethos.