Welcome to LevelMe, an educational app for teachers, parents, students and educational professionals. Level your books using the newest smartphone app, anytime, anyplace. Watch the elevator pitch, read the venture pitch and get ready to invest! Elevator Pitch Read LevelMe Venture Pitch by Valerie Wells LevelMe Venture Pitch References Valerie
Continue reading LevelMe Posted in: Venture Forum
Hello, I am Sherman Lee, CEO of cDesign. I work with a team of dedicated instructional designer and corporate training strategists in partnership with Level-5, a video game company to put together this course design tool that does not only let you create, but also guide you through instructional best practices. Launching into the $130 […]
Continue reading Hello, I am Sherman Lee, CEO of cDesign…. Posted in: Venture Forum
Hello Sherman,
Very clear and well laid out Elevator and Venture Pitches. Your slides are easy to follow and presented neatly. I like your idea of creating a partnership with other companies and not rivalries.
One critique I might add is that I would have like to have seen you present more of your future plans and go beyond just the first year outlook for C-Design.
Good work,
Donna
Hi Donna,
In hindsight, I do want to project more into the future of cDesign. Stepping out of my CEO role play for a bit, while I was writing up my venture, I question my source of information. Since this is not a real venture and we don’t have budget to work with, I didn’t have real market information from surveys. From that standpoint, I reserved to saying that I will make 1% of the market in first year because of the lack of information on resistance and saturation point of the market. It would definitely be interesting to know though. If this venture was real, I would conduct a survey before I even do this pitch.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
I think you presented your company very well. I was happy to hear your voice and see your picture. However, the power of video presentation has become evident to me in this course and might be a consideration for “next” time (I am guilty of NOT doing that myself). Other than that I think your idea has GREAT potential and you were very clear on your “ask”.
Thanks for sharing your idea,
Ronna
p.s. I would invest!
Hi Ronna,
Thank you for investing in my venture! I have to thank Dragons Den and Kickstarter for my “ask” section. I was too shy to do it at first because I have never really pitched before and I am very used to just letting people offer whatever they think I am worth, but my boyfriend, who’s a web design freelancer showed me a couple of real pitches and coached me through the process he would go through when he is doing a pitch. I think it really helped me.
I agree with you 100% on the video part. I regret not doing it but I was in a toggle of between doing a video feed or just voice over. The funny story behind this stems from the project I worked on in my company. I had to come up with an introduction to our teaching program to our business partners and originally we thought, you know, since our core project group know the project inside out, it would be good to film one of us in the intro instead of hiring an actor or getting upper levels to do it. That proposal was rejected and marketing explained that the age and voice of the person has a lot to do with the buy in of the user. And the comment was my team was pretty young so it would deliver a stronger message if we have someone older doing that. Anyway, that was my rationale of not putting my face on there. Looking back though, there are a lot of young venturers so I think I was thinking too much about what the marketer said to my team.
Thank you again for investing in my business 🙂
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
As a potential investor I am very interested in what CDesign has to offer, though I have a few questions as well. Your pitches were very well organized, clear, and professional. As Ronna said, it would have been nice to see you speaking a bit. You highlighted some key points that give strength to your venture, in particular the information about expected retirements creating a gap in the next few years drew me in. I also liked the use of word clouds.
I am curious, however, about what you mean by interactivities – does cdesign include templates for games? discussions? What other types of interactivities? As well, in your information about the potential market you mentioned that the first number was simply for one corporation – were the national and North American numbers also based solely on one corporation? If so, what are the larger possible market numbers. My last question comes from the suggestion of partnering with large lms providers – do you think that your competition would be willing to work with you when cdesign could replace large aspects of their company?
I would be curious to see the answers to these questions, but am encouraged by your pitches and would be a strong potential investor!
-Meggan
Hello Meggan,
Thank you for your interest in cDesign. My team certainly put a lot of effort into creating this web application. The interactivies cDesign delivers include games, quizzes, puzzles, quests and simulations. Our game development partner, Level-5, offered a lot of expertise in terms of presenting challenges to users in many different ways. If you are interested in seeing some of the samples of Level-5 interactivity, you can definitely refer to their well-known role playing game series – Professor Layton. The only difference is, our users will get to be a part of the game design and twist the professional game interface to fit their own content. Imagine how this could help engage learners and how much more effective this would be in a classroom versus our ordinary course authoring software.
My first number for the potential market was for a single corporation. The second number is the total of all corporations within Canada. In other words, if we reach ALL corporations (which, of course would be a HUGE success) we would be dominating the $18 billion market nationally. This is the same for the North American market.
Partnering with large LMS providers is actually quite possible. I think cDesign threatens not the LMS providers but the corporate training consultants. LMS is a tool, and the corporate training consultants does what cDesign offer, but at a much higher price. The partnership between LMS and cDesign is one that would take over consultation firms. I see that we will have a challenge in regards to building the trust in our potential client. As some of our potential customers express worries for not having a real person to talk to and put together courses for them. Although our forum and ongoing support to our customers is in place, I propose that a trade show presentation and trial versions be distributed to show the ease of this tool. If anything, cDesign only make LMS more powerful and appeal to the unexplored market of smaller companies with too little resources at this time to even attempt eLearning on their own.
Please let me know if there is any other point that is still cloudy, I would be more than happy to clear those up for you.
Again, thank you for your interest in cDesign.
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
Your presentation in the pitch is rather neat as I am sure you worked very hard on it. The voice over was very clear, the graphics and fonts were good. I was really looking to see the founder/CEO/Executive Director. I am not sure who is speaking. The CEO speaking in person to me would show more credibility and would give the potential investor your commitment for your venture. You also did not make mention of the management team. I might take a negative inference based on the fact that the CEO was unwilling to talk about the team.
Nevertheless, there’s potential for Cdesign, I think it needs more information though on the target and global market for me to think about investing.
~Shawn
Hi Shawn,
First of all, thank you very much for your time in reviewing my venture. It is my regrets that at this time a lot of our team members are still tying up other work they have with outside companies, so their identities were not to be revealed.
(jumping out of the role play for a second, I actually put down a couple of big names for the executive team, but I was thinking that this video would be loaded onto YouTube and I took a step back and deleted all of them. In hindsight I really should have asked David if we could or could not role play all the way in a new venture like this. I was concern about privacy and freedom of information issues even though this is a school project. I was thinking a bit too much).
I will definitely take your advice to heart and make an appearance in my future pitches. Perhaps I will ask my executive team to give a speech too to build trust with interested investor like yourself!
Sincerely yours,
Sherman
love your spirit Sherman! All the best!
~Shawn
Sherman, you have carried the CEO role of your company well!!!
You have outlined your company direction, product and vision clearly and directly. The market potential and partnerships will certainly help with your returns. I found your option to turn competitors into partners quite interesting.
I’m not familiar with how corporate training occurs, but your venture indicates that LMS may be a possible opportunity for improved distribution. For smaller corporations, your product combined with an LMS delivery system would appear to give your product a competitive edge.
I would agree with others that have already commented that having your ‘presence’ in the venture and/or elevator pitch, even for a portion of the presentation, would help investors gain ‘buy-in’. As it is, your venture is worthy of investment, your personal pitch presence would make it a sure thing.
Helen
Good evening Helen,
Thank you very much for your interest in cDesign. Corporate training is usually on a very tight budget and because most of the knowledge is sensitive to changes in company targets and direction of the year, many of the training is not built to stay. Therefore making training a very expensive aspect to sustain should it be constantly contracted out. Of course, we are then left with only subject matter experts to come up with courses, which, as I have mentioned, is not the best way because they have no or little pedagogical knowledge. Hence, cDesign leverage on the fact that corporation would spend money on the migration over to our company in exchange for a long term saving.
As I have said to other investors who had mentioned my lack of presence, I will definitely present myself more clearly as the CEO next time. I like your idea of presenting at least for a portion of the presentation. I will keep that in mind.
Thank you for your investment!
Sherman
Hi Sherman
I thought that you had an excellent venture concept, which was well researched and supported. I really liked how you addressed the fact that your competitors offered similar products in terms of the tools, but that you had the advantage with actually providing the training and experience.
The market would appear to support the growth and development of such a venture, especially if you could move into the North American Market.
As an investor I was interested by both your elevator pitch, and venture pitch, and would like to move on the next step of seeing the full-scale venture plan and implementation.
I would agree with others that you could work to carry a little more weight and emphasis in your voice, but you were clear and easy to understand.
Great Work.
Dave
Hello Dave,
Thank you very much for your investment in cDesign. I agree 100% that if I make an appearance with my team, we would probably have drawn more people into our venture. I look forward to contacting you and going over the full-scale venture plan and implementation. It will definitely be even better than what you have viewed so far as our team has learnt from the pitch experience and made improvement to the overall planning.
Looking forward to prospering with you in this venture!
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
Your presentation is clear and effective, however, it would have been nice to see your enthusiasm rather that only hear it.
As for the company, I am curious about the partnership with level-5 and what their stake in the company is. Is this a contract agreement with them or is it a business partnership/subsidiary? I think knowing the answer to that would make me understand full what I would be investing in.
I would be interested in also seeing an early version of the program and how the templates and system works for the actual users. That would definitely convince me to invest my money.
Thanks,
Kenton
Hello Kenton,
Thank you very much for your interest in cDesign, and for your further inquiry in our business structure. Hopefully I will be able to provide you with a satisfactory answer to our vision here.
cDesign and Level-5 is in a business partnership. Level-5 is actively developing the next game in the Professor Layton series. In this partnership, cDesign has made an agreement to provide them with pedagogical expertise in return for their animation work for our project. A lot of the templates are results from the development of the new addition to the Layton series.
We can arrange a time for you to either come to our headquarters or connect with you through gotomeeting, so we can show you the power of this program.
Talk to you soon,
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
Your presentation is engaging and its supporting data is well researched. It’s fresh to see a venture that targets corporate training. This market is significantly larger and more willing to spend money than the K-12 and post-secondary markets. Kudos for having this big vision. As for investing, it would help if I could test out a prototype. I also have several questions/concerns:
1. You said that there are a wide-range of tools developed after surveying educators world-wide. What are some of these tools? How are they different from (or better than) your competitor’s existing ones. (It’s hard to visualize without trying it hands-on)
2. Different companies have different needs. How does it recommend best practices if the needs are different? A “one size fits all” solution to instructional design does not make sense. Please clarify.
Assuming these questions are properly addressed and cDesign has moved beyond proof of concept, I am willing to invest financially.
Colin
By the way, thank you for sharing this wonderful concept with us.
Hello Colin,
Thank you very much for your interest in cDesign. You are correct that the corporate training market has a greater potential than the K-12 and post-secondary markets, and the spending power of these corporation is, to say the least, amazing.
In regards to your questions, here is some clarification on my stand points:
1. Aside from the typical tools such as assessment makers, calendars and reporting tools, cDesign also offer a built-in lesson planner. Teachers can either plan using their own tools and then build the course directly into cDesign or they can choose to build starting from this lesson planner. The lesson planner guides the user through the essentials in a lesson plan, such as objectives and assessment model.
Another tool that I would like to highlight is cDesign’s reference engine. This reference engine allow the user to search and bookmark any internet resources and even import it directly into their lessons! This tool also help with the citation of these sites (this is done automatically when you import the material), which would avoid any copyright issues. This citing engine can be tweaked should the corporation have different rulings on external reference usage. This function is similar to what you would find in safe search in search engines.
2. Certainly, ‘one size’ does not ‘fit all’ in instructional design. Recommendations are set as default unless the user make changes to it. One of the tools that the users have access to is the instructional design standard tab. This tab allow the user to input any executive decision on how their courses should be structured. For instance, if my corporation decide to have no interactivities at all or have 30% interactivities throughout the entire delivery time, all you need to do is type this into the system and away you go. This tab also serves as a guide to help standardize courses within the same corporation, so that learners have a common structure to go by even if the courses are developed by users from different departments with different expertise.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can help clarify, I would be more than happy to connect with you.
Sherman
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I think this is an exciting venture–one that I am interested in investing.
Hi Sherman,
I’m glad to see a venture about corporate instructional design. Your venture pitch is fantastic and very nicely presented! It contains strong reasons supporting your venture, simple images and not a single word was wasted! This is the most effective use of wordles I’ve seen. Your tone of voice and speech rate were great. Your enthusiasm and confidence are clearly evident!
What concerns me about this venture is that it seems to negate the need for knowing learning theories, applying multimedia instructional design principles, differentiating skills vs. knowledge, targeting the level of learning objective (Bloom’s taxonomy) vs. the degree of proficiency, knowing how to motivate students or engaging them with a hook and so on?
The idea of combining all of this with game design templates seems like a lot, given that game design alone is complex, never mind using it for instructional purposes. The only way out of all of these issues would be to have thorough instructions at every stage of course development. Even then, would the “designer” understand what they are doing? Not to mention that graphic design has an impact on instructional effectiveness…
There is certainly a great advantage to using the subject matter experts and forming partnerships with LMS companies, but I’m not certain this is the best way. I would have to see how the program works in different situations to be convinced to invest. I think your marketing plan is realistic with a start of reaching 1% of the Canadian market share. However, I would have liked to see references indicating the legitimacy of the data. I like that you would be listening in on discussions in the forum to obtain user and educator feedback.
Once again, I think that your pitches are presented very professionally.
Cheers,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thank you very much for your advice and interest in cDesign. It is very true that ultimately the understanding of learning theories and principles is very important to delivery the most effective lessons. At the same time, corporations that cannot afford instructional designers and only has enough time to enlist subject matter experts into a training project can definitely use this tool. It takes years to build that professional grasp onto the concept of instructional design and what cDesign offer is a fast track for those who do not have a starting point.
cDesign is by no means there to replace professional instructional designers, but it is there to provide a solution which may not have even existed given a corporate structure usually would bypass anything they cannot afford to go for the less costly.
However, I do appreciate your comments, Dan, as it will help guide cDesign towards betterment. From your suggestion, we will try to make our design guidance as clear as possible. We will also consider providing a more accessible route for users to contact us for assistance if required.
We hope to draw your interest in the future, once we have deployed cDesign and be able to present to you more solid data.
Should you be interested, please subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.cDesign.ca (this is fake… kind of want to just complete my role play).
Cheers,
Sherman
Hi Sherman,
Thanks for clarifying how your services would be used. I’m ready to invest in your venture.
Cheers,
Dan
HI Sherman,
I too really appreciated your elevator pitch and venture pitch. You were enthusiastic, the presentation was crisp and clear. Like others I would have liked to have “met” you in the elevator pitch, but I wasn’t too concerned about it being video. – the way you presented on the venture pitch would have been adequate. I also think you could have slowed your delivery just a bit in the elevator pitch – it was perfect in the venture pitch.
I was enthused to go on to view the venture pitch by your elevator pitch and remained very interested in investing in your venture. I think you would present well to in the corporate world and this would also encourage me to invest in the venture.
Some of the previous posts have made comments I would have made too, so I won’t repeat them. I did think that it really is a solution for supporting pedagogy of online learning without having to have professional instructional designers and would mean that much more could be achieved in an organisation without the time and wait for the professionals. I don’t think this concept is limited to the business world…
It would have been good to see some of the designs and screens that cDesign uses (but it was a hypothetical).
I certainly would be considerig investing after these pitches.
Denise
Hello and welcome to Speaking Visually, the online arts integrated modules that address the need for learners to develop 21st century literacy skills including: visual, critical thinking, and creativity skills. To learn more about this venture you can view the elevator pitch and review the venture pitch. Elevator Pitch Venture Pitch SpeakingVisually You’ll also find […]
Continue reading Speaking Visually Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Claire
I really enjoyed viewing your elevator pitch. The images and music were beautiful and held my attention throughout the pitch. Your idea is original and certainly would have a niche in our education system. One suggestion that I think would improve your elevator pitch would be delivering your pitch in person on the video. This would, I think lend more credibility to the CEO, and give investors a chance to see firsthand your commitment and passion for your venture.
Good luck with your future ventures
Valerie
Thanks for your suggestion Valerie.
There’s much to consider in preparing a presentation. After viewing many of the presentations in the venture forum I have to say having video of the CEO does add credibility. To improve my pitch a blending of images and video of me presenting might be a good solution.
Claire
Hi Claire,
Your elevator pitch worked. Your proposal is so far out of my area of expertise, that I watched the elevator pitch three times before I caught on to what the venture was about (not because you didn’t explain it well, but because I am so unfamiliar with art education). That speaks volumes about your elevator pitch because even though I didn’t understand at first, it made me want to watch again and figure it out. In fact, it really worked because I went on to read your venture pitch.
Your venture clearly outlines a need in the art education market and identifies why your solution will meet that need in a unique way. You have a well laid out plan for marketing and the personal credentials you have outlined give me confidence that you can lead this venture. Your overall plan for development was comprehensive – I appreciated how you explained the proposed teacher to student ratio and at which points you would need additional teachers, admin and tech support. It is clear that your venture is well thought out and extremely organized. It was a pleasure to read.
I think this venture has real merit. After reading your proposal, you have me convinced that there is a need in the education system, but I am somewhat concerned that it might be a hard sell to school districts or students who may not see that need. Finding the right angle and venue for marketing it would be key to its success.
Overall, an impressive proposal.
Janet
Hi Janet,
I agree that generally speaking districts don’t pay a great deal of attention to art education. However, with the current trend toward personalized learning and the push for educational reforms, they are paying attention to options that contribute to students developing 21st century skills. I can see that a marketing goal needs to be to very quickly communicate that this venture goes well beyond offering art instruction and describe how modules are designed to aid students in gaining the skills they need for success in the conceptual age.
Claire
What a unique idea Claire!!! The stats you provided added “weight” and made the venture concept more appealing.
An in-person pitch would have been even more impactful. I myself filmed two versions, one just voice and then another one with video but finally decided to use the video version.
Concept and team
The venture concept “a solution to enhance visual literacy” is very clearly articulated.
The detailed information about team roles and the thinking behind supporting the future growth convey confidence and competence in carrying out the plan successfully.
Marketability
I like the idea of tying this to essential skills because that to me sounds promising in terms of market opportunities. The competition is well researched – my only suggestion would be to probably elaborate a bit more on what differentiates Speaking Visually from the competition.
Venture Plan
A very well thought-out plan Claire. As an investor I would have liked to see a larger profit share and if not possible then maybe a rationale would be helpful.
Great work.
Leonora
Hi Leonora,
I appreciate your comments and agree that some in-person segments would improve my pitch. I actually began by creating a video of myself but it didn’t seem to fit my venture idea so I switched to presenting images and me speaking. Now that I’ve had more opportunity to reflect I think a combination of in-person video and visuals would have worked well.
As I understand it an investor is looking for a return equal to or greater than the initial investment. I might not be clear on that though. It would be helpful for me to participate in discussion regarding expectations in that area.
Claire
Hi Claire
I really like this idea. I have always thought, that with the recent improvements to web-based digital media, that high quality education in fine arts would become possible. I got the sense from your elevator pitch that a quality learning experience would be offered.
My hesitation regarding this venture and other tuition based ventures surrounds facing the emerging competition from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS). There are some major university partnerships in the US such as the $60 million dollar edX partnership of MIT and Harvard. I would need to know more about how this service would be differentiated from existing MOOCs and platforms like Udemy and Coursera which are attracting the big universities.
Hi Chris,
Whenever the idea of selling online courses comes up so too does the fact that some of the major universities offer open online courses. It’s my understanding that what these courses offer is content. While they include video instruction and demonstration, they are in fact the equivalent of online texts. The modules I’m marketing are designed for learning communities and the construction of knowledge. My approach is to encourage learners to pull content rather than having content pushed at them. Each module encourages students to be creative as they define problems and work collaboratively to find logical solutions. Once they’ve arrived at a solution or solutions the next task is to go beyond spoken or written forms of communication and use visual forms to articulate their findings.
Claire
Hi Claire,
I really like your elevator pitch, which is so engrossing and passionate. It does work to lead me into your venture proposition, though I wish there could be a few key words in the pictures to give me a quick idea of the story behind (forgive my poor hearing).
I love the cover of your venture pitch. That shows a great sense of art. I have no doubt that your credit and capability can make you a qualified leader for this venture. I would hope to see a clearer story for how the “visual” and “speaking” parts work together. Do students orally speak out opinions for presented pictures, or do they “speak” in the form of visual pieces? What kind of arts can be considered as “ill-defined”? Does the “illness” mean in art sense or in social sense? In my understanding (not professional), art is perceptual which values creativity and innovation, how to associate it with very rational “problem solving” and “critical thinking”? I think you have a very thorough plan for operating the venture, including human resources, but I would like to see a more detail description of your potential users. In the competition paragraph, a brief comparison could help to clarify the differentiation advantages of your venture to the others.
Well done, Claire!
Ping
Hi Ping,
You offer something for me to consider when you suggest that I use text as well as images and audio to communicate my idea. My idea highlights the fact that visuals offer a language of their own. We’re so accustomed to communicating through spoken and written language that we easily overlook the power of the visual language that is everywhere.
In my competition paragraph I don’t compare my idea with the art options listed as these options teach technique and aren’t offering arts integrated education. Perhaps I should add a sentence to that section to make it clear that to my knowledge there currently are no online arts integrated options.
Claire
Hi Claire,
This is a very interesting idea, as I think it is very challenging to get school-aged students to reflect on art in more ways than saying that they “like” or “dislike” it. I believe this venture would be quite beneficial to art education curriculums. I was wondering, however, whether the learners are working collaboratively on problem-solving through art, on understanding problems represented through art or on creating art that represents current problems … or a bit of all of those. I also wonder how you might market this course as superior or different from existing art education courses, or art-centric blogs.
Great work!
May
Hi May,
As you suggest students are problem-solving, gaining understanding of problems, and representing solutions to problems through art. The difference between existing face-to-face art education courses and my proposal is that the students go beyond a focus that is personal in nature to explore issues that are relevant to their cultures and communities. This means that modules offer arts integrated options to students at the grade 10-12 level. Students learn to communicate through a range of art forms but also earn credit for disciplines other than visual art. When comparing Speaking Visually to online art options the differences are greater as the online options’ primary goal is to teach technique. With an increasing number of students at the grade 10-12 level electing to learn from home and seeking online courses there is a need for quality online art options.
Claire
Hi Claire,
I thought your elevator pitch was excellent and I really like your venture concept. After reading your full pitch, it’s clear that this venture is needed and different than many other products out there on the market today. I wonder how you would gain entrance into schools with this product tough – and would you target school districts – or ?
Overall, great pitch,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I think that endorsement from national, provincial, and state organizations such as the Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA) and the National Art Education Association (NAEA) in the US would prove valuable in marketing to schools and districts. In the public system the decision to purchase Speaking Visually might be made at the district level but I would also market to school administrators and art educators. Marketing to Independent schools should be primarily to administration and art educators.
Claire
Hi Claire,
Your elevator pitch was visually intriguing which of course is perfect for the venture you are proposing. However, I must admit that I found myself distracted from your words by the imagery – perhaps, as Ping suggested, a few key words of text for emphasis may help to keep your viewers focused.
Your venture pitch was well laid out and I was especially impressed by how clearly you communicated the need to expend visual communication and its oft overlooked benefits of critical, collaborative and critical thinking skills. I was also impressed by the structure of the service from an educator standpoint. I have seen many students fail to complete self-paced courses due to lack of structure and isolation – your plan seems to resolve these issues. Your proposed orientation process is very comprehensive and it appears your team is more than capable of implementing it.
On the money side, I was somewhat confused. I found your start-up costs very low – it seems to me that you are under-valuing yourself and your team. It was also unclear to me how you are actually ‘selling’ your product to your customers – what is the cost to them?
Overall an idea worth investigating. Well done
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Thanks for offering your thoughts concerning my pitch. I have some things to consider if I choose to move forward with this venture. I agree that I could be more courageous when it comes to launching this venture. While I’m trying to be practical and keep things manageable, and therefore small scale, I hadn’t considered how this might be perceived as communicating a lack of confidence or under-valuing the idea and the team’s capabilities.
Costs to customers varies depending on whether it’s an individual or a group signing up and the level of the students participating. You’re right a summary of student fees should be included with my proposal.
Claire
Hi Claire, I found your elevator pitch highly effective, engaging, and clear. I would have liked to see more about how the courses would be designed: I liked the idea that students would engage in visuals relevant to their communities: how will connections with people from other communities be moderated? Great idea with excellent potential. Thanks, Chelsea
Hi Chelsea,
If I had a few more weeks to prepare for this presentation I’d create at least one module and include a preview of it in my proposal. The opportunity to see how modules are organized and presented would certainly help to convince investors that this is a worthwhile venture.
Students participate in a placement interview prior to beginning a module. The purpose of the interview is to ensure that learners with similar interests and skill level are placed together. While learners will have the opportunity to address issues of relevance to their culture and community this does not mean that cross-cultural groups will not occur. Many topics will lend themselves well to contributions from learners from varying backgrounds.
Claire
Hi Claire,
Good job on your venture pitch and proposition. Your elevator pitch was very well-designed as you tried to use pictures to reflect your venture and the opening phrase “a picture represents a thousand words”. You did a very good job in articulating the core benefits and what your venture does, although in your elevator pitch you didn’t quite state what is the current challenges that people are facing but your detailed proposition has presented that information which made up for that and it acts quite nice as a follow-up document to your elevator pitch. As an EVA, I would suggest that you incorporate a brief introduction for your elevator pitch and perhaps having a scene or two with yourself leading the elevator pitch would have been more convincing as that would help you gain credibility and accountability, I think it is important to the investor in knowing who is actually presenting the venture to them.
Karon
I have put all of my work together at http://www.mrmckinnon.com/ossltonthego1. The elevator pitch is on the first page and the subsequent webpages flesh out the venture. For those of you that are not familiar with Ontario’s curriculum, all students in Grade 10 must write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). It is written in […]
Continue reading I have put all of my work together at ht… Posted in: Venture Forum
Great job Jody!
I thought your pitches were clear, concise, engaging and realistic. Both appeared well researched very professional. I had some questions about “assigned teachers” to provide feedback. Is that something that already exists, or a service your company would provide?
At this point, I’d be a little on the fence, but might be willing to invest. Well done!
David McInnes
Hi there. Thanks for your comments. IN many schools, a teacher or group of teachers has the responsibility for preparing students for the test. In my school, it has been the core English teacher. So in this case, he/she would be the ‘assigned’ teacher. This way no teacher is responsible for no more than 22 students (the class size cap for Applied courses in my board). I hope this clarifies it for you. Thanks!
Yes, I would invest.
Your presentation was dynamic and engaging and pretty much grapped you by the eyeballs from the start. 🙂
I much enjoyed the format of your presentation – simple to navigate, concise and to the point. I would like to hear more about the market expectations and before actually signing on the dotted line, would like to hear more about motives behind the users (as it is the MEO that wants high grades in this case, and not necessarily the students, no?).
regardless, this holds potential for me.
well done.
errr, ‘grabbed’. 🙂
Jody,
Jody,
I really like the app and service but I would not invest under the current fee structure. If all approx. 900 Ontario High Schools purchased a licence for $50 you would have a total revenue of $45 000 minus app store and processing fees. You would have to bank that a major amount of parents would purchase this app at $5 price point.
I would be interested in this venture if the app could be sold directly to the Ministry to provide the services to all stakeholders free of costs. Otherwise, the market is too small to cover the overhead costs to properly deliver the services promised (staff, hardware, network, development, support ect.)
Thanks,
Brian Hotovy
Thanks for your comments. The purpose of this app was to not make money. The fee was nominal on purpose. If this were a real venture, my hope is that the government would have invested in it and provided the differences in costs.
Hi Jody,
Thank you for sharing your elevator pitch with me. I do think that you presented a compelling pitch, however, as a parent of a 17 y/o boy in the Ontario public school system, I would be very grumpy having to purchase “extra” help in any format for him to succeed. That said, my children (I also have a 19y/o daughter) were both successful with the test and I am sure there are other parents and teens who might appreciate it.
Ronna
I hear that Ronna. IN theory, if this were a real app and the province paid for it, parents would pay nothing. Because in theory, this app is free for the user…only more if the parents want to receive the reports and controls.. Thanks for your comments.
Hi Jody,
Great job on your pitch!
I think that your focus on this new educational app to help risk learners is very fitting for the current educational technology market! I would surely invest. This is certainly an area with potential for growth in the next several years not just in Ontario but in the Caribbean and other developing countries. I thought that the tone of your pitch was very professional, clear and to the point. This venture seems convincing compared to others I might add.
I think “No student should be left behind” could be your company’s slogan. What do you think?
Jody I notice you did not talk about the global market or did I missed that? Is this new app only for Ontario? Are you planning to go global? We have literacy exams here in the Caribbean too. Your team seems credibility and look highly spirited.
By the way, loved the video about you receiving the Olympic Torch in Dec 06. That must have been an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing with us!
Overall, I do think your venture has a good market that is increasingly growing overtime. You have provided a detailed venture pitch with information about the market and the product. The concept is a good one… again, thanks for sharing it with us and all the best!
~ Shawn
Thanks for your comments. My market is local and I have no interest in going global at this time. I don’t know much or anything about the structure of tests around the world, However, if this were a real venture and it worked well here, it could easily be adapted for export to other jurisdictions. Thanks!
Hi Jody. Your presentation was clear, concise, and captivating. I like the concept of this venture, using technology and motivation to engage at risk learners. However, I’m slightly concerned with your target market size: Of the 147,000 eligible students, 24,000 failed. 14,880 (62%) are at-risk boys. About only 11,160 are at-risk boys with technology. Not all of them will use the application even if the product is available for free. This is a small niche market. As a teacher, I would definitely purchase one for my school at this price point. However, as an investor, I think you undervalued your product and I recommend increasing the price. As a non-profit investor, why not provide the service for free (and get good tax breaks)?
Colin
Hi Colin. Thanks for your response. You are correct in that it is a niche market and that is what I wanted all along to begin. Should it prove worthwhile in the real world, it could easily be available for all learners preparing for the test. I had thought about the tax break thing for investing, but I wasn’t sure about how that would work or if it would be realistic or legal. I’m not a marketing expert, entrepreneur or a business person. I’m just an English teacher that wants to see boys be more successful on the literacy test. Thanks again!
Jody
Neat work! Everything was done nicely. I think your venture will find its place in the market easily especially you mentioned that you prefer it to be in the local market. With the statistics you provided in regard to failing percentage of the exam takers specifically among boys, I presume the market welcomes such education-oriented business initiative because it is simply needed. What helps here is the fact that it is a unique attempt.
However there is one thing that makes me a bit hesitant which is the profit. You are driving at moving the investors to put their capitals in such a project but you don’t promise them with a good financial repay. Jody, you are addressing and dealing with investors not philanthropists!
Good job!
Hussain
Hi Hussain. Thanks for your comments. The purpose of my venture was never to make a profit. You’ll notice that I’ve positioned this as a way to fit a corporate social responsibility model…i.e. a way for the company to give something back to the community. Thanks again!
Hi Jody
I thought this was a very well done venture both in presentation and in concept. You were very clear in you elevator pitch and I think that you have hit on a market which does exist. Working in a school with students who are often disengaged and who struggle to study I could see the use for a mobile review tool with extrinsic rewards. I know in BC there is a slow removal of some of the standardized testing and I wonder how this trend could affect the OSST?
As an investor I would be interested in seeing the full venture plan and implementation scheme, as even if the OSST were to be removed this tool could be adapted for other testing needs.
Very well done
Dave
Hello Jody,
I was impressed with both your elevator pitch and venture pitch. Both looked quite professional and offered a good balance of visuals and text. As CEO you inspired me confidence that you know your stuff.
Your venture pitch and entire website was well researched and you really covered all possible questions a possible investor might have. Just one little thing, some of your lines on your web site overlap near the bottom and make it difficult to decipher those last few lines. Otherwise the whole look of the web site is appealing and as an investor I would certainly consider investing in your venture!
Congrats on your hard work . . . it really paid off!
Marie-France
Hello Jody,
Just as an aside, I can see your care for your students through your venture, and I think that is a great thing as an instructor myself. Putting my investor cap back on, your OSSLT on the go has potential. Your elevator and venture pitches were effective. The elevator pitch was efficient and effective. One personal pet-peeve of mine is dragged on and slow-paced elevator pitches. I see them almost like a commercial for investors – too slow and you killed the budding interest. Your venture pitch was well presented, and has your elevator pitch nicely embedded in it for easy referral. Overall, it was a great job!
CEO & Team: You left the best till last. I think you had a great structure that you introduced what your product was attempting to address and how it brings value to investors before reinforcing that trust with the introduction of you as the CEO and your highly capable team. By doing so, you gave a reason for me to remember you and your team by!
Venture Concept: I think this is a plausible concept. Being very familiar with the tutoring industry, I know how product that is driven by a standardized exam could draw a lot of interest. This is not only interest coming from the students, but more so from the parents. And what’s better than an app that you can easily take anywhere with you. This definitely beat those phone-book size study guides!
Marketability: I like it that the users get to use this for free. It is often easier to manage by schools if the students don’t have to pay. That is a big draw in for this market. Do you have any plans on expanding your market beyond who you have identified? I see that the at risk and also the re-write as more of a niche market. Since this standardized exam is for Ontario, I can see that it is of your best interest to reach as much of Ontario as you can. Another suggestion would be a global market. Yes… although your product was created for a niche, it doesn’t need to stay in it. Again, from my tutoring experience, there are parents who are thinking of immigrating to Ontario who might be interested in this as well. This would, of course, be a great marketing feat to reach deeper into the immigration population. There’s lots of potential, so make sure you plan things out!
Venture Plan: I would like to know a bit more about your plans for kick-off. How are you going to promote this product? What is your plan for dominating the market and keeping your product unique?
With such a great pitch, I would like to invest in your venture. Prior to committing a solid amount, I would like to further discuss with you in regards to the OSSLT on the go business model and marketing plans.
Thank you and great job!
Sherman
Hi Jody,
I would invest for the greater good of the students, the ask is not much and the outcome makes it worthy of an initial investment. However, I do have a concern and that is with the government’s reaction to more students being successful on the exams, will they respond by increasing the standards and making the exam harder if future sessions? I know that some provincial exams I have had experience in administering have a set expectation that a certain percentage of students fail.
I think that a venture like this could also be expanded to include apps for other provincial or standardized exams, (I am not very familiar with the Ontario system), but in Alberta something like this would be useful for all other provincial achievement and diploma exams.
You pitch is excellent and very well constructed. Great work.
Kenton
Greetings all from Iceland..I”m still up after 36 hours, so I apologize if this post isn’t that coherent. Thanks for all of your comments since yesterday. I appreciate the feedback and do see that something like this could work in not only Ontario, but abroad. Re: the test getting easier? I’m not sure I buy that, but there will always be kids that don’t pass. We just need to make that a lower number. Anyway thanks again for all the excellent feedback. I’m not likely to post again. A pleasure working with y’all!
Great job! You presented the problem well and introduced the solution clearly. Your visuals enhanced the message I was intrigued to know more about your product. I would not invest in your product since I am not a big believer in teaching to a test, sorry. Great presentation though.
Welcome to MotionMath, where math problems are transformed into multimedia situations. Created for math teachers by math teachers this program provides easy to use, affordable access to problems which come to life in the classroom. See our Elevator Pitch for a quick introduction or the Venture Pitch for more details. I am looking forward to […]
Continue reading MotionMath Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi there. As a mathphobic guy, I say yes yes yes to this venture. I love that it melds multimedia and math together. Maybe I would have done better at it had it existed 25 years ago when I was in grade 7! Wow. I just realized how old I was…anyway. I love the concept and I can this working very well. To extend this idea, what if you had students make their own videos too that could be added to a database of student exemplars.
Overall, I like the idea, although, I don’t recall learning about your CEO or team.
I’m all in!
Jody
Hi Jody,
Thank you for your comments. My goal has always been to show people that experiencing math can be fun and with technology it is getting easier.
I fell into the selling the product trap in my elevator pitch but after watching others I have a better feeling of how I need to hook the investor so that they will even consider looking at my venture pitch which holds more information. Yes, students making videos is excellent and part of my plan this year which I am very excited about.
Bridget
Bridget,
I really liked your pitches. I thought both were very clean, clear and succinct. You did an excellent job of presenting a clear vision that focuses on a very real problem. Very professional and believeable. I’d be interested in investing.
Well done!
David McInnes
David,
Thank you. I learned so much about editing in this one and have even more to learn. It has been great watching other people’s pitches for ideas.
Bridget
Bridget, you had me at ‘hello, errr, ‘demo’!
Your elevator pitch was excellent. Being a math head, I appreciated HOW you connected math to real-life and I think there is terrific potential with your concept.
I also very much liked that you are VERY pedagogical and that this aligns perfectly with the future of curriculum as per mandated by minsitries of education far and wide.
Before I invest, I would like to discuss a few items with you and the team:
– could we put more ‘pitch’ on the presentation and a tad less on ‘demo’ if we want to get more investors?
– What are the plans for key partnerships? I think of a company called ‘Explore Learning’ Gizmos that have a similar concept and I think there is great potential in exploring partnerships with these kinds of companies.
– Perhaps i need to go through the material again, but I would need to hear more about the market and competition (sorry if is there, I was perhaps still jumping up and down about the demo).
Well done! Where do I sign?
Hi Yves,
I am glad you liked the demo idea…..kids are all over the few I have made and used with my classes.
Thank you for the comments. Great point about the “more pitch” and something that I had realized when the final product was complete. Fitting it all into 1 minute was quite difficult but when I sit back after view so many others I can see how I could have presented more as a pitch.
I have used Gizmos and that would be a good partnership…nice thinking. The main competition in TedEd which came out in June/July this year. It’s different but still new so who knows where and how big it will go. I do plan to contribute directly to their repository though…why not.
Bridget
That’s a great attitude… I agree, ‘why not?’. However, I seriously do think you are on to something though… I would love to see the reaction from the group MoEd group that asked me to present this past year… they would eat this up.
🙂
-y
Bridget,
Your elevator pitch sold me on the product but didn’t hook me as an investor. As an investor I would love to see returns that would be higher that what is projected in your numbers.
However, your content could be valuable to one of the big text book companies. Have you considered selling your content to the highest bidder? Or are you the next company that will provide resources on a mass level?
Very compelling as an educator. Wary as an investor!
Thanks,
Brian Hotovy
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your comments.
Yes, I agree, got sucked in to selling the product. However, I have some ideas now that I have seen a few pitches. I missed that point a bit in hooking the investor so that they will have the interest to look at the longer pitch.
I am not sure where the text book companies will be going in the long run but it is good idea.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
Nice elevator pitch! I love the idea.
Would this work together with a specific set of objectives common to a particular province, or textbook publisher, or be largely generic ? I’m thinking of math IXL, which although not at all like your idea, is successful due largely to its concentration on math curricular objectives by Canadian province.
Well done!
Smiles, Kim
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your comments.
You ask an interesting question. I had originally thought about having the content be solely Canadian which is similar to what IXL does although they are more of an online quiz/tutorial system. All my examples would be Canadian content with topics being tagged appropriately. I would be Interested to know how well IXl does….an interesting thought for partnership.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
I think you have done a fabulous job with your venture. Both your elevator pitch and your venture pitch are very clear and well laid out. The only thing is I thought your elevator pitch was more of a sales pitch then a message conveying the essence of your venture. However, I was captivated by the idea and I’m certainly interested!
I think the pilot idea is excellent. I think this is a very important for investors to see this and to get market research feedback from end users. I also think it would be useful to include current research on the effectiveness of authentic, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences.
Finally, I would suggest including the credentials of your management team.
Overall I think this is a fabulous venture and certainly one I would consider investing in!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Thank you, much appreciated and great point about the credentials.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
I was really impressed by the professional quality of both your elevator pitch and venture pitch. The product is wonderful – I can definitely see it being used in classrooms and students learning a lot from it — I say this as an educator, but as an investor I wouldn’t have moved onto your venture pitch since your elevator pitch was more of a demo than an effort to convince me to open my wallet. I would have liked to see mention of the pilot schools and the revenue generated or projected in your elevator pitch so that I would have asked to hear out your venture pitch. The venture pitch was extremely well done and the demo was certainly thorough! I think again though, that an investor would like to see more emphasis on the “so what” rather than only see “the what”. Your information on the market and your projections for increasing that market share are believable and I also like the fact that you were able to show revenue projections in graphs. The comparison between competitors was also well done. Your team looks great, though I agree with Danielle in that it would be wise to tell us why these people are the best for the job.
Overall, as an EVA, after seeing your venture pitch I believe this is an impressive venture and I would be willing to invest! As an educator, I can’t wait to be able to use it in my classroom.
All the best!
Sheza
Hi Sheza,
Thank you for your comments. I do agree that I needed to pitch more and got sucked into the demo.
I appreciate the vote of confidence.
Bridget
To start great job with you pitches, they were easy to follow and they have made me interested in investigating further. I like the idea of taking textbook questions and making them more real world questions just like the tank question that Dan Meyer presented in his conference video. I love the idea of getting students to explore questions in a more hands on way, supported with multimedia support. As an investor I question the viability of the product since there are a ready several online sites that offer similar services like 101 questions and Dan’s own personal site. As an investor I would be concerned that once the product was used by one teacher in a school why wouldn’t that teacher just copy as many lessons as possible then give it to his colleagues or store them for future use. It also seems that this product would be easy to duplicate and your competition would increase.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your comments.
My biggest worry was passing Dan Meyer’s video off as my own…..referenced it but not sure if it would stand in a real pitch. I am glad to hear that you are a fan and although this was his first 3-act problem (I think) it has remained a favourite of mine.
Dan focuses on the 3-acts which I think are great yet they are often not structured enough as a marketable product and they need a flexible teacher who knows the content very well in order to be successfully executed. I use his, and my own quite frequently in my classes. I am aiming to make more of a package out of the situations which can be more friendly for newer teachers and can be open or closed questions depending on the comfort of the teacher.
Great point about the duplicating and even with registrations teachers share passcodes so this is something to consider. Competition is good and I think that there are going to be many changes in the way in which math is taught in the near future and good fun to be part of the ride.
If you like Meyer you might also like Stadel http://mr-stadel.blogspot.ca/ who is also creating 3-act stories.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
If I had more investment dollars, I would definitely commit money to your venture as well! It was actually a rather difficult because you did make an awesome pitch. I really liked it. The video and the showcasing make it authentic and easy to see your vision in action.
My biggest question for you is, how will you keep your product unique in the long run? Do you think that your product is easily replicable? How will your business model help prevent the market from diverging from your current dominance? I would also like to hear more about your team, to help me build trust in your venture.
Do pitch to me again when you are ready!
Sherman
Bridget
Nice venture and a clever pitch! I am not a math teacher but I remember I used to be a top student. I used to love it. I think this project is unique and not easy to make. But nothing is impossible as long as there is a will to do it. Such initiatives should be encouraged to take their proper space in the world of education.
One of the positive things about your project is that it could revive math teaching in general. You are starting a different method of teaching it, not the usual conventional style. And that is really unique in itself.
A subject can be hated if it is not taught properly. Here we are tackling a very sensitive point, which is creating the interest in the learner. The new format of math teaching might trigger this interest and keep it tuned.
Your project can get through the hearts of investor especially those who know how important math is for the whole system of education. The investors might get scared at first of the idea of teaching math through media tools but their reaction will not last long as soon as they understand that there is a huge market for it.
Bridget, you will get a lot of investors. I am one of them!
Good job
Hussain
Hi Bridget,
Amazing pitches! I think this venture has really good potential. The market size for math education is huge in North America alone, since it is a mandatory course. As a math educator, I think Motion Math will help those who struggle with abstract concept of math by using real-life, concrete examples. I particularly like the rate question that you posed in your elevator pitch, as it required students to think beyond what is required from a typical textbook question. I think the examples that you used help illustrate what your product is about. I would definitely consider investment if the asking the right. Well done.
Colin
P.S. You will probably need a good legal team since this product can be easily copied as pointed out by another potential investor.
Welcome to Construct-Ed, a scaffold and consulting service that provides knowledgeable individuals with the instructions and resources for creating effective online courses based on constructivist teaching methods. To find out more, please watch Construct-Ed’s elevator pitch, below: Construct-Ed Elevator Pitch Still have questions about Construct-Ed? Please the Construct-Ed Venture Pitch and Analysis. Looking forward to […]
Continue reading Construct-Ed Posted in: Venture Forum
Hello May,
Your pitch looked great and was very well presented. I had to watch it a few times to get a full understanding of the pitch….you delivered it well, but I just needed to catch-up with some parts. Overall, I liked the idea and do realize that ‘yes’ some need help constructing courseware especially if they’re not teachers originally. I would invest in this idea.
Good job.
-Regen
Thanks for the feedback!
May
Hello May,
Here are some more of my thoughts on your idea. Looking over your feedback and responses to the posts and feedback of others made more of a great impression on your commitment to the idea. There doesn’t seem to be a question you can’t answer thoughtfully. Good job. As for the idea, again I think there are many people out there who wind up in a position to teach something they know about, but do not have the skills to deliver some lesson plans that will engage. The exact market I think this idea would be best for is within trade schools such as BCIT/Kwantlen Trades/etc. These schools have the most knowledgeable staff for the topics they deliver but could use extra help in making lessons plans that match their superior knowledge of the trade. Keep up with this idea, and good luck. The presentation was great.
-Regen
Elevator Pitch:
Hi May
I really enjoyed your elevator pitch. Your presentation of the venture was professional and clearly delivered. The images and music were well matched and held my attention throughout the pitch. The logo for your venture was fabulous! As Founder and CEO of Construct-ED, your voice exuded an air of confidence that gave weight to your pitch and inspired confidence in me as a potential investor. Overall your pitch caught and held my attention and made me want to delve deeper into your venture by moving on to your venture pitch.
One suggestion to strengthen your pitch would be to include some information about your credentials and some information about who would be working with you.
Well done!
Valerie
Venture Pitch Analysis
Pain Point
The problem that your company Construct-ED would be addressing is clearly defined and supported with sound research. The need for well designed courses that utilize constructivist strategies is a niche that needs to be filled.
Solution:
The development of a custom design of LMS to meet the customers’ specific needs and support for customers sounds like a realistic. Because it is customized for particular clients type of LMS does not matter so that should attract a wide market base.
Differentiation:
While you identify companies that offer some of the services your company has the clear advantage of offering the whole suite of services that gives you a clear advantage.
Marketing:
Marketing strategy using a 2 year phase in model clearly laid out. Your uniqness ensures a broad market base.
Championship:
Your commitment, credentials, confidence and passion about your product are clear and inspire confidence.
The Ask:
I would need to know, as an EVA, how much of an investment you would be asking me to make.
The Return:
I am unclear as an EVA how much return I can expect on my investment.
Yes I would potentially be willing to invest in this venture at this time however I would need more financial information around my investment and return on investment before I could fully commit. The pitch is credible, concept is feasible and the potential market is there for this venture to be successful.
Well done
Valerie
Thanks for the thorough feedback, Valerie!
If I were to modify my pitch now, I would ask an investor for $30,000 for 25% of the company (shares/profits). While I believe there is much growth potential for this venture, I think that at the idea stage (i.e. no sales yet), any investment is essentially a gamble, so I would not want to inflate the valuation. The $30,000 would cover set up costs, web programming basics (because I could do most of the design and web implementation myself) and cover attendance at one trade show (which my MBA contact tells me can cost approximately $10,000). Because the initial “team” would consist of only myself and occasional consultant work until the demand surpassed my abilities, profit would be redistributed among investors.
Great questions – I wish we’d had a chance for feedback sooner, since it would have helped me to fine-tune the venture pitch 🙂
May
Hi May,
I enjoyed your elevator pitch. The combination of graphics and your presence led to an engaging pitch.
This is a very interesting concept and I think you did a wonderful job summarizing the competition. I was a bit unclear as to who your main market was as you mentioned K-12 educators as well as the corporate sector. Were you planning to target one of these in particular? I was also curious as to whether or not you see the need to provide technical support to your customers. You are delivering information such as LMS tools to use, but I’m wondering if there wouldn’t also be a great opportunity to follow that up with tech support as they’re building their solution.
Great job!
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
I like the idea of providing technical support. In my venture pitch, I do mention providing one on one consultations, and these could include tech support. The reports (templates) would also include not only recommendations for which tools to use, but instructions on how to use them (for example, how to sign up for a specific LMS, create a blog on a certain platform, etc).
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi May,
Good job on your elevator pitch presentation! It was very aesthetically pleasing and it totally got my attention. Your friendly smile in the beginning also started off the pitch with a very positive touch. As an EVA, in reviewing your pitch I was able to obtain information as to what is the current problem and Construct-Ed is the solution to all the problems business men and people with degrees are facing. You went into the details as to how Construct-Ed works which was very detailed in facts. The only thing I was unclear on was who you’re marketing this venture to, my assumption based on the pictures I saw in your pitch was that it was meant for both corporate professionals and students in post-secondary? Other than that, I think you did an excellent job and I can see a lot of effort has been put into creating this pitch.
Karon
Hi Karon,
Thanks for your comments – Yes, the target market is professionals, business managers and DIY enthusiasts who have little or no educational background. My goal would be to begin with this focus online, but eventually offer the consulting service to business and focus on corporate training, once the online venture has gained momentum, to minimize risk.
Hi May,
Excellent elevator pitch! Very innovative idea! I think constructive education is necessary for many professional people, as I can find many engineers in my company don’t know how to present their ideas properly. I can see your venture has market potential both in school and in professionals. I like the idea of “constructive templates”, which I believe could be a convincible selling point of your products. I wonder, however, how your templates would look like? Are they similar to those templates freely available in Microsoft PowerPoint? Or, will your template be more comprehensive, constructive, and relevant to professional features? I’ll be interested to see your market strategy, as for what part of users you plan to target at first stage. You might have answered these questions in your venture pitch, sorry I only find a lost link in it at this time. I think you’re very qualified to lead this venture, and I can see its chance of success in the market. Well done & good luck, May!
Ping
Hi Ping,
Thanks for the feedback. To answer your question about templates, Construct-Ed Would offer a template-based report (so Construct-Ed would have several templates based on type of client – professionals, business managers, DIYers and so on) but the client would receive this as an instruction manual/report. Each report would have client-specific customization, though after a number of clients Construct-Ed would have a complete framework for each client type. I hope I’m making myself clearer and not more confusing, but the gist is that this is not software, but a consulting firm that offers a business model for education.
Thanks again for the comments & questions,
May
Hello May:
Your Construct-Ed venture has great potential. I like the emphasis on application of teaching theory to online learning. Your elevator pitch does a great job explaining the need for your product and your personal presence at the beginning lends the necessary credibility. You speak clearly and at a good pace to reflect your enthusiasm. I would have liked to see a little more information in your elevator pitch regarding market. What is your expected revenue? Who, specifically, are your expected clients – is it individual teachers, companies or institutions? What is the projected size and extent of your market? You likely provide these answers in your venture pitch but touching on them in your elevator pitch would have made your proposal more convincing to me, the investor. Overall, great work!
Tim
Your elevator message pitch was clear and engaging May. You struck the perfect balance between your narration and animated images to convey your venture concept.
You conveyed confidence, credibility and enthusiasm as a CEO.
Concept and marketability
Your venture idea addresses a very relevant need in education. I like your ambitious growth plan ($100 + 5% of the e-courses student enrollment fees (3% after 100 enrollments). Your “personalized” approach to determining the clients’ needs will go a long way I think.
You have differentiated the venture from competition through the comparison matrix and that clearly shows your venture’s marketability.
The ask is quite clear, however, it may have been helpful to outline the financials for the investor because the way it’s laid out, it seems a bit overwhelming and difficult to see the ROI or the “one year” breakeven projection.
You did a fantastic job with the elevator pitch and the design of your venture pitch May.
Thanks,
Leonora
May,
I found your elevator pitch extremely effective; it was the perfect mix of narration, text and image. I also love your logo (I think that allowed you to put your love of graphics into action).
Your idea is an interesting one and I agree there is a need in the market for such a service. However, I wonder how easy a sell it will be as you do seem to touch on the very dangerous area of teacher autonomy.
I have to say I really enjoyed reading your reflection as my reactions to this project were very similar in regards to entrepreneurship and being business minded. I too found putting value on ideas a very difficult thing to do.
May,
Like the others I enjoyed the elevator pitch as it was well done and explained the venture well enough. I know how fast 60 seconds can go when you have 10 minutes of material. I had to make sure I selected what I thought were the most important points and put them in the elevator pitch, leaving lots of details out. It looks like you had to do the same. I agree that many teachers (as well as many others) would like to develop education materials to fit their needs but do not know how, or how to make it interesting. I think that a well-trained consultant would do wonders as they teach some of the basics and guide the user in creating great resources together. Simply put, I think this is a great idea and hope you can find the right people for the job. That will be a key element for your success.
Dennis
May,
ConstructEd is timely, relevant, and has an excellent design. You have tapped into a key concept that is preventing the spread of learning: the teaching certificate. Sadly, even with a teaching degree many of us falter at the creation of effective online or blended courses, and ConstructEd would help teachers and non-’teachers’ alike to share knowledge in a time when knowledge in increasing so rapidly that those who specialize in education are often unable to keep up with progress in their fields of expertise. Your business model would enable teachers to connect students with experts in the field and take on the role of coach or mentor as appropriate, and help experts to share their knowledge in a way that makes it accessible to others.
Every aspect of your pitch is thoroughly researched, detailed, and innovatively constructed. Your pricing plan, education plan, and customer support will all make your venture effective, and you have presented yourself as an extremely competent champion.
The logo and layout are beautiful.
Thank you for developing an excellent venture!
Chelsea
Welcome to the Student Interview Coach! Our online service provides timely feedback to students on their interviewing skills based on a mock interview that they upload to our website. Read the Venture Plan here. Deborah
Continue reading Student Interview Coach Posted in: Venture Forum
HI there. As a guidance counselor, I see this venture as being extremely valuable. What a wonderful opportunity for students to practice a very important skill! I like the quick turnaround for feedback. My only concern is this: you’ll need a huge staff potentially to deal with the onslaught of interviews! Good job with the video!
Jody
Hi Jody,
Thanks for the feedback! I think interviewing skills are really important and something that we don’t pay enough attention to. In my experience, an interview can be the deciding factor as to whether or not someone is offered a job. The sooner students can improve their skills, the more successful they will be later on.
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
I think this is a solid venture concept and I really liked the quote “Practice is the best teacher”. Having done this very kind of practice a few times, I can clearly state that practice is key. I was wondering however about the ‘niche’ you are targeting and wondering if it is too broad and competitive? I did this sort of thing when I took a leadership course awhile back – should this be a consideration as a strategic partnership or expansion phase? As for market, students are a fickle bunch that seem to want to spend their money on other things than these kinds of services…
I would want to hear more about these items before investing.
I really like the concept and think it has great potential.
great job on the presentation.
cheers.
Hi Yves,
Thanks for the feedback. This service is actually being marketed to school boards and university administrators. I don’t envision that students would pay for it themselves (as you’ve noted, they find other ways to spend their money) but rather it would be a line item in the school or university budget.
Deborah
Deborah,
Great job on your presentation. As always done by you, it is very thorough, well-researched and totally believable! I think interview skills are a critical asset, that for the most part completely over-looked. They were as I was growing up anyways.
In your venture pitch, I really appreciated your breakdown of market potential, etc. Putting hard numbers to an idea really helps with your credibility.
Count me in as an investor.
David McInnes
Hi David,
Thank you for your generous comments! I think it’s important to try and quantify things and I like numbers. Good to know I can count you in should I decide to pursue the opportunity : )
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
Really nice job on your presentation! You have touched on an area that really does need to be addressed and most times overlooked. My biggest concern would be the satffing – I think yu would inundated with requests for interviews!
Well done!
Kim
Thanks for the feedback, Kim. You raise a valid point about the potential staffing issue and one solution may be to try and schedule schools ahead of time to ensure appropriate staffing is in place.
Deborah
Deborah;
I think you have a creative use of technology targeted at a niche market. If you have a small team (depending on use and growth) it might actually work. I know interviewing is a skill and can get or lose you a job. I can see the benefits of this type of assistance. I might be interested to know if your team would consider going live and do mock interviews over Skype or something similar. Your team could ask the questions while the interviewee is working on their responses. This would give your team a better feel for the client as they could expand on questions or follow a tangent just as you might in an interview. I don’t see the lack of technology as barrier as most students have access to a video capable smartphone, iPod or webcam, if not at home, at school.
Dennis
Thanks, Dennis. I did consider real-time feedback, but thought it could be challenging due to time zone differences and that would also mean I’d need lots of interview experts all at the same time. It’s definitely something to consider though.
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
This is an excellent venture that has been very well pitched! Your professionalism and confidence will win over investors, not to mention your thoroughly researched plan. The logo on the wall was a nice touch! Though I think your cameraman was a little nervous :-D. You have thought of all of the challenges that you might face and as an investor, I might want to know a little more about how those challenges will be dealt with. But I am impressed by the overall presentation and I am definitely in.
Danielle
Thanks for the feedback, Danielle. This was my camera-person’s (my 17 year-old daughter) first assignment : ) She also composed the music that I used in the elevator pitch.
Deborah
Hi Deborah:
Your elevator pitch presents a clear outline of the need and solutions of your venture. Your presentation is professional, enthusiastic and engaged; you seem confident your product has demand and value. A little more information in the elevator pitch regarding market predictions would have made it more convincing to me, the investor. The initial part of the pitch seemed like you were selling a product to your clients rather than convincing investors. This clearly shifted at the end. Overall I have decided to invest in your venture because you have convinced me of its relevancy to today’s students.
I am even more convinced of this after reading your venture pitch. Your needs assessment is fully supported by your significant research. You have differentiated yourself clearly from your competition, exploiting a unique market. Your revenue predictions are well researched by comparing to similar products and projecting market value onto the number of clients. Your background in accounting and education is evident, making you a competent team leader. You have provided good detail in supporting the “ask”. The only question I have regards your management team. You speak well of yourself as the CEO but there is nothing on the supporting cast. Your projected client base indicates that you will need some people to help you. What qualifications will these people be required to have? Will the investment I make rise if your number of clients changes from your projections?
As a whole, you have made an excellent venture proposition and I look forward to seeing its fulfillment.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the feedback! I appreciated your comments about the elevator pitch. This exercise certainly gave me an appreciation of how difficult it is to cram everything you want to say into only 60 seconds! If I were going to pursue this venture, I would definitely provide more information on the management team as you suggested.
Thanks again,
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
I very much enjoyed your venture pitch in which you made great use of visuals and offered a very clear explanation of Student Interview Coach. I appreciate the way in which you stated the problem for students and teachers and offered one solution for both groups. I think that this is a great idea and I like the importance that you put on immediate feedback which is always more effective than when too much time has elapsed. There is a lot of focus placed on creating resumes but the interview is often the most stressful part of the process and where job seekers could do with the most practice.
In regards to the students making their interviews, I assume that they enlist another person to do the mock interview. Do you provide a bank of typical questions, which might be asked in order to guide the interview? These are details, which can easily be worked out as long as the technology can be created to support this venture; and I am sure it can.
You did a solid review of the competition and it is interesting to note that no one up to this point has marketed to the students.
I would be interested in investing in your venture.
Bridget
Thanks for the feedback, Bridget! I think you’ve honed in on a future enhancement to the service in providing a bank of questions. I can certainly see the need for it and could easily work it in as a link on the website.
Thanks again,
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
You are onto a great idea here! I especially liked the professional nature of your elevator pitch – I found it to be concise and it gave me as an investor a reason to read onto your venture pitch. You described your market well, and gave me an understanding of the product you hoped to offer and the reasons why. Well done!
Your venture pitch was just as well put together. It looked like a professional report ready to be sent off to an investor. You include a thorough analysis of your competitors and your market share is well-researched. The revenue you hope to generate is based on believable data and I can see the potential that the project holds. I like that you give us a picture of your background as the CEO of this venture, but it would have ben good to see who some of the other players would be on your team.
Overall, your venture looks like it has a lot of worth and I would be interested in seeing a complete business plan!
All the best,
Sheza Naqi
Deborah,
As a teacher who teaches Planning (and deals with many students who are readying themselves for the employment market), I see strong validity in this venture. Students need all of the practice that they can get, and with the quick turnaround, the learning potential is invaluable. I am concerned with the amount of the interviews needing to be done 🙂
Cheers,
Todd
MyPocketUni is the ultimate organizational tool for busy post-secondary students. Using its three ingenious components, MyPocketUni is able to create an individualized learning schedule for today’s ever so busy post-secondary students through cloud-based technology, intellectual scanning software and mobile technology. Please watch my Elevator and Venture Pitch below. Elevator Pitch Venture Pitch Sincerly, Kenton Hemsing MyPocketUni President […]
Continue reading MyPocketUni – Letting Students be Students Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Kenton,
Thanks for sharing your elevator and venture pitch. myPocketUni seems to have some great potential in the post-secondary market and I think would benefit those first-year students who might feel overwhelmed already with beginning a new chapter in their lives. (hypothetically) It might be even worthwhile to beta test the grade 12 students and have them use the application prior to embarking on their university career.
Thanks,
Jon
Thanks for the excellent idea Jon. As grade 12 students embark on their post-secondary studies, focusing a marketing campaign and testing at this level might prove very effective.
Thanks.
Hi Kenton,
As a potential investor, I would be eager to learn more about MyPocketUni as your target market is also the group who are most familiar with mobile devices and therefore seem to be a viable group to target. Your presentation was well put together and you explained the venture well. My key questions and concerns are:
1. How does MyPocketUni work around copyright issues? Are there problems with an application sourcing documents/texts? What does MyPocketUni do if there is no online source?
2. How will MyPocketUni go from beta testing to full operation in only a month?
3. You discuss expected returns from the mobile app, which seem very reasonable, but will this cover running costs, marketing, support, etc.?
4. How does GenieScan know how quickly students read/learn from these things? Analyzing reading level is wonderful, but can the student make adjustments to the programming if they are a fast/slow reader?
What I view as the strengths of this venture are the ability to personalize, the practicality of the programs, and the target market (the eager mobile device users). The potential for expansion of this venture is definitely large, as adding languages and expanding marketing could definitely bring more users, as will each new year when students start post secondary education. Additionally, with some alterations MyPocketUni could easily be adapted to suit the high school market, who would likely find uses for a homework type application.
Depending on the answers to my questions above I would consider myself a likely investor in MyPocketUni!
Thanks Kenton!
-Meggan
Hello Meggan,
Hopefully I will be able to answer some of your questions well enough to ensure your satisfaction in our product and persuade you to invest in MyPocketUni.
1) Since MyPocketUni uses the student’s university credentials to log into their library resources and repositories there is no worry about copyright issues, its the same as if you were to log into the University of British Columbia’s library system and search for a specific paper, its just that the system does this automatically for the student. If there is no online source available, MyPocketUni will still create an event in the student’s personal learning calendar as if it were found online, but the link and the estimated reading time would not be present.
2) Although we are aware of the tight time frame we have set to get this product on the market, please rest assured that my team and myself are fully dedicated to this project and will ensure that it reaches at least a select few post-secondary institutions by our set deadline. My dedicated team and I will remain focused on this product upon release to ensure that any bugs that remain will quickly be fixed and the dealt with.
3) We are confident that for a design like this we will be able to create and produce our product for under $40,000 CAD. Here is a quick breakdown of the costs that are anticipated and have been accumulated:
Branding and Design – $8,000; Development – $8,500; Mac and PC Desktop Apps – $2,000; XHTML and CSS – $2,200; Misc Hardware – $3,000; Hosting – $1,500 a month (we will be working with a company that offers complete hardware infrastructure, maintenance and hosting solutions to ensure ease for ourselves); Legal Fees – $10,000 (estimated); Accounting – $1,000; Trademark – $300; Linux Specialist – $1,800 (contract); Fee Processor – $1,000; Other Misc Costs – $5,000.
This leaves your initial investment covers the advertising, marketing and salaries associated with creating and producing this product.
4) It is our intention to make the reading time estimator adjustable for the student. If the student is a slower reader, they will be able to change the settings on the scanner to ensure that there is an appropriate time allotted for each reading.
Thank you for your interest in MyPocketUni and I hope that my answers have helped you to make the choice to support our venture.
Sincerely,
Kenton Hemsing, President and CEO
p.s. As a reflection, I should have put those figures into the original pitch…
Hi Kenton,
This is an excellent venture and elevator pitches. I really am impressed with the energy you show in these presentations. This is a sharp presentation online, and shows how you integrate technology well. This is a unique product and I think has great potential. MyPocketUni is a perfect tool for those busy post-secondary students. Your analysis and clarification of the three key tools to this product — cloud-based technology, intellectual scanning software and mobile technology — is effective.
I wonder however if there could’ve been more emphasis placed on the marketability and financial plan of MyPocketUni though. I think this could have given investors some idea of how this product could go out on the market once.
Allan
I think that you are absolutely correct Allan. I feel that I spent too much time explaining just what the system does rather than the future of it. Something to consider in the future for sure! Thanks for the feedback, its much appreciated.
Kenton
Hi Kenton,
I was very impressed with both the elevator and venture pitches. Your passion and confidence come through in the videos. Your elevator pitch hooked me immediately and drew me in to the venture pitch.
You did a great job of identifying the pain point, the uniqueness of your solution and the vast market potential. Your qualifications and confidence gave the team and the venture credibility. I liked how you went through specifically what My PocketUni could do and how it worked. As a potential investor it gave me a clear idea of the capabilities and potential of the product. As a student, I would love having it organize all of my readings for me!
I have a couple of questions. First of all, would the Genie Scan rely on an interface of some kind with the educational institutes or would it physically scan the calendar/documents? Secondly, the timeline for having your venture up and running seemed a little unreasonable. Even with some beta testing already done, one month to secure investments and patents, establish a website and market the product, could be problematic.
Those two questions aside, this is definitely a venture my investors are interested in!
Janet
Hi Janet,
Thank you for your feedback. The way that I envisioned the GenieScans program was to basically be a piece of software that would look for information and keywords in a text document, it would then log into the university library system and do a search for the document. If it found it, it would create a reminder and link for the student, if it didn’t it would only create a reminder.
As for the time frame to get the app complete, I know its short but as I was making the pitch I realized that having this app available halfway through a school semester would limit the uptake and purchasing of it.
Thanks for the comments, they are much appreciated.
Kenton
Hi Kenton,
Thank you for sharing your pitch here. MyPocketUni has some valuable features that you’ve clearly described and shown during your presentation. In particular, the capability to combine the course calendar, readings with estimated reading times, course notes, and links to classmates to ease access for discussion lead me to recognize that this is a product that students can benefit from.
While you’ve identified the initial potential market as being an estimated ten percent of the 1.9 million Canadian university students your breakdown of profits doesn’t include sufficient detail to convince me that your initial projections are realistic. I wonder how well research and surveys support this venture. What percentage of university students are concerned with organization and recognize its importance in their success as professionals? The answer to this question is required in order to realistically estimate the portion of the 1.9 million students who would be drawn to MyPocketUni.
While you mention that your team includes experienced sales staff some elaboration on your marketing strategy is needed. The description of your marketing plan doesn’t convince me that your potential market will be reached. How will you communicate to potential customers the benefits of your product so that they will add the MyPocketUni app. to their devise?
Also unclear, are ongoing costs for marketing, operations and future development. A gross profit of $180,00 to $360,000 sounds good however, with a team consisting of professional programers and sales staff, costs for wages alone will account for much of that revenue. In order to consider this venture for funding there needs to be a clear marketing strategy, evidence to support that the estimated percentage of the potential market who will purchase MyPocketUni is realistic, an overview outlining costs, and potential for profit.
Claire
Thank you for your wonderful feedback Claire, you have definitely highlighted some of the areas in which this pitch would need to be improved. Its amazing how intense putting together a pitch for an imaginary venture is, I couldn’t begin to guess at how difficult it is to have your livelihood resting on a total of 10 minutes to present and convince people to invest.
Kenton
Hi Kenton,
First of all, I think your pitch was fantastic! It’s filled with energy and enthusiasm and your explanation is clear, using purposeful visual support. The proposition gave me a lot of the info I was wondering about.
I understand that your venture is fictional, but it absolutely has potential, so I’m treating it as if it were real in case someone does want to make a true venture out of it. Also, don’t feel like you have to answer all of my questions or you’ll be here forever!
Almost 30% of the 1.9 million Canadian students are Francophones, many of whom don’t understand English at all. Has your entire system been translated to French?
If you go internationally, will you target countries where English is not the first language?
Do students need to verify whether the information is displayed correctly? If they have to make too many manual corrections, the time invested could deter students from wanting to use the app.
Each instructor, let alone each university, has a different way of presenting course schedule info. Does GenieScan read all these different formats accurately? What if instructors have different ways of distributing notes and don’t use a format that GenieScans recognizes? I guess the student would add that stuff manually. If one person in the class does it, the info could be shared, saving other people the extra work.
What is the purpose of the discussion board? Will there be a moderator that you need to pay to ensure that it enhances the users’ experience, rather than diminishes it, what with the potential for negativity?
Could your discussion board include alerts for when students find about schedule changes? When I was in university, I relied heavily on rumours to find out what was going on, and without those rumours, would have missed out on a lot of critical information. For example, a classmate of yours posts a message in the discussion forum, perhaps clicking on some sort of calendar button and announces a change they heard about. The change is sent out to relevant students in the forum and asks for your approval before making modifications to your calendar. Something similar could exits for when students plan meetings together. Instead of having a chain of 20 or so messages where students discuss the most convenient time to meet, the app could do it for them, offering a few choices, one at a time that each person can accept or decline.
If students are only uploading info once a semester, they may forget certain steps by the time the next semester starts. Tech procedures that are not habitual need to be as simple as possible so that students don’t get frustrated at having to re-learn how to use the app.
There should also be functions or buttons that students can click on to add tasks to the schedule, like laundry, groceries, meetings with profs, dental appointment, team practice, work schedule…
What is the significance of the colours of the boxes in the examples you showed?
Other comment: The app would have to ensure security of the passwords granting access to the library.
I’m not sure that everything could realistically be ready for September, but if my concerns could be put to rest, and the app made ready for December, in anticipation of the next semester, I would likely invest.
Once again, I think you’ve done fantastic work!
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thank you for your fantastic feedback! I’ll try to answer all, if not most, of your questions here.
1) I do fully intend to make this program available in French and upon going international, will be available in translated versions.
2) Students will need to verify the information, this will come up as a text box that asks “Is this correct? – Yes or No”. Simple and straight forward, they can edit as they like from there adding information as needed.
3) The system would be designed to look for references to authors names, publishing dates, pages etc. This should be hopefully a rather common component to any instructors course outline/syllabus.
4) The discussion board in the original design was meant to log students into the one specifically created for the class. For example, for ETEC 522, the link would take the student directly to the homepage of this blog or it would link to the dedicated Vista site.
5) I do like you idea of creating alerts for students on new information. This certainly could be included in the final design of the application. I think a function that allows students to make individual contacts with others in the class would also work well in this program. As simple as getting another students name would allow them to contact one another in the class. This would need to work like a social network within those that are using the application.
6) I am hoping that the uploading of documents is very straightforward and not too complicated for students to use. This will limit frustration when using the system later. I also feel that since students will be logging into the site frequently that they will be quite comfortable with the interface when they need to use it for a new semester.
7) In one recoding I know I mentioned that students would be able to add their personal reminders to the task calendar, it must not have made the final cut in my presentation. It will be fully customizable and students will be able to add what they would like to their site.
8 ) The boxes are used to differentiate tasks. Students can assign a different colour to each class or to each type of task (readings, notes, assignments, exams, etc)
9) Yes, security would be of the highest importance. This would need to be maintained and carefully protected by my team and developers.
Perhaps you are correct in that it may be better to make these additions and alterations before rushing our product out to market. We will delay the release until December to ensure that everything is to your satisfaction.
Thank you,
Kenton Hemsing
President and CEO
Kenton, you have a valuable product and enthusiasm and passion to sell it! Nicely done. As the parent of a struggling university student (one who desperately needs a pocket uni) I was enticed to take a closer look.
You have identified the need and found the solution to something that many college and university bound learners are faced with… and your 10% of the 1.9 million students I think is a low-ball estimate. Once students start using this tool, word will spread.
Are there any possible links or connections from My Pocket Uni to facebook or twitter – that would potentially provide the necessary link for these socially connected learners.
The one challenge I see with your product is the potential need for one-one support since you need to be organized to get organized. Students need to make a habit of updating and monitoring their pocket uni in order to know what’s going on, what to read and when to read it, and when things are due. If they don’t actually do that, then the tool is no good for them. Do you have a some way of monitoring to see if someone has not been on Pocket Uni for a while and somehow connect with them to get them back on track?
This venture is worth a closer look, just for the value proposition. Thanks.
Helen
HI Kenton,
Ie njoyed oyur enthusiasm in both pitches. I did find it difficult with you standing in and out of the projector screen at times and going dark, and in the venture pitch some of the screen examples were not easy to read from the distance.
That said as an investor i could see the real potential for a product like this. You clearly identified the pain point, solution, market and uniqueness of the product . It was really important to see how the product would work and made the venture seem even more enticing to invest in.
I was concerned about the time to market – very short. If investing i would want a business case and more financials – there wasn’t much time for this.
If you were pitching to a number of investors and then decided to hold off a few months for the release to add even more functionality from their suggestions, I am not sure I would feel reassured, rather I would be concerned that the original idea could lose its innovative foothold. I would prefer to see the current product which already fills a gap out in the marketplace – with the additional functionalities added in later with an upgrade. This would be a bonus for thiose who bought the app initially (and become part of your market “team” when they tell their friends)and potentially increase the market further with the upgrade.
As identified earlier some more figures would have clinched the investment for me – even without a business case. Great venture.
denise
Kenton,
I found your pitch to be very informative yet to the point. Although your venture encompasses three fairly complex/detailed components, I found that you did a great job of not overwhelming the viewed with too much information; well done! Within your venture, you included a great deal of information pertinent to your venture, however I would have like to see a little more research-based data. Although your presentation platform worked very well, perhaps you could have included some of the information as text on screen as you reviewed it. Screenshots or a webcast of manipulating the software would help the viewer buy into your product more so ( I found the distance from the camera to the projection screen a bit far to see how it actually works). The close-up shots of GenieScan really aided in modeling how it works (I would love such a tool to keep my courses organized!). Items that could help sell such to an investor is backing up some of your statistics with research. Examples could be number of Canadian post-secondary students who have access to mobile devices or other products that do not measure up to the triad of applications offered by MyPocketGenie. Overall, very well done!
All the best,
Danielle
Hello, My elevator and venture pitches outline a learning venture that offers conversational sessions for ESL and FLS learners. Please keep in mind that although the pitches make it out to be a ‘real’ enterprise, and the idea is more than viable – it is fictional in nature . . . (for the moment!) […]
Continue reading Marie-France Hétu’s Elevator and Venture Pitch Posted in: Venture Forum
Good Day Marie-France,
Thank you for sharing your elevator and venture pitches. You can tell that you have a passion for second language development, education and the workplace environments. Your presentation was clear and well laid out and the “live” video footage of workers in action was great to see! With this type of business venture, one would think the government would be interested candidates, especially to help support individuals who may have the basics of FSL, but still need require assistance to become more confident communicators. Would Converse-A-Long have a database of past conversations or mock conversations that users could download and practice? I may have missed that in your presentation. All in all, bravo!
Thanks for sharing
Jon
Hello Jon,
Thank you for your encouragement on my learning venture pitch. There are many governmental programs within the ministries to help employees become bilingual, particularly if a job requires you to oupdate your language profile. This being said, taking group courses is often not enough to provide adequate second-language practice for students, this is how an enterprise such as Converse-a-long would fill a gap.
Conversations take place between a client and a teacher ‘live’ over Skype or on the phone according to the client’s availability. Conversations would be based on client need, this means simply conversing on specific topics, or practising for an exam.
Cheers!
Marie-France
Bonjour Marie-France.
I’ve tried to view your videos but I always receive the notice saying “sorry there was an error encountered while loading this video”. Do I need to download a special program to help view these? I see that Jon was able to view them so please let me know if there is something I need to do.
Merci,
Donna
Hello Donna,
You should just need to click on the play button to view these videos. Perhaps it has something to do with some type of software you need to play the videos, such as mediaplayer or the like. If so you will just need to download this from the Internet – It is free I believe. Vimeo is just a place where I ‘store’ my videos. Have you tried to view HD videos on your computer before . . . has it worked?
Hope that helps – let me know if it doesn’t.
Marie-France
Hi Marie-France,
I really like the idea of a venture that helps people to find others with whom they can get oral practice in a second language as learning a new language without such conversation is very difficult! I think that the ways in which you explain all of the possible reasons for someone to want such a service is very beneficial for your venture. I was, however, left uncertain about a few things, the first of which was exactly what form this venture takes – is it a website? It seems somewhat like a language tutoring system so I wasn’t entirely sure whether it was a technology based venture, apart from the use of skype. As well, in your elevator pitch you did not explicitly state which languages Converse-a-long currently supports, though I assume it is French from the titles you used! I would be curious to know which languages are the most sought out – would you also offer English oral practice, for example?
Overall, a very interesting plan!
Thanks,
-Meggan
Hello Meggan,
Converse-A-Long is a service that is offered to clients who wish to practice their second-language with professional teachers either through Skype or phone or in person. It is a learning venture that uses technology, both for advertising and for the actual ‘conversing’. In the Elevator pitch I mention ESL and FLS, this means English Second-language and Français langue seconde. In the Venture pitch I do mention that contrary to our rival we offer our service in both official languages. So yes we do offer English oral practice.
Please keep in mind of course that this business if fictional – all the characters in the venture pitch are playing along if you would. It is easier to discuss the venture as if it were real however.
Thank you so much for your feedback, I will look at yours this evening.
Marie-France
Bonjour Marie-France,
At last I was able to view your 2 videos, Well done. It’s amazing but your Venture Pitch is very similar to mine. If you have a chance to listen to my idea, let me know what you think.
Your Converse-a-long Elevator pitch was visually appealing and you covered many important points, especially the importance of being bilingual in order to be competitive in the job market.
The idea of “tailored conversational sessions” is catchy and your choice of communicating through Skype shows that you are looking at inexpensive solutions for students and adults who are wanting oral practice for the second language that they are learning.
You mention “oral pocket books”. These are obviously handheld devices and you have chosen a good choice of words to visually describe your product.
I would have like to have seen more numbers and target goals so that I, as a possible investor, could have a better idea of what profits there are to be made in your company. A more detailed future plan of your next few years might offer more information on where you would like to go with Converse-a-long.
A very, well presented Venture Pitch.
Donna
Hi Marie-France,
Wonderful presentation. I enjoyed your elevator and venture pitches. I especially found your promotion of the Converse-a-Long team to be very effective. I found that by emphasizing the team early on, it highlights the expertise and knowledge of the product. Very good thinking!
I found that the fact that Converse-a-long is conducted mainly via Skype to offer lower overhead costs. It’s excellent you brought that into the discussion. It’s also effective that you point out that Converse-a-long does not offer direct competition with ESL institutions.
However, I thought that your pitches could’ve been stronger had there been some financial analyses. As an investor, I am somewhat wary about investing my money without some breakdown of how I could benefit in the upcoming years.
Otherwise, this is a very strong presentation. Congratulations!
Allan
Hello Allan,
Thanks for you feedback! You are right, my presentation would have been stronger had I provided more of a financial analysis, something I found difficult to do seeing converse-a-long is merely a figment of my imagination. Finance is also not my strong point and I’m afraid it shows.
Thanks for your honest opinion of my presentation.
Marie-France
Hi Marie France,
Your venture addresses a common challenge of pairing native speakers with French language learners to facilitate practice conversing. You did a thorough job of describing Converse-A-Long. Nice touch to include photos of the team; including spoken introductions would make this section even stronger. Offering the flexibility of conversing online, by phone, or in person is likely to attract a wide range of users. It’s not clear whether you provide anytime, anywhere service for face-to-face sessions outside the Ottawa area. With your plan to expand into Spanish language options it would be helpful to include information about who will offer expertise in that area. Overall a well thought out venture. Well done.
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thank you for your feedback! I agree that a short video presentation from the teachers would have been great, but my daughters and husband were not willing to go that far in playing along. I mention Converse-A-Long is based and offers services in the National Capital area, which includes Ottawa and Gatineau and that I wish to expand to Toronto by 2016 – but perhaps that is not clear enough in the presentation.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Marie-France
Great job Marie France, your background as a french teacher brings credibility to your venture and you did a great ob describing how the venture would work. I like that you are planning to expand into Spanish as it shows investors that there is upside to this venture.
Greg
Hello Greg,
Thanks for your encouragement! In hindsight, reflecting on my colleagues’ comments and after viewing many other venture pitches I realize I should have further expanded on my expertise, and that of the fellow teachers, to really bring more credibility to the project.
Cheers!
Marie-France
Hi Marie-France,
I really enjoyed learning about your venture! I’m treating it as a real one because it seems extremely realistic and viable, coming from someone who has taught ESL and FLS. Please don’t feel like you have to answer all my questions, though.
Teaching a second language face-to-face allows for a much richer learning experience than training over the phone. For example, in F2F sessions, the confidence level is much easier to assess and allows you to use tools like flash cards, recording devices, visual aids, supporting reading and writing materials and much more. How do you compensate for the difference in service quality? Different price ranges, perhaps? How do you assess whether phone training is good enough to meet a student’s needs? What with the huge financial value of contracts, and having a federal employee’s career on the line, are you prepared to guarantee excellent results with the over-the-phone and sometimes-glitchy Skype services?
If you offer anytime, anywhere services, I understand the need to increase your staff. Many 2nd language schools have a reputation for treating their teacher-employees poorly, giving them inconsistent schedules. How can you prove that this is not the case in your venture, with anytime, anywhere scheduling? I know that’s not directly related to your venture, but it would certainly have an impact on it if turnover were high, and the quality of your services would suffer. The service you offer of meeting people face-to-face may be a challenge too, especially with the NCR being sometimes difficult to travel through. How can you minimize the cost of travel if you have students located anywhere from Gatineau to Kanata?
Your competition is potentially high, what with the NCR being populated with loads of bilingual people able to offer a similar service over Skype. Are you aware that Skype offers programs that make it easy for clients and teachers to connect and that it facilitates payment methods?
How is it that you are not in competition with companies that offer courses based on progressive lesson plans?
I think both of your videos are very well constructed, with great use of audio/visual content and music that doesn’t over-power your voice.
I agree with you that knowing more than one language has a very positive impact on individuals’ lives and on society! If you do go forward with this venture, I wish you a lot of luck!
Cheers,
Dan
Hello Dan,
Thank your for your feedback and questions. I have answered them as if my venture were real.
I absolutely agree that f-2-f or blended environments are best for learning languages, that is why Converse-A-Long does not compete with language schools or programs that offer these types of courses. Rather we offer complimentary conversational practices, because in my experience as a FLS teacher students in group classes don’t get enough oral practice.
Converse-A-Long does not offer support with reading or writing skills, all we offer based on our expertise and student need is conversational sessions.
Not even the most professional schools (the military one I work for included) can guarantee a student will pass an exam, so Converse-A-Long would not be able to offer that guarantee. However, because of our expertise in preparing students for the exam, we could certainly offer simulations of the exam to better prepare students.
Because Skype is not always reliable, we could certainly offer to phone a client (our cost if any is incurred) if the conversation through Skype does not work, and we are already part of the special Skype plan for businesses and clients. It would be more expensive for us to come to an individual’s workplace if a client wants that type of service, but some clients might choose that option, especially if practising for an oral government test.
Strangely enough there is no other company offering this type of targeted conversational service in the Ottawa\Gatineau area. We believe interested candidates will take advantage of the anywhere\anytime service offered, which means that most of them are looking for convenience and want to converse from home or work using the easiest method possible – probably Skype or phone. For those who want in person service, it costs more, so there would be a tendency to have less clients willing to pay the price.
I have travelled a great deal across Ottawa and Gatineau and apart from peak hours, travel time is quite reasonable from one end of the city to the other – unless it is rush hour, and likely we would not make appointments during that time if possible. The increase in demand means we need to grow, which means we have had to refuse or postpone some sessions until we increase our staff. This is why we need the funding to help us handle the hiring and training period of more staff and then time to expand our venture.
Thanks for your honest feedback and asking all these questions, it really sounds as if you were a real investor.
Marie-France
Hi Marie-France,
I’m glad that you say you’re not able to guarantee results. Some schools are over-optimistic with the claims that they make.
Now I understand why you say you are not in direct competition with second language schools; your services are compliemnetary to theirs. Still, while these schools offer training in writing, comprehension and conversation, nothing stops them from offering their own conversation-based training. Individual students will request these services and pay out of pocket if they have to because their career is on the line. I’ve seen schools offer this service and wouldn’t underestimate its value as competition to you.
As for travelling through the city, sure it’s quick enough in a car, but a company like yours, that is situated in a city is likely to hire a significant amount people who travel by bus. A lot of 2nd language teachers I know rely on public transportation. For them to travel from one client to another takes a lot of time, wears on the body and is often a reason to quit for a more stable work environment.
Overall, I still think your venture is strong and has a lot of potential in the real world. Whether or not you go forward with this project, I wish you the best!
Dan
Marie-France, as a current visitor to your area of the country, can I take a short course with your product? Is there accommodation made for the many visitors who come to the Ottawa/Gatineau region and stay for up to 2 weeks? Being immersed in the language of the area would certainly add value to my trip as I could holiday and learn.
I’m not sure I fully understand who the clients are for your venture as you described it. Who is actually handing you money for this service? Are there corporate or individual clients, or both? Is the market in Ottawa ready for skype conversations, particularly with privacy issues (not knowing who else may be in the room at the other end!)?
You mentioned that Toronto may be the next move for your venture. Are you prepared for a very different learning culture in the Big Smoke? What marketing strategy will you use to gain client base in a tough second language market? Just a few questions before I consider investing.
Helen
Hello Helen,
What excellent questions!
First a few precisions:
– We offer our second-language conversational sessions to anyone in the NCR who wishes to practice their second language.
– Our clientele mainly comes from students already taking second-language courses or following language programs, since we are a complimentary service that fills in the need for extra conversational practices.
– We would not be able to provide clients coming in from out of town with accomodation, but certainly our web site could have links to things to do in the Ottawa region, perhaps even paid advertising to help us cover the cost of our web site.
– Skype is already used extensively in the Ottawa region, and at our end, Converse-A-Long staff can guarantee privacy, at their end it is the responsibility of the client. Since our conversations are based on practising the language, there is nothing really ‘private’ in the conversations to the point where we need ultra secure lines.
– Prior to expanding to the Toronto area, our company would do a thorough market analysis to see how it could establish its roots. We would investigate possible challenges and differences in marketing strategies, as well as what languages, beyond French and English, Converse-A-Long could expand upon. Targeting a ‘niche’ market in Toronto would be essential, and would likely take time.
Thanks for asking me to elaborate further on my project, it makes the ‘creating a venture’ exercise even more realistic.
Marie-France
Hi Marie-france,
I found both pitches well presented and engaging. The elevator pitch definitely made me want to learn more and move on to the venture pitch. While the music in both pitches was lovely I think it detracted from listening soley to you as CEO (and was what Clark and Mayer (2005) woudl call extraneous sounds.)
I thought you outlined the pain point and solution and how you differentiate from other ventures – to the point when it is actually unique. It was great to meet the team, but as you commented earlier offering more background on their skills would have strengthened the pitch.
The $300,000 grossed figure didn’t give me an indication of loss/profit in the last year. I saw it as less risky to be investing in a venture that was already established, but wasn’t clear what was involved in the expansion of the company. More teachers means more clients but also more wages and taxes – so will increasing staff and business give a logarithmic rise in profits, only a relative rise or no rise at all? Dis it self limiting? Explaining how you have expanded your business to date and been clearer about the low overheads may have helped put my mind at rest about return.
i did wonder if there was a way to tap into the language schools to which you value add rather than compete, and have them market Converse-a-long?
Having focused on the finance I was however enticed by the social implications of this venture. too.
I liked the idea – simple and effective – but I wasn’t completely convinced to invest because I wasn’t sure about the return on investment going forward.
denise
Hello Denise,
Thank you for your excellent feedback on both my pitches. In my self-evaluation I did notice the same strengths and weaknesses you mention.
I wish we could have posted our pitches a couple of weeks ag so that we would have had time to tweak our presentations before submitting them to David.
I really value feedback from my peers, for it is important to know how others view your presentation. It is a hard thing to do to judge how presentations will be perceived on your own. In the real world I would surely have sent my pitch to colleague to get an honest opinion before actually launching it out publicly.
Thank you again for your honest opinion – I appreciate it.
Marie-France
Hi Marie-france,
I agree. It has been good to review people’s pitches. I have learnt a great deal from how you and everyone else approached their pitch, and that was just as important as the direct feedback from everyone. I have loved the innovative ventures everyoen has had!
Sounds like you might consider making your venture a reality – so good luck if you do.
denise
Thank you for sharing your ideas for advancing and improving upon french language skills! I think you have the basis for a potentially profitable venture, however there are a couple of items that should be included within your venture analysis or your pitch. First a foremost, it would be beneficial to include what language Converse-a-Long supports within the opening of your pitch so that viewers are able to identify if it suits their desires for investment. Secondly, I do believe that you could support the business and product using more technology than solely Skype and a website. With audio, video, and mobile technologies advancing and being common tools used within learning, I believe it is pertinent that you implement such within your business to keep current. Without the incorporation of such, I am afraid that many investors might shy away from putting a great deal of money into a venture that could potentially be updated by a more trendy application in the near future. Overall, I appreciate your expertise and time spent on developing a product that obviously meets an educational need. Well done!
Danielle
Imagine earning your gold level digital learning badge for your personal educational efforts in ETEC 522! Learn more about this disruptive, game changing technology and how learning badges will revolutionize open, online learning environments. See how LB4U will connect learners with opportunity. The ELEVATOR PITCH is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBbyzDwaEDc The VENTURE PITCH is found HERE.
Continue reading LB4U – get your learning badge for 522 here! Posted in: Venture Forum
Good Day Helen,
Thank you for your pitches, you can hear and feel the excitement in the elevator pitch for this possible venture. Despite my own pedagogical and philosophical perspectives on “earning” badges to represent learning (are the learners learning, or just wanting to get that badge, what about those students who are aren’t able to achieve, etc) you are absolutely correct in stating that more demand is being voiced in regards to accountability. With social media becoming almost intertwined in daily life, I think your venture has great potential to be woven into this type of learning market. I haven’t joined the fourSquare world, but I do see how people become “hooked” into this type of activity and enjoy having the recognition for his/her accomplishments or achievements. Parents would also benefit from seeing what levels students have achieved and can follow along with their child’s learning development. From a business standpoint, I would be willing to invest in this company as I can see a dollar value potential (and return and profit from the original investment). Schools/boards I’m sure can’t wait to jump in and get in on this opportunity.
Thanks,
Jon
Thanks for the feedback Jon. I too have some issues on philosophical levels, but so many learners within ‘standard’ learning environments will work for extrinsic motivations as a step to gaining internal motivations. With social learning environments so tightly tied to student success, it is the disenfranchised and disengaged that need this type of support to succeed. Helen
Hi Helen,
Your elevator pitch is engaging and thoughtfully laid out. You made a good argument for the need for celebrating our successes and providing us with a visual reminder of what collecting badges used to be like. I think you are right that having a way to “display” one’s badges online could be trend that catches on.
Good luck with your venture!
Janet
Thanks Janet…. as a former special education teacher who worked with students who just needed to be able to show off some accomplishments, this product caught my attention.
Helen
Hi Helen,
Your pitch for LB4U is well done. You sound excited about this venture and clearly explain its features and why you believe it’s beneficial. As I understand it LB4U supports extrinsic motivation which isn’t the trend in educational reform efforts. That said, some people do like to collect stuff and having the option to accumulate badges may appeal to some. I’m just not convinced that the opportunity to participate in LB4U will contribute to student engagement and lead to meaningful learning.
Claire
Claire, I respect that on philosophical grounds there may be many who would not invest or purchase this product. It provides and external symbol for something that should be internal and intrinsic. The mechanism for creating something that explicitly demonstrates what others have achieved, especially those whom a learner may respect and look up to, will give some students the goal and learning path to achieve more than they would otherwise. Just look at what is happening at the Olympics! I watched young divers watching the bronze medal winners today and aspiring to follow their path. Learning badges are just another way for ‘expert’ learners to model and show the way.
Helen
Hi Helen, you can hear in your pitch that you are passionate about your venture and believe in it. I like the idea of the badges that can be displayed online to celebrate success. I think this is likely a market more targeted towards elementary school students and as an investor I need to know how I am going to make money and I need convincing that this product wouldn’t just be a fad and disappear within a short timeframe.
Greg
Greg, the market would not be limited to elementary students, but that would be part of the potential market. It would be marketed to individual learners at the adult, higher ed level first, and move cautiously into younger learners (with research and design being done to ensure that it is the right move, of course !!). I see this as being ‘sold’ to individuals just as the ‘certificate’ or ‘transcript’ are currently ‘sold’ to learners by their learning organizations. It would be a value-added to the ‘award’ for achievements gained. So, once I receive my certificate from MET, I can migrated my info to the secure LB4U site and there receive the digital images of my courses and achievements which I can then show and share to the world…. does that make sense?
It can also them be embedded into my resume when I go out job hunting for those elusive ed/tech jobs OR be incorporated into my CEO blog/web presence for all to view. Bragging a little, yes! Sharing my path of success for others to emulate, perhaps!
Four square is not a fad and look how people are flocking to earn badges and share their social activities with others. This is the leading edge of a potential tsunami! Jump in before you get swept away.
Have I convinced you to invest! Hope your funds are in transit! 🙂
Helen
I think that with the increase of PLE style learning badges will become mainstream. The market probably won’t be for courses like ETEC 522 which are part of a credentialing program, but for learning that takes place through social participation on the web. There is the potential for people to learn anything they want on the web without the help of teachers and courses and this valid learning should be recognized somehow.
However, with Mozilla Foundation already establish an open framework for badges I wonder where the revenue stream would come from. Is funding possible through a Canadian government agency? Perhaps. But without detailed information on the business model I might wait and see what transpires with badges through the open source movement.
Chris, waiting could potentially leave you out of the windfall once this product hits mainstream. LB4U is positioned to make the most of the OBI by working in partnership with learning organizations (such as UBC) and with learners to provide secure, transfer of data and achievements -rather than each individual applying to UBC for their learning badges on completion, this will be streamlined and design of the badges would be done by LB4U (with approval and control of brand by the learning organization). We are the ‘go-between’ just as Facebook is social media. OBI is the mechanism, hence the proposed partnership with Mozilla in R&D, but our proprietary work in display and design would be where the actual money to be made resides. Hope you don’t miss this ‘boat’. Invest in learners today!
Helen
Hi Helen,
It’s clear that you are passionate about your venture and you have really backed up the ideas presented with theory (which is comforting as an investor). I would have liked to have seen more information on your competition and what sets you apart from them.
Overall, great pitch!
Lisa
Thanks Lisa, your feedback is appreciated. There are a few competitors in this ‘business’ in the US, but none in the Canadian marketplace, that I discovered. But cross-boarder, internet based businesses are not uncommon so it is worth investigating further.
I guess what really sets LB4U apart is our knowledge and experience in the Canadian education field. Hope that is enough to keep Canadians buying and supporting Canadian ventures.
Helen
Hi Helen,
You make an excellent presentation and exude enthusiasm for your venture. Although some may have philosophical reservations about this type of venture, several people could benefit from having markers for signaling and commemorating their achievements. As an investor, I would be concerned with the philosophical issue, which has already been cause for criticism among existing reward systems (such as the one available through Khan Academy). Nevertheless, I believe that this kind of motivation will play an important role in the future of education.
Excellent pitch and good luck with this venture!
May
Thanks for the feedback May. I appreciate your honest opinion.
Helen
Your enthusiasm and confidence in this venture came through your pitch Helen. You clearly articulate what B4U plans to do and what it needs to be successful.
Concept and Marketability
I think the concept of B4U to validate and celebrate learner success is a good one. I can see market opportunities for this venture in being incorporated in electronic portfolio applications and as you have pointed out, strategic partnerships are absolutely crucial for venture success.
Venture plan and financials
Your plan is well thought out and your venture analysis is very thorough.
Thanks,
Leonora
Thanks Leonora, your feedback is helpful. I’ll look forward to our continued venture relationship when we meet to ‘share the funds’. 🙂
Helen
Sounds good to me Helen 🙂
Leonora
Hi Helen,
Great pitch! Your idea is totally innovative to me, for I’ve never heard about such kind of service in my country, but I believe there is a sure market waiting there. Online badge service could be provided cross-country depending on their international reputation, therefore I believe your venture has a prospective potential in global market, with global competitors as well as you have pointed out.
You elevator pitch is very engaging, which instantly catch my attention. I can’t help imaging how much children and other learners will like these lovely badges shown on their websites. Your venture plan is very informative, with professional demonstration of your solution, marketing strategy and financial consideration. I like the “For Profit” chart in the financial overview section, only with a little confusion of what the numbers represents: do they mean the number or users, or the number of badge you plan to release, or the estimated revenue in $million?
From an investor’s point of view, I think your early awareness of Canadian DLB market is a great advantage, but for a long-term competition, I would hope to find more differential advantages on both technical and marketing level. The use of Mozilla OBI platform can be copied by other ventures, what will make yours different relies on your post-developed innovations upon the platform. The postion of LB4U in the DLB ecosystem is somewhat not anchored a little bit.
I think you have an excellent awareness of partnership, that shows how you qualified to lead this venture. I just wonder how you will weave these partners within your framework. Your services are 2-sided, both to badge issuers and to badge displayers. That give you double chances of profit. But how about the 2 sides connect directly? I know many universities hold a system of their own to serve degree badge (and other details) inquiry. You need to make more differences to intercept in these services and redirect both sides to the LB4U platform.
Excellent job for a hopeful venture!
Ping
Helen,
I found the idea behind your venture to be unique and interesting. You provided a great deal of content based on sound research. As is evident from most of our peer’s presentations, this can be a difficult feat; well done!
Good luck with your venture,
Danielle
Hi, Here are suggestions for improving participation as well as comments on the course in general. Just about everyone in the MET has a background in education or technology or has experience in instructional design. The consequence is that, as individuals, we have a lot to start with in most ETEC courses. In this course […]
Continue reading Suggestions Posted in: Venture Forum
I found ETEC 522 quite challenging yet extremely helpful for my daily work. The course content and interactivities along with venture pitches and the experience shared by all, furthered my understanding of ventures in educational technology and gave me some really good “food for thought”. In addition to improvements around navigation and usability that have […]
Continue reading Course wrap up Posted in: Venture Forum
I agree that having had the opportunity to get feedback earlier on our pitches would have been really useful for producing a better end product.
Hi Leonora,
I like the idea of doing the pitches earlier. But…..mine and other people’s pitches related to OER that people had done and the disadvantage would be that we might not be able to integrate this new learning if the pitches were too early.
Denise
Thank you for your responses Denise and Dave,
I feel that the process of going through the experience is very important and going through that process more than once would have been helpful for the learning and for developing a viable venture pitch.
Thanks,
Leonora
Leonora
Hi Leonora,
Totally agree with you that we should start early to prepare the elevator pitch. I have little concept of what the pitch should be like, even after watching the Pitch Polls. I realized my problems soon after I launched the pitch in the forum. So it there were a few days left the result would be improved better.
Ping
Elevator Pitch: Shakespeare in Minecraft Elevator Pitch from Chelsea Woods on Vimeo. Venture Pitch: Shakespeare in Minecraft Visit the website: http://shakespeareinminecraft.wordpress.com/ Chelsea Woods ETEC 522: Ventures in Learning Technology University of British Columbia Dr. David Vogt July 30th, 2012 Pain Point 3D virtual games are teaching our children to become engaged, collaborative, inspired individuals, […]
Continue reading Shakespeare in Minecraft: A Venture Posted in: Venture Forum
Hello Chelsea,
I think your venture presentation is very strong. As a prospective investor I feel that I would really need to be convinced to support a gaming venture. I am not very pro educational game, because most are time consuming to foster within the classroom or I feel they do not necessarily improve a student’s learning experience.
Your venture pitch is well laid out and you have covered every essential element. I find that the pain point and solution segments are particularly well elaborated. Also your biography is impressive and as an investor I feel that would be an important element. In retrospective, It makes me think that I could have further elaborated on this aspect in my own venture pitch.
The fact that you have already begun your website and identified the present lacks helps to determine what you are seeking, and what you need as an investment.
The only element that might also be important for an investor that you could have included is perhaps provide more concrete examples of advertising (either links on the internet, or a short video, or graphs etc). Otherwise it is a great presentation – you have really researched your subject very well and it shows that this subject is passionate for you! Kudos!
Marie-France
Thanks Marie-France, great idea to put in advertising samples, and it would have been easy to do. Thank you 🙂
Chelsea, your venture brings two diverse concepts and brings them together in a unique way. Fascinating concept! Not sure how you propose to deliver on investor’s returns, but I’d buy in just for the social cred. of being involved with anything Minecrafty! Perhaps designing some unique Minecraft ‘stages’ that others could ‘purchase’ access to and then co-create performances within these ‘locations’. Just thinking of options, from my limited Minecraft experience.
I agree that the potential for huge returns are available within the Minecraft environment, but not sure the market would be there for a Shakespearean venture, since this will limit the potential client base. Just wondering how you came up with the concept and do you have ‘proof’ that it is a viable, marketable product?
Helen
Hi Helen, Great idea to create and sell Minecraft/Shakespeare stages, although it makes the social cred take a hit. I was thinking of it as an open collaborative development venture, but making it more private and selling the product would certainly be an option. I suppose there could be elements of both: when stages got to a certain state of quality they could become proprietary and be moved out of the ‘free’ development zone. So many possibilities.
I came up with the idea because I was trying to think of what specifically could be developed to support Minecraft, and I happen to love Shakespeare. Were the venture to be developed, I would want to expand to other subjects, so that it could be an academic base for multiple learning areas. The proof is in the number of teachers blogging and testing Minecraft for education, in the Massively Minecraft group, and in MinecraftEdu. The test will be in whether Minecraft sticks like lego or fades like GI Joe. It would need a solid team of developers, though, I could not do it alone.
Thank you for your feedback!
Chelsea
I’m Lisa Allen, President and Owner of the Educational Technology Experts (ETE), a global consulting firm that specializes in providing analytics, recommendations and training of educational technology to educational institutions. This pitch is requesting the venture’s first year operating costs of $300,000 as an investment in the company. Youtube Elevator Pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R9m3qq63Z8 Venture Pitch Paper
Continue reading The Educational Technology Experts (ETE) Posted in: Uncategorized, Venture Forum
Hi Lisa
Your venture sounds interesting however I wasn’t able to view your elevator pitch due to your privacy settings.
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for letting me know – all fixed now 🙂
Lisa
Thanks Lisa. I can now access it.
Valerie
Hi Lisa,
I can definitely see the potential in your venture and I think it fills a gap in the education system. I thought you did a good job describing the service in your written venture pitch, both to the educational and institutional customer.
Before I would invest, I would like some additional information on your marketing plan, and how you determined that you would need three consultants to begin with. I also wasn’t sure whether you would be focusing on the educational or institutional market first. Would you be pursuing them equally? Would your focus be elementary or secondary, or both?
Deborah
Thanks for this feedback Deborah – you’re right, a more comprehensive “plan of action” would have been a good thing to include in my pitch.
Cheers,
Lisa
Hey Lisa,
I like the idea and think it be great once it’s implemented within schools but getting access to schools will be difficult. I think district contracts with companies like G&T (Grand & Toy) & Staples will not let you anywhere near the financial outflow for continuous spending from departments. I love the point you make that we are educators not technological experts, which is so accurate. I think technology use within schools will continue to follow the pattern, ‘Hey I want what that guys got’ and that person goes and gets that device from and for their own departments funding. For the future I would suggest planning how you will innovatively gain access to public school department heads, and school spending. Good luck.
-Regen
Thanks for these comments Regen, I think that you’re right when it comes to public elementary and secondary schools. With higher education and private institutions though, I think they’re much more open to bringing in consultants. Perhaps that is where my “consulting firm” should try to gain entrance into the market.
Cheers,
Lisa
Hi Lisa
I enjoyed watching your elevator pitch. You present the advantages of your venture very clearly. I can see the potential in your idea and agree there is a need for this in the school system. I was left with a couple of questions; Most districts employ their own IT staff so why would schools go outside of this? Would districts allow schools to go outside, as most schools have to choose goods and services from district approved lists?
Good luck with your future ventures
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for these comments – and great questions. Not working in the public school system, I don’t really know how they contract vendors… that being said, perhaps my consulting firm can gain access into the private educational market to start and build credibility there? I think the biggest issue with IT staff is that they don’t have that education theory background – and that’s what sets this consulting firm apart from the IT staff.
Cheers,
Lisa
Hello Lisa,
Here are some comments on your venture pitch and your elevator pitch:
Elevator pitch
It is difficult to say all that you want in a one minute period, so it sounds a bit as if you are rushing to say it all quickly. A suggestion might be to make a simple powerpoint presentation outlining the main points, and then use this presentation to read out from on your computer as you are filming yourself.
In one minute you do manage to summarize the essence of your venture however.
Venture Pitch paper
You present a very strong paper here. You outline the need and the solution quite well. You establish your marketing possibilities expertly and it shows your paper is well researched. If such a company was looking to hire I would be interested . . .
As an investor, you certainly have convinced me that it would be a worthwhile project to invest in.
Well done!
Marie-France
Thanks Marie-France,
I agree, in hindsight a powerpoint presentation would have been more effective for the one minute pitch!
Cheers,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I liked your venture plan and how you specified the growth projections. Here are my comments.
Elevator pitch message
The need for The Educational Technology Experts (ETE) services is clearly outlined in the introduction – piqued my interest with the question at the very beginning. The solution is well explained but I would have been persuaded about the success of the venture if I got a clearer sense of the ”uniqueness or differentiation” characteristics of the service provided by the venture.
Marketability
While I see understand the importance of having these professionals advise school administrators, given the arguments and stats about the market, I wasn’t convinced about market opportunities for this venture. Just stating that the government of Canada and BC spend 5 -7 and 4.5 billion in the next 3 years” doesn’t necessarily mean that money will be allocated to a service specific to what the venture is proposing.
There was no mention of competition and that made me a bit nervous despite the specific growth figures (although long-term – 5 years)
Venture Plan
Your venture plan is very well structured and clearly laid out. It includes details plan – revenue and expense processes are very clear and outline promising prospect for the company therefore convincing the investor on ROI.
Thanks,
Leonora
Thanks Leonora,
It’s hard to pin point the competition since “consultants” are everywhere and the information out there is quite vague. You’re right though, it would have been good if I had included that information in my pitch.
Cheers,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I completely understand the challenges of pinpointing the competition. I had the exact same challenge – the main competition for my venture is corporate training companies and there are myriads of them.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Leonora
Hi Lisa,
You were braver than I was for your elevator pitch – couldn’t get myself in front of the camera. I found the elevator pitch to be somewhat disengaging however as you were not looking at the camera, but rather reading somewhere off to the side – losing eye contact. I did think that your voice had good variation in pitch and tone though.
As for your venture pitch, it sounds like a great idea. The service sounds extremely thorough from needs assessment to implementation, and I thought it very smart of you to note that consultants were experts in both education and technology, so that you would retain credibility from all sides of the market. I also appreciate how you are careful not to disparage educators by explaining that teachers and admin are experts in education, but not necessarily technology. I also think that the public would appreciate how you are careful to note efficiency and effectiveness – ensuring that private business is accountable with public funds.
As for your numbers, the costs that you mention sound reasonable, but it does seem that you may be missing a few expenses such as office space, equipment etc.
gillian
Thanks for your comments Gillian,
In hindsight, a powerpoint presentation would have been better for the one-minute pitch (especially since I am not the best public speaker in the world).
Cheers,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your venture with us. I quite liked your venture idea and I think you have done a good job in trying to deliver as much details and specifics as possible within 1:11 minutes. It is very challenging to be able to pin point the core ideas and being able to present it. You did very well in that matter in trying to convince your investors. However, as an EVA I am a bit picky in the presentation itself, I would find it more convincing if the presenter was looking at the camera providing some eye contact and at the same time adding a smile would definitely boost up the atmosphere of the pitch. Other than this, I think you have did a good job.
Keep up the good work.
Karon
Thanks Karon,
I appreciate your comments. It’s sometimes difficult to smile when you’re nervous! 😉
Cheers,
Lisa
Hello Lisa:
Your venture, Educational Technology Experts, is a great idea and similar to my venture proposal for professional development in educational technology. You have good personal presence in your elevator pitch but focusing in on the camera once in a while would have relieved the “scripted” feel to the video. You identify clear pain points and explain your market expectations well. As the venture leader, you sound convinced of your product’s value. Great job. You mention the need for investment based on labor and advertising. I wonder if you are short-changing yourself here. What about office space, equipment, travelling costs and internet access? Will you have a team to support you? You may have provided answers in your venture pitch but I am just analyzing your elevator pitch here. The first half of your elevator pitch seems aimed at convincing your clients rather than your investors. I think your investors need to here this same information but somehow it needs to be clear that you are directing this at them rather than your clients. Good work!
Tim
Hi Lisa, great concept, and certainly an area where schools need support. The school I am currently working at brought in EdTech Audits, and they provided us with recommendations for development and areas of strength. I would have liked to hear more about the structure of your reporting process and how you will ensure that your people are experts, and provide useful recommendations to your clients.
Great idea!
Chelsea
Private consulting is a great idea for offering professional development for teachers. I would actually prefer to take PD from someone in the industry rather than a colleague teacher. I seem to get more out of the presentation as they usually provide real examples of work that they are doing. The difficult part might be to find, train and keep qualified staff that can relate to teachers and education and try to turn a profit doing so. I know we spend quite a bit of money on PD and some of it gets wasted in my opinion. I would want to make sure we are getting the most for our money and think that most schools are the same. If you have a great product and teachers like it, the word will spread quickly.
Good idea! I can’t wait to see what sessions you have lined up.
Dennis
Lisa,
Very well done, especially with the paper. You have obviously thought about gaps that exist in the current educational systems. As for the venture pitch, I was a little disconcerted about not being “looked in the eye.” I know that camera work can be daunting, especially for 1 minute.
Coming from both secondary and middle schools, what would your primary focus on implementation be??
Cheers,
Todd
Hi all, If you’re interested in a venture dealing with postsecondary science, have a look at my venture pitch and proposition, both available here: https://blogs.ubc.ca/dubienetec565a/2012/07/29/etec-522-venture-forum/ Cheers, Dan
Continue reading Hi all, If you’re interested in a ventu… Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for sharing your pitches! I can recall back to my high schol science days and you describe exactly how it was, and I never pursued much after that. Your pitches are very well put together and I think would be of interest to the market targeted. I think Youtube will give you some solid competition as there are many videos on there that relate to some of the content of your proposal.
Thanks,
Jon
Hi Jon,
It’s too bad you got turned off of sciences. Sometimes it’s the teacher’s own fears or negativity that cause students to lose interest. That’s why one of the values I highlighted in my venture description was the need to instill confidence. A lot of the time, science students are just as afraid as anyone else of making mistakes in the lab, and proper instruction and the right attitude can change that.
I mentioned that YouTube videos are a threat. However, as I said elsewhere on this page, my videos would be done professionally, with proper safety procedures and with a pedagogically sound foundation.
Thanks for your comments!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
These are excellent pitches. For your venture pitch, I especially felt the effectiveness of the SWOT analysis. Certainly as CEO I trust that your knowledge and expertise of science is strong. I’m glad you touched on your experience in science education as a teacher’s assistant in chemistry labs and courses and also as an instructional designer of multimedia courses for high school in a variety of science subjects. I’m most impressed that as an investor, you have assured me with the financial analysis. You argue that the aim is to sell 200 modules in the first year for a gross profit of $180 000, and to achieve an increase in sales of 30% for the following year and renewal of licenses starting in the third year.
Allan
Thanks for your positivity Allan!
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for sharing your venture pitches. It is difficult for me to comment on your venture as I have an extremely limited science background. You sound like you are very qualified to act as CEO and your background would bring credibility to investors. Your PP was not very fluid as I had to click through the various slides and so I would be maybe try to create a timed PP or use a different program for your pitch.
Greg
Hi Greg, thanks for your comments.
Ideally, I would have experimented with a variety of media for the venture pitch, but I wanted to see what I could do with PPT. Also, as I explain in a lower response, the extra clicking was purposeful. It was meant to break up the pitch into sections that were easy to search through for someone who wanted to repeat certain parts. With more content, the purpose of this format would have been more evident, but it’s still something I wanted to try. A nice alternative that I saw was Voicethread, and I’ll be experimenting with that soon.
Cheers,
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
A very well thought out and laid out venture. You provided the viewer with evidence of a need in the system, a solution, your credibility, sound financial reasoning and possible issues with the venture. I think you covered everything comprehensively. I agree that there is a need in the market, but also agree with the threats you listed. YouTube and professor reluctance might cause the venture problems. Consulting with a marketing specialist might provide some insight on how to present your product in a way that could overcome those possible threats.
Overall, a very well written venture.
Janet
Hi Janet,
The thing that I feel this venture needs the most is what you mentioned: someone with experience in marketing. It would take a lot of skill to know how to approach just the right people without offending them by saying that their courses need to be improved. In the institutions where I make sales, I would follow up and see how well the students perform. If the results are strong enough, I could prove that my materials add value to the course content. The institutions could use this information in ther own marketing and attract more students.
Thanks for your comments!
Danielle
Hi Danielle
I think there is definitely a market for this idea. Your venture pitch did a great job of leaving me wanting to know more. You establish some credibility with the description of your background. I would need to know more about the competition after your product differentiation. With the wealth of open educational resources available investors would need to be convinced that the quality of your learning material far exceeds what is freely available on the web.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your interest! Here’s information about my competitors and ways in which my content would be different.
Brigham Young University offers fantastic simulations, but the licenses are more expensive than mine. BYU’s forums are not used at all for discussion, whereas I would strongly encourage forum use for collaborative purposes.
MIT offers free courses on a lot of experimental science topics for graduates and undergraduates, but in my venture, I would cover more topics and I would be showing links between theory and practice. MIT also doesn’t appear to have any place for students to communicate, but they may have a forum for active classes.
There are a lot of experimental science videos on Youtube, but they may not be pedagogically sound, and there may be safety issues if the videos are created in an amateur fashion. They would not cover the same amount of material as I would and my material would all be in one place, eliminating time lost in searching for necessary information.
I hope that helps!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
In your pitch you establish that you’re well qualified to lead this venture and clearly describe the need for students to prepare for labs. I was left questioning the need for Prep Labs as I wonder how well received by institutions this idea would be. I don’t have experience in post secondary science courses but understand that some if not all institutions require that students attend each science course for a total of six hours weekly. Lectures account for three hours per week and labs for the remaining three. Does lecture time includes preparation for labs? It’s hard for me to imagine that students go into labs without being required to prepare. These questions sent me to your venture proposal looking for answers.
Reviewing your proposal answered my questions and convinced me that your idea is well thought out with benefits to students clearly defined. You outline the requirements for a team of professionals and suggest that office space may be needed. You also note the requirement for a lab. Your cost estimates may be low as they seem to include only wages not equipment purchases or rentals, and rental of office space, lab space, and insurance. You also address obstacles to the marketability of the venture but it’s not clear how you will meet these challenges. With a cost of $900.00 per module you’ll need a convincing marketing strategy that clearly defines the benefits of Prep Labs to institutions. At this time I would not invest in this venture.
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thanks for responding. The cost for the licenses in my venture is on par with that charged by Brigham Young University, where site licenses cost between $850 and $1050 for an unknown length of time. Considering that a Teaching Assistant’s salary is about $4500 per semester, the licenses don’t cost very much for the value they would bring.
Given that this venture would be just one project launched by my company, the costs that are unaccounted for would be taken care of using funds that I have accumulated. The cost estimates that I made are strictly related to this venture, but the remaining resources could be used for other purposes within my company.
As for marketing issues, I would hire someone for that purpose. There are a lot of administration and accounting tasks that would need to be taken care of by people trained specifically in those fields.
Even if these arguments are not enough to convince you of the worth of my venture, I thank you for presenting these points, which allowed me to discuss them in greater detail.
Thanks again for your comments.
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I like your idea. I think you are very qualified to lead this venture, and I can see that design of lab & course supporting materials will have optimistic market out there. From an EVA point of view, I’d like to see a more fluid elevator pitch such as a video rather than slides. I’ve faced this issue myself, my tip is that you can use QuickTime Player to capture the screen while playing your PPT, and then you can export a video from the player.
For the proposition of your venture, I would like to know more information about the targeted market. Why do you eliminate the pre-secondary market from your scope? As I know, the content of K-12 education is more standard than the high education, that will make a larger group of users for your products at each release. The buyer is not clear to me too. I wonder if a professor will buy your modules out of his own pocket, or an academic board will be involved to make the purchase. I think different professors might have different style of teaching, so they would probably more like tailored materials rather than common ones. Has your venture prepared for customization? How does it impact on the business mode? On the other hand, if your buyers include students, will you sell your products by single module besides the bunch package? Generally, I doubt that students will prepare their lab works based on non-free materials, I’d like to see more details about differentiation and competition of this venture to alternatives.
Ping
Hi Ping,
Thanks for the information about video creation, but the use of PPT for the venture pitch was deliberate. When I was analysing pitches at the start of the course, I found myself having to replay the pitches over and over to get specific information. This way, the listener only needs to replay the sections that he or she is curious about.
It turns out that short clips made it easier to control the sound quality. I had to record many times before I could get prevent there from being loud static noises. For this reason, a video taping of me was definitely out of the question because the audio would have been impossible to deal with. I wanted a pitch that, at the minimum, had my voice in it, so I wasn’t going to play catchy music while showing the content. The pictures are not moving around either, because I want the listener focused on what I’m saying. In fact, both ventures are presented using a the principles I mention in the proposition.
Why not market this venture to the K-12 system? High school science labs are, by definition, supported by teachers, as opposed to higher education where students are supposed to be more independent. The problem I’m highlighting in my ventture description is that TOO much independence is given to the students. They still need some support. As for K-8 labs, I think the product would have to be targeted at teachers rather than students. Students of that age shouldn’t be asked to go through multimedia material on their own. I would have to come up with something that can be integrated into science lessons done at school and that also helps the teacher to learn the science better, given that the majority of primary teachers don’t have a science background.
As for the buyer, some profs may have a budget for teaching expenses, but none are certainly going to pay out of their own pocket. The main target is department heads who can get into contact with instructors, and together make decisions about purchases.
Customization is achieved by discussing different equipment that can be used for the same type of experiment. I would be doing research on different ways of teaching the same experiments. Organic chemistry equipment is fairly standard, and first year labs and courses usually cover the same material. Beyond that, there is more differentiation. To address this, some of the modules could contain more labs such that the instructors choose which ones are suited to their needs. The cost for producing more videos would of course be higher, but that’s why there would only be 8 modules released at a time – to figure out how the product is received, and to make more money to re-invest in creating the next set of modules. Students aren’t meant to be buyers. I believe I mentioned that in the last segment of the venture pitch.
Thanks for being so thorough!
Hi Danielle,
I don’t have much to add to what everyone else here has already pointed out. Just wanted to say that this is a great pitch and is clearly well-thoughout. I would invest.
Cheers,
Lisa
Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa!
Hi Danielle,
This is a good idea that could save colleges a lot of prep time and money. I really like the idea of establishing understanding of experiments before having students perform them, since it establishes students’ prior knowledge without the expense of using materials for the initial trial. As someone who liked to understand what her science experiments were about instead of just writing painstaking (and sometimes nonsensical) lab reports, I certainly could have benefitted from this product.
All the best,
May
Hi May,
There’s a lot of lab work that I did blindly. Luckily, as a TA, I got the chance to learn many skills that I didn’t as un undergrad. When you’re supervising other students, you realise just how much unnecessary stress the students feel. That stress doesn’t make them better scientists, and it doesn’t make students better at figuring things out on their own. Unfortunately, a lot of professors don’t understand this and think that the current way of doing things makes students more independent. As such, there is definitely a marketing challenge in showing how helpful this venture is. The solution might be to show a lot of facts and hard evidence of what the students need and what skills are sought by employers.
Take care,
Danielle
Danielle,
I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing your pitch and venture analysis for I believe it was well thought out and delivered. You have a solid idea based on experience and expertise within scientific community and have based the majority of your project on research-based evidence and theory. I appreciate that you have incorporated some of the theory and applications learned throughout the MET program and I t is evident that you are able to apply such to varying learning environments. Although you do mention the fact that videos are available on YouTube I think that having textbook companies and/or school-specific videos custom created will differentiate your product from that of the competition. I hope you further pursue this en-devour for I believe it is a worthwhile venture. Well done and all the best in the future!
Danielle B.
Thanks for your encouragement Danielle! Every time I create educational content, I try to see what research applies so that I can make it as effective as possible. There’s still a lot to learn!
The best to you as well!
Danielle
Please take the time to view my elevator Pitch and Venture Pitch for 21st Century Online Professional Development (21COPD). Please note that this is a fictitious venture and the screen captures of the website and Moodle site are mock-ups and not actually populated. Here’s the link to my Elevator Pitch. I can’t seem to get it to […]
Continue reading Please take the time to view my elevator… Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Gillian. I’m supposed to look at your elevator pitch. I don’t see it linked here. Am I missing something?
sorry Jody – It was embedded when I posted it last night. I have linked it for you instead.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I wasn’t able to locate your elevator pitch, so my comments only refer to your venture plan. I thought your document looked very professional; the logo and use of colour throughout were great! You did a good job outlining the competition for your venture and how it would operate.
I can certainly see the need for your venture to address the gaps you identified. I currently subscribe to an online service for PD in accounting and auditing that delivers four new segments every month. Have you given any thought to how much new content you’re planning to offer to your customers on a monthly basis?
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
Sorry about the video – it was embedded last night and then disappeared?? I have added a link instead if you would still like to take a look.
Thank you for your comments on my venture pitch – I carried the colours throughout the video as well. It sure was tough to stay within the 1 minute limit on video and 2000 words on the written.
As for your question – The plan was to have 2 webinars per month on emerging trends like new technologies – new tools or new strategies like flipped classrooms etc.
As for new courses … when I was doing the mock up for the Moodle page I had endless ideas – the hope was also to draw on ideas and submissions from the CoP – hopefully adding more than one new course per month – starting at a beginner level and then adding more advanced as people become more familiar with tools etc.
gillian
Hey Deborah,
I couldn’t find your pitch either, so the comments that follow are in regard to just your venture pitch. First of all, Great idea. I really think this will eventually take off but the part that scares me is the ‘who is the buyer’ section. The BCTF will definitely be supportive of this with their stance that PD should be autonomous. The one party that would be difficult to persuade is the District/BC Ministry of EDUC. As teachers I like the idea of anytime/anywhere for PD (especially if employees are at home sick on PD days and can’t get out) but I worry about the district allowing PD days to be conducted off of school property outside of the hours of 8-3pm.
Hello again Deborah,
Sorry I didn’t give any suggestions for the idea. So here they are…..
If you can get the District/Ministry on board then this idea is money-in-the-bank. Teachers will love this and it will revolutionize pro-d. You will also have to be patient to see what the BC Ministry decides on its idea to ‘mandate’ pro-d so that your told where to go, and do not have the option to choose your pro-d activity anymore. Good luck.
-Regen
Hi Regen,
(it’s gillian actually 🙂 – ). Sorry about the absent video – it was there … I swear! Anyway, I have linked it above.
I agree that the BCTF would likely be supportive of such a venture – even if it would compete with their workshops – as for the Ministry … you’re right on that one. IF I could get them on board – I’d be set. When I found out CEET was part of LearnNowBC and funded by the Ministry, I was surprised and a little more hopeful about getting funding from the Ministry for my venture. They are quite a busy little CoP and are launching a “university” in the upcoming months – you should check them out. I was also encouraged by 2Learn.ca – which is the Alberta PD website – which is funded by BOTH the union and the government as well as a few other partners. They have some OPD available, but nothing on the scope I was hoping to achieve.
The PD off school grounds is another concern that I had – my understanding is that there is concern with regards to coverage from Worksafe BC if you do your PD from home. I suppose teachers could do courses and attend webinars from the school – but where’s the fun in that? PD in PJs I say! – It looks as if Alberta has it over on us on this one as well as I have had colleagues in other MET courses in Alberta who have used their ProD to work from home on their MET projects.
Thank you so much for your comments. I hope you have a minute (and 4 seconds) to check out my elevator pitch.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I think you have done an amazing job with your elevator pitch and venture pitch. I think this is a viable venture and certainly one I would consider investing in. Probably one of the main reasons I would just because the market research you have done!
What I also find attractive about your proposal is that it includes opportunities for both self-guided learning as well as an opportunity to take part in a community of practice.I personally prefer to have the choice. Sometimes I want to embark on a new learning experience on my own, and other times I would prefer to learn within a community of collaborators. I also think it is fabulous that you have included UBC graduates on your team. I have included the same on my team, great minds think alike!
As for marketing, I would suggest giving teachers an opportunity to trial the site in order to fully appreciate it. Word-of-mouth is the best kind of advertising.
The resistance you mentioned would be interesting to see. I am not familiar with PD opportunities in British Columbia but from what I hear, a venture such as yours would offer teachers much more flexibility. I recall a classmate of ours in my first course in the MET program doing her final research proposal on online professional development opportunities for BC teachers. So I think they’re most certainly is a market for such a venture, and how you have presented it indicates to me that you not only have the knowledge and expertise as a CEO but you have also done your homework.
Well done!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for your time and kind comments; they are much appreciated.
The opportunity for a community of practice appeals to me as well and the research certainly supports the fact that if given the opportunity learners are more likely to put what they learn into practice if they have the continued support of such a community.
As for marketing, the site and its courses are free to all who subscribe and I would hope that through PD chairs and regular PD opportunities, teachers would be inspired to give it a try.
As for resistance … I believe that is the real pain point in this venture. I believe ProD in BC requires systemic reform itself. K-12 teachers are afforded only 6 days and in Adult Ed we are granted only 3 (some other districts afford their adult ed teachers 0 – which is atrocious). F2F proD simply doesn’t provide the opportunity or the time to offer much choice or application of what is learned and there is little incentive to go beyond what is paid. I could go on, but I am afraid I will just rant.
Thanks again,
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Wow, your passion will most certainly ensure the success of this venture! I really like your idea and it’s one I’d like to model for PD opportunities where I live.
I find that where I live, we are never truly satisfied with government or instituitionally led PD programs (even when they are very well done, lol! We are a bit spoiled!) So I think another important strength of your venture, which I should have mentioned in my previous analysis, is your team of teachers. No matter where your venture is marketed, teachers are going to appreciate and respond to PD that is based on experience on the ground. Once again, well done!
Danielle
Hi Gillian,
Thank you for sharing your pitches and after reviewing your elevator pitch I have the follow comments.
I like the hook that you created with the first slide stating that “it’s coming”. I found myself wondering what was coming but unfortunately, I could not quite understand the audio to hear what it was. I would suggest something visual be inserted along with BC education. Seeing as I did not quite understand this part I had difficulty is seeing the connection link between the change in education and the online PD. I suggest using an exterior microphone for improved audio.
The logo is great, well designed and catchy. However, the acronym COPD is commonly known as “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” and is the first thing that came to my mind. In the education field this might not be a problem.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
Couldn’t agree more with your comments regarding the audio on my elevator pitch – but you have to work with what you’ve got … and unfortunately a crappy microphone is what I got. I tried to mask the pings and echoes with music – but apparently to no avail.
I didn’t think of the “COPD” connection you mention – I guess I should have gone with the lower case ‘c’ after all.
Gillian;
I think this is a great idea and would be a useful resource as some of us help plan PD for our staff and are always looking for solid resources. it is vital that your resources are free for teachers as I don’t know that I would pay for online resources, unless they came highly recommended by a colleague with the guarantee that they would work well for my plans as a professional development coordinator. I see the gap that you are trying to fill and don’t see any easy solutions. I don’t know if teachers will take time to complete even free online courses or modules because they do not have time, unless there are credits involved. If there is a way to offer these modules and have them fit directly into the daily routine of teachers or have them fit into their planning I think they would be quite useful. As mentioned earlier if the product is good, word-of-mouth will take the venture to the top.
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your comments. You bring up some very practical points and they are ones that I struggled with in outlining my venture. One conclusion that i came to is that the pain point is not just with available PD for BC teachers, but also with the overall approach to PD. I see a systemic flaw – in the lack of incentive for teachers to engage in ongoing PD. However, I saw this as more a political issue and not really appropriate for the venture plan.
Hopefully, enough teachers will be inspired if the courses are integrated into the standard PD opportunities provided by non-instructional days.
Thank you again for your comments.
gillian
Hello Gillian:
Count on me as an investor in your venture: 21COPD. I think you have made an excellent business proposition in both your elevator and venture pitch. You explain clear pain points and provide matching solutions that sound effective and relevant. You appear well researched and confident in your video presentation. I found the background music to be a little loud; somewhat overwhelming. It would have helped to have some facial presence in the elevator pitch. You could have provided some more market information such as potential client numbers and expected revenue that would have appealed to investor interests.
I think your idea of professional development in the area of educational technology is an excellent idea and needed service. This is very similar to my venture proposition so I have some biased interest here. Your venture pitch is quite thorough in covering all the aspects of a venture and your self-analysis using the cube analysis is effective and helpful. I like the hosesty in your self assessment regarding the “ask” and “return”. I had the same problem – couldn’t really find anything online that was similar enough to the venture while providing this information. In your competition section, do you not feel that the BCTF as they support and provide professional development would be part of your competition along with universities?
Overall, I think you provide a convincing pitch for a possible venture.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thank you for your time and feedback on my pitches.
Your comments on my elevator pitch are very true – one I can explain due to technical deficiencies and the other – well … shyness. I included the music to hopefully cover up some of the feedback and pinging in the narration – it was hard to find a balance … I guess I missed it.
In reference to competition … I do agree that the BCTF itself could be competition which is part of the reason why I would target them directly as an investor. The BCTF PD offerings do not focus on 21st century skills, nor do they provide any online offerings. In regards to the universities … well, I suppose you can’t beat free.
Thanks again and I will have to take a peek at your venture – gotta keep an eye on the competition :P.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I think your have a great idea here – there is definitely a market for some reliable, well-resourced PD that can be accessed cheaply (or freely as you suggest) from home! I think you would want to pitch this venture to your BC College of Teachers or to your school district and get them to put in the money to fund it and then run it for the members who are BC teachers or the school board’s employees. That would be the best bet – if I were on a board of either of those two groups, I would make the decision to invest in this venture.
I am currently at a private school that does little to no PD because they don’t put value in it (sadly) and therefore don’t budget for it. There are teachers working at my school who are completely out of the loop of what the current provincial focus is regarding educational, technology, assessment etc, only because they have been at the school for years and there has been no PD to keep them up to date. This would be something that this type of market could greatly benefit from were it a free resource available to certified teachers. Maybe something our annual fees could go towards paying for?
Another drawback someone else mentione din the comments above I think was the lack of motivation you might have for teachers to use this online PD even though it’s free due to lack of time. There are certain professional designations for which you need to complete a certain number of PD hours a year in order to maintain your qualification – perhaps if this were an endeavour taken on and supported by the BC College of Teachers you could be looking at a guaranteed market of users. This could be one of the places you could earn yoru PD points for the year, for example.
I think the focus here is a strong one – your venture pitch is a sound one – and that you could seriously think about presenting it to the key players and get a response!
Good job,
Sheza
Gillian,
All I can say is that, coming from another BC teacher, this should certainly be pitched to the BCTF! Really well done and well thought of. Where you thinking of Christie Clarke when you created this?
Cheers,
Todd
Hi! I’m Sheza Naqi, an experienced ESL teacher and CEO of FREESL Blogging. Watch our 1 minute Elevator Pitch to get a sense of this venture in educational technology: Participating in an online language learning community is a good way for ESL students to improve speaking and writing skills. FREESL Blogging allows English Language Learners […]
Continue reading FREESL Blogging – A Blogging Community Exclusively for ELLs Posted in: Venture Forum
HI Sheza. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this venture. I think it is a great idea to try and link ELL learners together and your idea is one worth pursuing. However, I’m confused by the title of your venture FREESL when in reality, you’re hoping for about half of the users to pay, so then in the end, it’s not really free? I wonder if this would confuse or frustrate users and drive away potential customers. Your elevator pitch is quite well done and your Prezi is very detailed.
In the end, while the idea is intriguing, I’m not sure that I’m ready to invest at this time. Good luck!
Dear Jody,
Thanks so much for your valuable feedback. The title FREESL is not meant to be confusing; the primary service is blogging and this will remain a free service on the site. The additional pay-features are available to enhance the language learning and are completely optional to the user. We are expecting that the users of this site would be interested in pursuing their goal of fluency in English, therefore they are likely to opt-in for the service if they can afford it; and it is quite affordable!
Hopefully this pricing plan will not frustrate customers as there are many sites where the initial or main service is free with some optional features available for purchase as add-ons. Even Prezi works in this way.
I would hope to be able to convince you to invest at a more in-depth meeting where we could discuss the venture further 🙂
Thanks,
Sheza
Hi Sheza,
Thank you for allowing me to view your pitches! Your personal connection in the elevator pitach drew me in so that I was interested in viewing your prezi. Perhaps I missed your “ask”? But I think this is a viable venture and I would invest. I am quite used to working with tools (e.g. Voicethread) that allows some capabilites for FREE and demands $ for “extras”.
All the best,
Ronna
Dear Ronna,
Thanks for your positive feedback. It is very encouraging! The ask was indicated in the venture pitch: $1,000,000 over two years.
Thanks again,
Sheza
Sheza,
Thanks for sharing your pitches. Both were excellent! During your elevator pitch I was thinking “you must have done this before”. I became totally intrigued. Your Prezi was also excellent, and I thought that was a great way/tool to present your venture. Though I feel you might have some real competition with social network tools already available, I could see this service being very beneficial to adult ELL students. I’d invest,if not for the idea, but your professionalism and enthusiasm!
Super Job!
David McInnes
Hi David,
Thanks so much for your encouraging feedback! I haven’t actually done this before, but I really enjoyed it!
I agree that the social networking competition is heavy in today’s market but that this does offer something different than your typical Facebook type site in giving ELLs a safe place to practice their language skills in order to become more comfortable with publicly tweeting or Facebooking!
Thanks again,
Sheza
Sheza,
Awesome elevator pitch, it definitely captured my attention as an investor to continue on to your venture pitch.
I would be interested in your company for the sheer volume of traffic that it could generate. However, under the current fee structure I think a 50% pay rate is way higher than what is possible and that an Ad revenue stream may be more realistic. With that said a micro-fee structure you have proposed may have opportunity to work along side with Ads.
Another worry is competitors (social networks) could adapt your features (paid native speakers) and could cut into your clientele especially with large scale ad driven revenue systems.
Clearly there is risk funding this project until it hits critical mass. Staff, network and marketing costs will put pressure on generating revenue at a scale that is sustainable. However, If the user population peaks– so could returns on the initial investment.
Great Job,
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the feedback 🙂 I can understand your concern about the 50% pay rate, however, at that rate the investor is getting 100% ROI, and so even witha lower subscription level to our paid features we are looking at generating some viable revenue.
I had not thought about using an Ad revenue stream but you are right – that would be an excellent way to break even at the get go while we wait for the user base to build.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Sheza
Great presentation Sheza!
Your presentation is VERY slick and well done… I liked how dynamic it is.
Very engaged and you cover off most of the questions I had during the presentation.
My biggest concern is with the possible competitors and platforms. I wouldn’t want to lose the uniqueness of the concept. I would want to discuss that further before investing, but the plan, the enthusiasm and the passion are definite sellers.
Well done!
Hi Yves! Thanks for the positive feedback.
The competition is there but I would hope that our idea is unique enough that we can capture a good chunk of the market off the get-go.
I would love to show you a business plan to secure your investment 🙂
Thanks again,
Sheza
Hi Sheza,
I agree, this was a great presentation both for you elevator pitch and your venture pitch. You have a well researched and developed market concept and I like the idea of starting people off with free-services and then providing extra pay-features. Paying your native english speakers also means you can control the quality of the support and respond to your customers. Would you plan to have a feedback component from the ESL learners in order to monitor how they are doing and what things are working well or not?
While I still have a few questions I would want to see your venture plan for implementation and I would be interested in investing.
Dave
Hi Dave!
Thank you for the feedback. Yes I think an opportunity for feedback from our users would be an excellent way to ensure that our services are meeting their needs. This could take the form of an online user-survey or having users rate their Paid Native English Speakers. Thanks for the suggestion.
Let’s set up a meeting to discuss the business plan soon. Hope to count you as an investor! 😉
Sheza Naqi
Hello Sheza,
I am totally impressed with both your elevator pitch and your venture pitch. Both are very effective and professional. It actually looks as if a professional company did them for you. Kudos!
I had no idea you could do all of that with a Prezi – I don’t know how long it took you to do your presentation, but you have successfully covered every base of your venture. I was especially impressed with your projections for your venture – really well researched indeed! As an ESL teacher, I can see how such a venture could work and I would certainly invest in your company!
The only thing I might change is the title ‘FREESL’, I feel it advertises the company falsely, as it is essentially a paying service with some free elements to it.
Congratulations on a job well done!
Marie-France
Hi Marie-France,
Thank you for your vote of confidence! I appreciate your positive feedback. Prezis are great – really fun to make and I find they do a great job of breaking down your information in a manageable way for the viewer to take in.
I appreciate your feedback regarding the title – although I would hope it wouldn’t turn users off; essentially it is a way to catch their attention and bring them onto the site, but it does not do so falsely as indeed the Blogging service offered is completely free!
Thanks again,
Sheza Naqi
Hello Sheza
Splendid! I like your Prezi and youtube. The topic you are dealing with is great as well. Blogging has become one of the essential educational features of our age. Exploring this field is great and has future in the market. I am sure your venture will be attract investors.
The question I have is the same which voiced by other classmates : you call it Free but it is not so. Or probably you wanted to do what some companies are doing theses days, they say “free” but they charge the users of their products. When they are asked how come you mentioned it is free, they usually say it is “free” to download the software but not to use it.
As for me personally , business in blogging is not tempting. I feel the market is depleted. So I wouldn’t invest in such a project.
You did a great job
Hussain
Hi Hussain,
Thanks for your feedback. I thought FREESL Blogging was a catchy and dynamic name for the company but it is not just for show – the blogging service on the site is indeed free of charge. There are additional pay features also available but these are optional of course.
Thanks again,
Sheza
Hello Sheza,
Please give yourself a pat on the back for the great elevator pitch. It was very professionally done and I think your enthusiasm for ESL and ELL came through splendidly. I am move as an instructor by your talk as I know how important it is for ELL to socialize, having been one myself.
As an investor, I would love to have seen a bit more of your value proposition in the elevator pitch, which, I thought was lacking. However, as I have said, your enthusiasm moved me so much that I wanted to watch on.
I think your idea has a great potential there, but as with many social media, you will need a immense marketing budget to jump start it in this market that you already said is saturated with resources which sends users spinning. Sustainment is also very key to your success in the future.
I am not quite sold on your product based on the fact that I am not sure how you will capture your free user’s attention to become paid users. This is beyond what the paid structure could do (which I like, it was a great sustainment strategy). How would you let them know how great of a difference it would make to be a paid user versus a free user? Will there be free trials?
Another thing that I worry about is the uniqueness of your proposal. What is preventing me from taking your idea and doing the same? (yes I’d be a big jerk if I do that, but that is what happens in the business world).
(Man this role playing is tough, I need to watch more Dragons Den to do it!!) Good luck with your venture, Sheza! I think you have a good start, polish it and it might be just be gold 🙂
Cheers,
Sherman
Hi Sherman!
Thanks for the positive feedback. I think that you raise some great questions – it would indeed be a great idea to offer some free trials of the paid features to hook new users. Another idea is that those who sign on for this service are dedicated learners looking for that online resource that does more than the other ‘freebie’ sites in abundance offer.
I can also understand the competition concern – someone could indeed put up another social networking site offering the same services but there is something to be said for brand loyalty when it comes to where you do your socializing. I find that if there were another Facebook type site to come along I would be hard-pressed to switch over, considering my entire social network was already developed on the existing site.
Hopefully sitting down with you to discuss my complete business plan can secure your investment!
Thanks again Sherman,
Sheza Naqi
Hi Sheza,
You have put together a fantastic elevator pitch and caught my attention with your enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject you are presenting. I do have some concerns with your product before I would fully invest in your venture.
Firstly, it seems that there might be a lot of competition for services like this. I know some of the big names in ESL learning (or language learning in general) offer services why users can speak with native speakers. Rosetta Stone offers this with a paid subscription to their services. I like the idea of including the social networking aspect, but how will users know when they have reached a level of competency that will begin to open doors for them? Are there assessments and feedback for users, or is it just a place where users can practice?
Personally, I think that an estimate of 50% of users enrolling in the paid options for the blog is a little high as most would probably continue with the free version. I like the idea of extras that people can pay for, but I think that less than half will pay for services.
All in all, I really like the idea of your venture and if I truly were an investor, would be willing to talk with you more about your plans and the future of FREESL.
Great work,
Kenton
Hi Kenton,
Thanks for the feedback. I think your idea of having competency tests online as part of the package is an interesting one although originally I had envisioned the site to be like a social networking sandbox for ELLs who might want a place to have their blogs/tweets edited before publishing them on their main social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter for all the world to see.
I think that even if we have fewer members who subscribe for the pay features we would be in a good position as a venture to invest in, considering that at 50% subscribers we are looking at 100% ROI.
Thanks and look forward to sitting down with you to discuss our complete business plan!
Sheza Naqi
Good work. The elevator pitch made me want to know more about your product, which says a lot since the topic itself it not a focus of mine. Your visuals made me believe that you product was fun and interactive.
Dear Mackenzie,
Thanks for your interest in the venture and the positive feedback 🙂
Sheza
Great work on the pitches. I even felt the impulse to invest after watching the pitch. Your venture pitch was informative. I think your concept is a great one (especially the part where users can practice with other users). However, there is too much strong competition to start a new social media website. In fact, you may need to use those competitors to get your product going. For that reason, I will not invest in this time.
On a side note, I think it may be worthwhile just to consider a Facebook plug-in instead. This way, you don’t need to compete with social media giants–you’re part of it but you provide a service that Facebook doesn’t naturally provide.
Dear Colin,
Thanks for your valuable feedback! I think your idea of offering our venture up as a plug-in to existing social media giants is a viable option. Perhaps if we are unable to generate the interest on our own we can make this a part of our site.
Thanks again,
Sheza Naqi
Welcome to my iPad Reading Solution Tool. A venture specifically designed for the education sector to facilitate and develop skills in Reading and combat illiteracy in the Caribbean and other developing countries. Click on this link to view my Elevator pitch . The selected reviewers for my venture may email me to view my venture […]
Continue reading The iPad Reading Solution Tool Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Shawn,
Thanks for sharing your idea. You seem very credible in your pitch and it is obvious you have the necessary experience to run this company. However, this market space is too competitive for my investors.
Greg
Hi Shawn,
You have identified the problem, the market, and your solution. I agree that the iPad could definitely be used to assist students in learning to read. However, with such well established competitors, I would have like to hear in your elevator pitch a little more about how your solution is unique, beyond affordability. Overall, it sounds like a well planned venture, though.
All the best,
Janet
Hi Shawn,
You sound enthusiastic in your pitch and express a genuine concern for the need for quality reading instruction. I expect that you’ll be faced with major competition so your pitch needs to convince me that the iPad reading solution tool is unique in some way. Without addressing how this tool fills a gap I’m likely to continue using the tools I currently rely on for teaching reading.
Claire
Hi Shawn,
I like the idea of using the iPad’s popularity to improve student literacy. I have difficulty understanding how this might differ from other reading-related apps and I wonder about its use in other developing areas than the Caribbean, as iPads are pretty pricey and I really lack the research background to be able to evaluate such a venture’s viability internationally. I enjoyed your obvious passion for excellence in education which was apparent throughout your pitch.
May
Nice to meet you. I would love to tell you more about our New Venture – “The EduNexus Group” – an educational technology consulting group that firmly believes that technology should serve pedagogy! I’d like to invite you to follow this link to the EduNexus Investors Information page where you will be able to view […]
Continue reading The EduNexus Group – BYOD the right way Posted in: Venture Forum
Hello Yves,
What a very professional Venture Pitch! I like the way that you presented with your video on the right with the slides on the left. It gave me a sense that I was with you while you were presenting.
Great research on your company, especially with Marketing and the Competition.
As a critique, I would have liked to have heard what company forecast plans you have for the next few years and what kind of return an interested investor like me might benefit from.
I like your them that your “group places technology at the service of pedagogy and not the other way around”.
Great presentation,
Donna
Thanks Donna!
In order to respect the time limits for the assignment, the executive decision was to forego certain pieces of info as we knew we would address it with any investor wanting to go forward.
The long term plans are dual pronged: To go Canada-wide and branch into deeper into business – many companies also need a solution that goes beyond the actual connectivity of hardware and serves their interests more directly.
Appreciate the comments… as you can see, I have a crack management team! 🙂
Hi Yves!
The elevator pitch for the EduNexus group is direct, engaging and tickles you enough to make you want to view the Venture presentation. The presentation is dynamic and easy to follow as it uses slides and video presentation from the CEO. The presentation flows very nicely and describes the proposed venture very comprehensively. I am also impressed with the quality of the audio, well done!
Management team: A great way to prop up the presentation by listing the photos, names and titles of the management team. Fosters a sense of professionalism and the company is putting it all ‘out there’, nothing to hide.
CEO Credibility: The CEO is speaking in person, was fully focused on the message and the product… we can see that he is taking this ‘seriously’, and he expects to do the same.
Venture Concept: Very clear – a consulting service that places the focus on the ‘educational’ aspect of technology (in this case, BYOD) and makes it clear that success in a BYOD implementation goes well beyond just the ‘hardware’. Also presents the special ‘hook’ in their service – a comprehensive ‘BYOD Profiler’ that collects and analyzes data to build an appropriate BYOD implementation plan. Very thorough and well thought out!
Opportunity Space: Although there is no ‘hard’ data explaining the lack of direct competitors, it would appear that there are few competitors in this space and that there is in fact opportunity. Little is mentioned about the marketing aspect or specifics about revenue.
Market readiness: The service seems timely and in need in this market. Being active educators with a great deal of experience and connections, they seem to already have their ‘in’ for the market. There is little said about long term growth, but the way it is presented, one would have to assume that word of mouth and reputation will be key.
Competitive edge: Very clear and well explained – the ‘pedagogical’ approach (“ technol0gy serves pedagogy”) along with the BYOD Profiler is what makes them different than the competition. This re-enforced with their claim “We are educators with a specialization in technology, not technologists that know something about education”.
Exit Strategy: There is no clear long term target for market size, although they are focusing on Ontario in the short term. The size of the investment is not stated, but they are clear that they want to bring their consulting services (with BYOD specialization) to the educational market.
Overall investment status: The CEO is credible, presents a comprehensive product that seems to target the ‘weakness’ of the current market offerings and seems surrounded by a team of competent professionals. Furthermore, they have what appears to be a very interesting tool to help them design their solutions. I consider this venture very plausible and would like to invest in it, but would need to hear more about the financing spectrum.
~Shawn
Thank you very much for the thorough analysis – we look forward to working with you!
EduNexus is planning for growth into Canada as well as the business sector by increasing marketing efforts, upgrading the BYOD Profiler capacity and going Canada wide in pahse 2 of the business plan.
We will be happy to share this with you at our investor’s meeting!
Cheers!
Hi Yves,
Thanks for sharing your business idea. I find that the BYOD profiler can be a double-edge sword. I kind of see it as purposely installing spyware on school server. On one hand, it can be used ethically within the educational institution to profile its needs. This can be a very useful tool, especially when educational technology is such a large investment. On the other hand, I sense that it can be used unethically or “in other ways” to capture student information for other marketing purposes (which ironically is worth a lot of money to others). Of course, I don’t question your good intentions. From experience, once you accept money from investors, they can pressure you to alter your goal company goals to meet their needs. Make sure you do your research on your investors. Aside from this concern, good job on the video!
Colin
Thank you for your input Colin. The Profiler is in fact a data collection tool administered by the team and not ‘installed’ per se on any client network. It is one of the early steps in the planning process. Thus, like any sizeable project, data needs to be collected to do any kind of planning.
We certainly appreciate your concerns with regards to data mining and such, however, plese note that the data collected is strictly BYOD related and not used or sold for any other purpose and certainly not shared. As for the collected information, here is a large subset of the kind of data that is collected:
http://metstudies.ca/?page_id=286
I appreciate your input and will be sure to share it with the team!
take care!
Hi Yves,
Your business idea is a great one and I am ready to invest. It is reassuring that you have considered the importance of servicing pedagogy with technology and emphasis that there is no “cookie-cutter” solution to deploying and creating a BYOD initiative in institutions. School boards and districts will be very eager to use your services for deployment but how are you going to get in the door with the schools to convince them that BYOD is the proper choice for them? I have seen many schools that shy away from these initiatives because of the risks to security and logistics of the programs. Will you be willing to provide the foot work first to convince schools that BYOD is the proper solution, or will EduNexus simply wait for schools to come to them?
Also, as an investor I would be wanting to see this program expanded to include services to businesses as this is where there would be a lot more potential sales than school boards. I feel that if this profiler for schools works well in an educational setting, would it be possible to create one that would profile a business solution. This would require hiring experts in fields other than education and expanding your team of individuals. If I were to invest, you would need to be willing to accommodate this type of expansion and be willing to create two branches to EduNexus one for education and one for private business.
I do like how you have been able to create a unique solution to a problem that plagues many school districts and have created a solid presentation of the facts and needs for a program and business like this. Like I said, I am willing to invest, but will require an expansion of the company into the business world.
Kenton Hemsing
Hi Mr. Hensing, we very much appreciate your interest and especially your questions as they will will help us ‘tighten things up’!
Being educators that are well places in our school boards with many educational connections and participating at many conferences, we will make out presence well-known in these circles with a variety of marketing material. Furthermore, we have a strong social presence, a targeted marketing campaign and key partnerships. We will be happy to share the full marketing campaign details with you at the investors meeting.
We strongly agree with you that we will need to do some footwork and this is part of out ‘foot in the door’ strategy in our marketing campaign as school boards rarely ‘scan the horizon’ for available services, they typically use word of mouth connections and information that they happen to come by – hence EduNexus wants to be par tof that ‘information they come by’.
Expansion – excellent, you are already ‘guesstimating’ at our long term business plan, and correctly! Yes, in fact, phase 2 involves us branching out into business sector as many of these institutions put solutions into place that focus primarily on ‘making wifi available for all devices’ without building a solution that aligns with the business priorities or long term goals. Phase 3 involved going Canada-wide.
Excellent feedabck Mr. Hensing, look forward to discussing this further with you at the investors meeting.
Cheers!
Yves,
As per the investors above me I am interested in your venture.
There is a market for educational consulting and the companies currently offering services are lacking the services Edunexus could provide. There is a question of sales or more directly a lobby.
This is a messy market that may take a few rounds of golf with a hospitality suite with key decision makers to get things going. I have seen a large corporate do this in BC successfully in educational consulting.
Great Pitch!
Brian Hotovy
Thanks Brian, comments are much appreciated. I agree about the golf and hospitality suites, and will make sure that my Policy Planner participates in these. 🙂
Cheers.
Yves
You did a great job. I like the presentation in general. The theme you are tackling in your venture can trigger a lot of discussion. One of the great things your venture has reflected is the uniqueness of such project. Educational consultation as a private entity is something unique in our current market relatively speaking.
The project is really complex and needs special investors, investors who have a wide horizon in the field of educational market. The marketability of your venture depends on a lot of educational factors. One of these factors is how ready our educational system in in regard to it expansion horizontally and vertically.
Great job, Yves
Hussain
Thanks for the comments Hussain… agreed, expertise is essential and investors with experience as diverse as the team I’ve put together would be essential to really help move this forward.
Cheers.
Hi Yves,
Thank you for sharing your pitches. I really appreciated your personal touch – video is a very effective means to draw potential investors in. I am unable to invest in your great idea because I am all out of $$$, lol. But good luck with your venture!
Ronna
All out of money!!! Arrrrgh!!! nooooo.
ok. Hehe, thanks.
🙂
Hi Yves
I thought your presentation was very and I liked your concept, though I wasn’t 100% sure how it was going to be used by companies. While like Ronna I currently out of resources, it is definitely a venture that has growth potential and as an investor I would keep an eye on it for a time when I could invest.
Dave
Thanks for the comments Dave.
The consulting services would be purchased by school boards, schools, etc. any institution that wants to deploy BYOD. We would help them from the moment they want to make part of the strategic planning or just peice it out according to the areas they need help with.
Cheers.
Hello Yves,
I think your elevator pitch is catchy and holds your investor’s attention. You are direct and appear confident in delivering your product and held my attention till the end. I also love the way you put both your elevator pitch and venture pitch in a package, which is something I never thought of doing.
Your venture pitch is well laid out and you outlines the problem and proposed solution quite well. Your really relay that your venture has growth potential and I found your pitch realistic. I would want to invest in your venture, for I feel it is viable – I feel the educational domain is ready for such a change, not only at the K-12 level, but also at the corporate and higher education level.
Just for fun, how many times did you have to record your pitch over until you got it just right? I know how time consuming it is to try and incorporate videos . . .
Kudos!
Marie-France
Much apprecaite the comments about the production as well as the sincerity of my itch.
I recorded in ‘pieces’ pausing here and there, and certain parts I had to redo a few times, but a few I rolled right through. I do webcasts and videoblogs within other projects and have been doing video montages for a long time, so I already had the tools and the know how… in this case, I didn’t go all bonkers with the montage and special effects and such as we are rarely rewarded for Bling in the MET program. 🙂 Thus, I settled on this simplified format…. and specifically, i wanted to stay true to the concept of ‘elevator’ pitch – there are no slides, powerpoint, music, etc. when you corner a potential investor in an elevator. But that is me… so many people did these far out pitches and put a lot of time into the, very nice work.
Anyways, thanks again… c u at the investors meeting! 😉
-y
Hello,
I am always looking for help in the video montage domain. What tools do you use to do your montage?
Marie-France
For the elevator and venture pitches here, I used ScreenFlow to kepp it ‘quick and dirty’. When I produce stuff like I have for the last few years with my board (DVDs, promo vids, testimonials, Our Board ‘idols’ project, etc.) that require multi-tracks, effects, etc., I usually use FInal Cut Studio and its tools, mpeg streamclip and iMovie…. ohh, and I love Adobe Encoder as well.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
-y
Wow it sure sounds complicated, I thought you had used one or two programs . . . Thanks for providing the info, I’ll explore these programs when I get a chance.
Marie-France
Hello Yves!
After reviewing all the educational ventures that were pitched today, I am quite impressed with the quality of both your elevator and venture pitches. The elevator pitch was very investor focused, which, quite frankly, was lacking in most others. I think you’ve hit the spot there. Your pace of speech was great; it was neither too slow nor too fast.
CEO & Team: I love how you showed all of your team members and clearly introduced yourself. As the CEO, you spoke passionately about your product and the flow of your speech alone gave you that credibility in my view. A person who knows less than what they are talking about would probably stumble with this.
Venture Concept: I think this is a great concept. It addresses the pain point that impedes or even drives organizations in throwing away their opportunity to implement BYOD. I have worked with many organizations that would forbid such devices, but with your service, it would definitely save big bucks in the long run. Therefore, I think you have captured my interest.
Marketability: With the pace that technology is traveling at right now, I think profiling BYOD is definitely a full time job on its own. Rarely would an IT department be able to do that, so I think you already have an edge there. Furthermore, because your team needs to be highly specialized to carry out your business, I agree with most other investors you have shook hands with already that it is easy to see why you have little competition.
Venture Plan: I may have missed a bit of it, but do you have separate plans for companies that wish to subscribe to continual services? That might be a mean of sustaining your customer-base. Or is this strictly a once and done service? Those are really the only questions I have for you
With such a great pitch, I would like to invest in your venture. Prior to committing a solid amount, I would like to further discuss with you in regards to the EduNexus business model.
Thank you and great job!
Sherman
The elevator pitch seemed a little one dimensional, you talk we listen. The venture pitch has you reading the slides with your video playing. You have obviously done a great deal of work putting this all together, but I wonder how much money a school would pay for your services. Just last year we tried to implement a free program to a school district and they needed us to provided the bussing for the students to attend. I just don’t see a need for your product in education that would get districts to invest in your services.
LOL!
Thanks for the input.
HI Yves,
Like the others I really was drawn by your elevator pitch to go on the the venture pitch. Having them embedded together made it much more likely as an investor that I would “read on”. I also was taken with the invite to meet the team, but I would have liked a bit more background on your team (which could have been embeddd with the pictures).
I too enjoyed the mix of video and slide but I felt that a number of your slides had too much text -more graphic slides would be easier to view and digest (and were when you used them).
As an investor I was drawn to the variety of solutions you would provide thus a breadth of offerings.
BYOD seems to be a disruptive innovation, and so selling your services on to schools who are in the early or late majority may require you to find 1 or 2 schools or organisations who use your services and can then act as respected, pragmatic referees for EduNexus. They should help open the market.
If you can identify 1or 2 interested schools for your startup I would certainly be wanting to know more, with a view to invest.
Denise
is the latest graphing application for smartphones, iPads, and iPod touches. It is easy to use and a cost effective alternative to costly graphing calculators that serve a single purpose. Diophantapp makes use of the current, “Bring Your Own Device” trend and empowers the 21st century learner who has access to the technology. Now students […]
Continue reading Diophantapp- A dynamic graphing calculator for your smartphone, iPod, and iPad Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Danielle
I really enjoyed viewing your elevator pitch. The images and music were well matched and held my attention throughout the pitch. It almost felt I was watching a very slick commercial for the product. Your idea of capitalizing on BYOD and smartphones is a realistic venture that would certainly have a niche in the market. However, as an EVA, I would have liked to have seen you deliver the pitch to give me a sense of the person behind the venture. Giving investors a chance to see firsthand your commitment and passion for your venture might entice them to investigate your venture further.
Good luck with your future ventures
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
I did consider delving deeper into my history as an inventor, however I wanted to deliver the product to the viewers rather than me as a creator. As with some other pitches, I find the first hand deliverance to be more of a distraction and can make the pitch seem amateur; in fact the opposite effect 🙁
I appreciate your input. All the best!
Danielle
Hello Danielle,
I love the catchy song and fade-in/fade-out descriptions.
Though still a little unsure of the idea. Does the smartphone app have all the same functions as a real graphing calculator? What happens in K-12 education when you want to use the graphing calculator app when your teacher allows no cell phones to be used during class/test? I would love to have a device such as this to at least make the screen appear brighter and more crisp than those old ti-85’s…lol. It’s as if texas instrument has never heard of backlighting the screen. Yes something has to be done to make the ti graphing calculator more vibrant, but the idea also needs to comply with school/class rules. Thanks Dani.
-Regen
Hi Regan,
If you take a minute to delve deeper into the EVA, you will see the feature of the app expanded upon. In doing so, I have outlined the elements that differentiates it from other products on the market (both calculators and apps). Furthermore, I have also included the “no cell phone zone” as a potential barrier. This being said, as we have learned from our classmates the BYOD movement is often evident within various business environments and I believe, will be capitalized upon within educational learning environments as decision makers advance their knowledge on policies, procedures, and governance of such devices. I would suggest that as the net generation ages (I am one) and move into administrative roles within the school system, we will see major changes. Until then, we will see a blend of technology use policy.
Thanks for your input. All the best!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
This is a great idea! I enjoyed your elevator pitch, but as Valerie pointed out, it would have been helpful for you to appear in the video to secure more buy-in.
The venture plan contained some good information including the identification of potential barriers. My school does not permit cell phones or other devices and we have not purchased iPads or iPods for student use. I am also concerned about the potential digital divide that might be exacerbated as not as students have access to the technology required to run this app.
I thought you did a good job of identifying your competition and summarizing your marketing plan. I was curious though as to why you chose Finland, Australia and Singapore to be your phase II target countries.
Good luck!
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
If we revisit the article written by Lisa Nielsen on the BYOD movement, she addresses your concern about creating a deeper digital divide. This being said, I think it is pertinent that schools create opportunities for students to have access to such technology to equip them with the 21st century competencies needed in the workforce. If we do not provide such, I would argue we are dis-servicing our students very similar to not teaching them the basic skills of math or language.
The choice of the countries to be included for phase 2 came from cross-referencing the countries who: 1) are advancing their policies on general technology and graphing technology use within educational environments and 2) have the highest access to smartphone and iOS technology. Ultimately an interesting (and somewhat disparate) grouping, I agree. However, it would be important to launch in areas whereby both educational and technological policy supported the app.
I appreciate your input. All the best!
Danielle
Link to the article aforementioned: http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/09/7-byod-myths.aspx
A very cool idea Dani.
Elevator pitch message
I was intrigued about the concept of the app and wanted to learn more about it right away. It would have been helpful to have more specific information about the app.
I can see by looking the credentials that the venture has a knowledgeable and credible CEO. A video “address” would make the investor feel more confident.
Concept
I like how you made the connection with BYOD(T). Your analysis of the barriers is very good – many schools and universities don’t allow cell phones during exams so the learners would still need the graphic calculator.
Marketability
The smart phone market is huge but that may not be true for this app. As you stated in you analysis, this is good tool to entice learners to use the app because it’s not the usual “calculator” – this may definitely be a selling feature.
I appreciated the research you have done on overseas market – it would have been very helpful to compare the barriers between the North American and other markets to show growth potential. You showed that in Finland students are allowed to use symbolic calculators but showing if that includes both learning and tests/exams would have been helpful for the investor to see the potential.
Great idea and good research Dani.
Thanks,
Leonora
Hi Lenora,
I appreciate your input as to how I could improve upon the concept. I found it difficult to determine how much information should be required within the pitch and the venture analysis. Because students are yet to be allowed to use such on tests and exams, I believe pitching thus as a learning tool rather than solely as a test/exam scaffold could address the issues you mentioned. If educators promoted the app, students could perhaps deepen their understanding of complex and abstract concepts therefore warranting the purchase of it.
All the best,
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I can so appreciate the difficulty with balancing how much detailed information to include in the pitch. I had the same issue.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Leonora
I do like this idea. I agree that smart phones will soon be ubiquitous is some schools districts. Students will turn to their mobiles for all sorts of educational content such as textbooks, bookmarks, blogging, and specific apps such as a graphic calculator. I think if that app were good enough to get recommended by teachers, it could take off. As an investor, I would have to be convinced however that it is in some way superior to the other graphic calculator apps. A quick search in the app store showed that there are several – many of them free. As an investor I would need to know more about the revenue stream, product differentiation, and market plan to educators.
Hi Chris,
The idea for my app came about from using the free apps I mentioned within my EVA. Although a lot of them are great, basic apps to use within grade 9 math, I thought they could be improved upon by including the extra features such as: real-world images, color, and 3d modeling. I guess the price of the app would have to reflect these features and the price of the competition.
Thanks for the input. All the best!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I really enjoy watching your pitch. You academic background is impressively solid for this venture. I agree with you that there is a really big market for graphical calculators on mobile devices. As an investor, I need to be know more about competitive advantages of your product. You give 3 competitors in the “competition” page, but it would be more helpful to include Diophantus in the list to make the differentiation more visible.
I didn’t find the price strategy of Diophantus in the pitch, did I miss something? Will you sell it by license (eg. $1/download like other apps) , or will you let it go free but open other tunnels to return money? I’d ask for a clearer business model that could ensure the market share as well as my compensation. Another concern is: do you plan to develop Diophantus on other types of devices, such as Android, WM7 or Symbian? The increase of device types will lead to an surely increase of R&D & marketing cost.
Good luck to your calculator, I’ll be interested to use it when it’s available.
Ping
Hi Ping,
I appreciate your feedback. As for the price, the plan was to launch it as a free app in phase one. As for charging additional fees, it would have to be determined after the PD was completed. Because it was an ambitious project, my main focus would be to remain within the smartphone, iOS market until the company gained competencies within other areas, as I am a lone soldier as of now!
All the best,
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Brilliant idea for your venture! As mobile devices (smartphones, iPads, iPods) have somewhat became a daily necessity to many of us nowadays, this venture would sure be able to continue to grow along with the mobile device trend. I think you have articulated your venture pitch quite well and delivered the core ideas to your audience. As for your elevator pitch, I see that you have put quite some effort into it and it does capture my attention, however for some areas I found it a bit too busy and my visual processors aren’t working fast enough for it. I think it would have made it a lot easier for your audience to process the information if you narrated your elevator pitch. I liked your venture idea but I’d like you to be the protagonist for your elevator pitch. If I was an investor this would be a venture that I would consider in investing into.
Keep up the good work.
Karon
Thanks for the positive and constructive feedback, Karon. I appreciate that you took the time to review my research and contribute your perspective :).
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I really liked your pitches here. I really appreciate how you critically analyzed your competition and included that in your presentation. I also like how your pitch was a presentation as opposed to a paper (and a dynamic presentation at that).
As an investor, I would have liked to see more information on how I could make money on the app. Perhaps long term projections?
Excellent work!
Lisa
Hi Danielle,
Love Animoto – always helps to create such a professional looking product. A good choice of tool for your elevator pitch.
Your venture idea is so simple, yet so very necessary. We have many students in our program who are not able to afford graphing calculators, and we are only able to lend them to students onsite – they cannot take them home. Our math teachers have looked for an app that would be suitable, but were not able to find one with the functionality your venture offers (however – how a student can afford a smartphone and not a calculator still mystifies me – priorities I suppose)
I am curious about the name of your company – does it have some significance? I ask because for such a straightforward venture idea the name seems to be on the complicated side.
As for your venture pitch, I thought it clear and concise and well supported by relevant research, especially in regards to your market research. I was also intrigued by the idea that your pitch seeks employees as well as investors. I am not sure what that says from a business point of view though.
My only comment for improvement in the venture pitch would be to include your product in your differentiation graph so that viewers can see a direct comparison of what your product has to offer.
gillian
Thanks for the feedback Gillian. Diophantus is known as the ‘father of algebra’. I wanted to use something unique and easily identifiable…..perhaps a bit too complicated, however students would also ask about the name, therefore they would receive a bit more math history 🙂
All the best,
Danielle
I thought there must be something more to it … I’m just not all that math savvy I suppose.
Best to you as well.
gillian
Hi Danielle, Your idea is highly relevant and your elevator pitch makes that clear. I would have liked to see more about how you will develop the app and how you will compete with the other graphing apps that are out there, as well as how you will determine pricing. Thank you! Chelsea
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
unclereg 9:54 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Valerie,
You’re very well spoken. Great presentation of your elevator pitch. So when you’re out shopping you could scan a book and see its reading level and then you would have to determine its appropriateness based on the person you are buying it for. That means you would also need to know that persons current reading level. The one problem I see here is publishers eclipsing this idea by including reading level suggestions on the spine, or dust covers of books. I also realize that publishers place age suggestion and not usually reading levels, and the two are not usually the same. I’m also not sure what to suggest as an improvement or a consideration for the future.
Nice delivery though.
-Regen
vawells 3:12 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you for your feedback Regen.
Valerie
Deborah S 9:13 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Your elevator pitch was well delivered and it was helpful to see you in the video to increase potential investor buy-in.
Your venture pitch was supported by some relevant statistics such as number of mobile internet activities and number of smartphone owners. I thought your summary of competitors was very effective. I was curious why you weren’t planning to develop the app for BlackBerry users. I am from Waterloo (the home of RIM) and know that most of us here use BlackBerrys. I think you may be excluding a large potential market by only developing for iPhone and Android devices. I also wasn’t clear about your target market. Your venture plan referenced K-12 students, but wouldn’t the primary users of this app be parents and educators?
Good luck!
Deborah
vawells 9:20 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah
Thank you for your feedback. The plan referenced the number of students to give investors an idea of just how many students there are out there and in turn then the need for an app like this for parents and teachers.
You are right about BlackBerry users, however I was trying to narrow the market at first and then expand slowly. You make a good point and these users should have been added to future directions for markets.
Again thanks for your interest
Valerie
gillian 9:07 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Your confidence in your venture comes across clearly in your elevator pitch and I commend you for stepping in front of the camera – something I was not comfortable doing. You hit the key points and piqued interest to investigate further into your venture. My only criticism would be the fact that it was clear you were reading your pitch and thus losing some personal engagement with the viewer by breaking eye contact.
As for your venture itself, I thought it was a very unique idea and was unaware that there was even any competition out there for such a product, yet you were able to communicate your venture’s edge quite well. I wonder though – how does your product work with e-books? E-books themselves are becoming a large market and one I think should not be discounted for consideration for your product.
I thought it was genius to market to parents as well as educators, but I thought you did not spend too much time on this aspect of your market.
Your research and stats were very helpful in showing the value potential of your product. A very concise and comprehensive pitch overall.
gillian
vawells 1:54 am on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for your feedback Gillian. You have made some very good points.I think the reading part was nervousness, no matter how many times I did it I always reverted to reading, Frustrating!
I had not considered e books but should have. Thanks for pointing that out as it will be a huge market.
Again thanks for your interest
Valerie
kimnoel 12:51 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Absolutely LOVE your venture idea! As a K-6 teacher, I have spent way too many hours on the Scholastic et al. sites figuring out the reading levels! I would love your app!
Your pitches were concise, comprehensive and professional. Your presence, and your included background would give me, as an investor, confidence in your credibility and in your team. You appear to have done a good amount of background research, and I was impressed by the listed apps and sites that you had (I will be using some of them myself!)
The only area where I would have liked a little more info would be the “roll-out” plan of the app, and the long-term plans ( but I realize there is a limit to how much you can include on this assignment!)
Overall, I think you did a great job, are very credible, have a viable product, and if I were an investor, I would certainly arrange to me w/ you!
Well done!
Smiles, Kim
kimnoel 12:52 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Oooops!
That should say “…arrange to MEET w/ you.”
Kim 🙂
Danielle 2:22 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
I think you have done a great job with your elevator pitch venture pitch. Your ideas are very well researched and I think that such an application would be highly valuable to both educators and learners.
As a language teacher, it is a challenge to find reading texts that are appropriate to my learners level. Such an application would simplify my job significantly.
Your pictures very optimistic! This is great, however, your investors might appreciate being aware of some of the and potential challenges.
I think this is an excellent venture idea and I’m certainly interested!
Danielle
vawells 4:25 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you for your feedback. Good point about the challenges.
Valerie
vawells 4:23 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Kim for your feedback. I agree that the roll out plan is definitely missing and would need to be added.
There are resources out there for reading level however they are cumbersome due to having to type in the text.
Valerie
sheza 8:08 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie!
I think that your tone of voice exuded confidence in your elevator pitch and that, along with the idea of the venture itself made me want to go on to your venture pitch and I’m glad I did because it was very well put together!
In regards to your elevtor pitch I think perhaps you could have used a different medium if you weren’t too comfortable putting yourself in front of the camera or memorizing what you had to say without having to read it – for example mybrainshark presentation or an imovie where you could overlay your voice onto corresponding images and what not.
However, spaking again as an EVA I was moved to go onto your venture pitch because I did hear the confidence and thought the venture was interesting.
Your venture pitch is very well written and researched. You do a very thorough analysis of your market and your competition. I can see that you have also done the math regarding the revenue and ROI and these figures do look promising. I can see that this would be a viable venture and I would consider investing after seeing your complete business plan.
Thank you!
Sheza
vawells 10:32 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Sheza
Thanks for your interest and the constructive feedback. 🙂
Valerie
Dennis Pratt 8:43 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Valerie;
My first thought was “What a great idea!”. My daughter is entering grade 2 but reads at a higher level (not meaning to brag). It is difficult to even go to the library and find books that are at her reading level. Usually we just let her pick what she wants to read but if we want to push her forward we would get her to read books at (or just above) her level. I have to admit this might even be good for me as sometimes I might pick up a book that is too heavy for the light summer reading I am trying to relax with. I don’t know that the reading level would help but if you can scan for reading level maybe you can scan for other things, too.
Good luck on carrying this venture out.
Dennis
vawells 5:59 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis
Thanks for your reply. I think that with the increase use of mobile devices and constant updates to the software scanning for other things may be a possibility and perhaps an in app purchase down the road..
Love to hear about your daughter’s reading level as difficulties in this area can be such a frustration for children.
Valerie
troos 2:47 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Valerie:
You’ve done an excellent job in convincing me to invest in LevelMe. I think this would be an excellent and useful tool to have as an app on a smartphone. Your elevator pitch clearly shows your enthusiasm in this product; you are convinced it is something that can and will be used by potential customers. Your personal presence in describing your product is effective and convincing. The only thing you may want to fit in is a little more about the market size in terms of client numbers and revenue. I feel this is important for me, as an investor, to know right at the start. I realize you cover this and cover it well in your venture pitch but just a brief mention in the elevator pitch would be good.
Your venture pitch is thorough in identifying the need and solution your product will accomodate. You do an excellent job of breaking down your potential market and your projected revenues are very believable. You have provided clear research regarding both the existing and potential market. Your team appears clearly competent to develop and market this product.
Overall, I really like the concept and,as a parent, would find this to be an extremely useful tool. I have found that the few books that are currently marked with a reading level are not very accurate in their projections. Your tool would hopefully provide an unbiased analysis of the reading level. I am somewhat concerned regarding the revenue generation through advertising in the general, parental version of your app. If I was to use this as a parent (which I think would prove to be your largest client base) I would be annoyed and turned away by this advertising. I feel that after an inital free offering of your product in a very simplified format, you could quickly move to a product you could charge a few dollars for to have it be ad-free. Just a thought. Overall, I am very excited regarding this product. You have made an excellent proposition.
Tim
vawells 5:27 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Tim
Thank you for your interest in LevelMe. I think your suggestion to have a paid ad free version for parents makes sense for those who want to pay. This would be very easy to arrange as an in app purchase.
I will certainly pursue this offering for the parent app.
Thanks for the constructive feedback
Valerie
Bridget 4:36 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Your elevator pitch, while not filled with bells and whistles was very convincing and when you asked the question “Have you ever had to buy a book for someone only to find it was too hard or too easy for their reading ability?” I found myself answering “yes” since this happens to me on a frequent basis. The ease and mobility of using apps appears to me to be one of the strongest points of your idea. I would also add grandparents to the list since they are often the book buyers who feel lost in the field of new books and stories making them gravitate to those with which they are already familiar.
From what I understand there is not an international standard for reading levels so what system would you propose to use when determining the reading level? I assume that your program will work with e-readers.
I like the idea of offering the freemium along with an upgrade, however, I would be interested in learning what you are considering as the added features. As readers enter middle school they often find that the thought of reading longer books to be daunting. I think that an interesting feature might be the ability to determine how long it might take to read the book and then break it down into 15 min per day etc. in order to help them set realistic goals to finish.
I am very interested in providing you with the $250 000 financial backing for LevelMe and I look forward to a great partnership.
Bridget
vawells 5:32 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget
Thank you for your interest and support. I am sure this will be a successful partnership for both of us.
Valerie
toddpowell 10:45 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Valerie,
While not a parent (yet), I cannot tie in personally with your venture. But as an English teacher, I would love the ability to have your product to suggest to my parents. You have presented in such a clear and concise way that all questions are fully answered even before being asked.
Well done, and I would certainly back this venture!
Todd
vawells 1:20 am on August 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Todd
Thanks for your support and feedback.
Valerie