With how our work environment has evolved, one job till retirement is no longer the norm. At the same time, with open educational resources and other advance technology, people are learning new skills constantly to make themselves more competitive in the workforce.
However, career navigation can be challenging for students with limited life experience and they simply don’t know where to start. Formal education does train university students with critical thinking skill which is crucial to work but is that enough? It is not a secret that there is such a discrepancy between what formal education offers and what industry needs. Without clear guidance on what skills to have and where to get the training, students are left to figure things out themselves.
Thinking out loud is an app that works both on desktop and mobile devices and it provides clear and easy to navigate career advice to university students. It combines peer collaboration and mentor guidance so users can learn more about each unique learning path to a specific career.
Watch the video here and learn more about Thinking out loud here.
Hi Rachel,
I think this is a fantastic idea. There is definitely a lot of demand for career coaching and counseling, especially during economic downturns (like right now). I like the involvement of industry experts as mentors, as a lot of them have a lot of knowledge to share and are very willing to do so, just lacking a channel. There are platforms like LinkedIn where that is possible, but not every fresh grad knows how to do networking and ask industry professionals to do coffee chats, etc. This would provide many people who have social anxiety with this type of interaction with a clear, easy way to get career advice from these professionals.
Your elevator pitch was very informative and I got a good grasp of the problem and your solution. However, at almost two minutes, it’s almost certainly too long for an elevator ride.
Your venture pitch is put together well, I especially like the demo you put together, which would really help investors understand how the whole experience would be like. However, it seems like you are missing a few important components such as an analysis of the competition and a marketing and go-to-market strategy. I think Thinking Out Loud is a great idea that deserves a little more work and elaboration in terms of the business side of things.
A few suggestions:
The name Thinking Out Loud doesn’t immediately make it clear what the app is about and can be a little confusing (my first impression is that it would be a learning journal or metacognition thing). Three words is also too long for a name, something like TOL would be a good alternative.
I’m thinking of some additional features that may be interesting. Job coaches that specifically help with writing resumes, how to do interviews, and looking for the right positions would be immensely helpful. I do a lot of hiring in my job and you would not believe how many people can’t do those basic things. It would also be great if the mentors can have a hand in closely guiding them in the job search and walking them through the steps while providing advice along the way. That could be a lot of work but maybe that can be a premium option.
Yanncik
Hi Yannick,
Thanks so much for your feedback and it’s very helpful! The additional features you suggested actually make a lot of sense and initial, I was thinking how TOL would work with the career services at universities, which usually provide resume building support already. However, I see the value to actually market TOL as a one-stop shop for career preparation!
The name actually came from my own experience of how I always just think out loud about planning work and school but I can see how confusing it can be. Thank you for the very thorough review and clear feedback and it helps me a lot!
Your elevator had a very detailed explanation of your idea. I have to disagree with Yannick about using an acronym I prefer full names. In our board we actually have a technology that is similar to what you describe. It is called “My blueprint” and highschool students can use it to plan out their futures.
Maybe I missed it, but do you have any financial analysis for the investor to refer to?
Thanks for sharing!
REVIEW: You have a clear view of the problems that this APP is trying to solve. I appreciate the amount of information about the product that you included in the venture pitch. You not only outlined the functions of the APP, but also how the users can connect with each other. I think it’s helpful that you included a list of people that mentors on this platform, it’s helpful to see there are so many experts already online.
Thanks for sharing!
REVIEW:
Excellent pitch, you have clearly identified a market niche and created a service to fill it. I appreciate that Thinking Out Loud is very focused and doesn’t try to do too much or try to compete too broadly. This greatly increases the likelihood it will be able to fill the identified gap and once that core business has been established, diversify and add features. If this were a real world venture I would need to explore a working app and get a bit more information about logistics of hiring councilors but assuming that was all in order I would invest.
FEEDBACK:
I really like the design of your venture pitch. Its attractive, visually interesting and very legible. I also enjoyed the elevator pitch, but it nearly doubles the 1min maximum.
Rachel, I like the concept and website design for Thinking Out Loud. It was colorful, engaging, and easy to follow. I agree that there is a need to help students in their future career aspirations. It is important to help guide them to find their occupations.
Elevator Pitch
– Content was adequate
– The length was too long, perhaps shorten the pitch.
Venture Pitch
– Visuals were easy on the eye especially stages of thinking.
– Demo was interactive!
– You may want to include a market analysis such as competition, statistics and etc.
– As a potential investor, I would want to know the financial risks and gains in investing in your venture.
I enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Hi, Rachel!
Your venture reminds me of a Vancouver start-up called Riipen that raised 5M. They connect students with basically co-op placements on a large scale, integrating work and education by bringing in real projects from organizations into the classroom.
I don’t think your Venture and Riipen do the exact same thing but maybe there’s a synergy to get students get hired? Regardless, your idea has merit.
Thanks for sharing.