Sean’s Pitch

by seanmcminn

For those who may have my venture to analyise, below is my pitch”

Sean

6 comments

1 Cindy Leach { 12.03.09 at 6:18 pm }

First I wanted to say that I enjoyed your pitch. The My Words suite is certainly a unique tool. I like that fact that it encourages independent learning and it seems to encompass a lot of the principles of adult learning. You gave excellent examples of other tools that are already developed and proven in the market as well as good information on the owner of the company and his credentials as a subject matter expert. You made good use of the visuals although some of the screenshots were a little blurry and went by a little to quickly in spots. I like how you demonstrated how interactive and flexible the product is in terms of learning. As an EVA, depending on where I am located I might be a little put-off by the emphasis on the Chinese market. If I’m in Richmond B.C. than this would be strategically smart. However, if I am in Northern Ontario, I might be more interested in how it would help the transition from English to French. You might want to put more emphasis on the fact that the product can be geared towards any ESL student, regardless of their first language. I would have further questions after the presentation. Is the software now complete? What type of commitment are you looking for, am I funding distribution, marketing? What type of buy-in are we talking about; does it include share holder interest? I am even more curious to learn more now than I was after the elevator pitch, but as an EVA I am not yet ready to invest, I still have a number of unanswered questions.

2 Cathy Jung { 12.03.09 at 6:54 pm }

Sean

You’ve presented an interesting pitch and piqued my interest in hearing more in your full pitch. You clearly explain what the three components, my words, check my words, and mark my words consist of. It seems that 2 of the components focus on written English as they are toolbars installed on MS Word. As an EVA, I wonder whether ESL learners are more interested in conversational English or written English skills. (I would suspect that it would be the first, but this is just my gut instinct). I would be interested in knowing what Chinese learners feel is more important. You note that there is a large ESL market in China, but do not state why this is. As an EVA I’d be interested in knowing why the market is so large and if it will continue to be. I know that China has a very large population; however as Hong Kong is no longer under British rule, is English still prevalent in Hong Kong and throughout China? I also think if it targets Chinese specific ESL skills than the market can expand to other countries with large Chinese speaking populations (eg: North America such as Toronto, Vancouver and San Francisco). This is an interesting product, but I’m not sure I’m ready to invest yet without seeing the tool close up first hand.

Cathy

3 Sean McMinn { 12.03.09 at 7:53 pm }

Hi Cindy and Cathy,

Thanks for your feedback; you both make some good points about things I should have considered. The software is complete, although it is in constant re-development based on experience and user feedback.

I mentioned the Chinese market because, at the moment, that is where the software is being used. There are specific Chinese-English mistakes, mistakes that other non-native Speakers of English may not make (French-English for example).

The applications do have features that help students with spoken English. In fact, I was not be able to cover everything that the applications are designed to do. I focused on the writing and grammar features because there seems to be few applications that can do this. I also focused on this area because the applications are being used in English-medium schools in Hong Kong, Chinese speakers learning and working in English. My fault in not making that clear. English is still prevalent in Hong Kong, and many Mainland students are coming here for university, expecting to improve their English.

4 Cathy Jung { 12.03.09 at 8:18 pm }

Hi Sean,

Thanks for your response, it defintely provides more insight into the product. As this product also covers off spoken/verbal skills than it really helps to round the product off .

I know what you mean about not being about to being able to cover off everything. With just 12 mintues, it definitely is a trade off in what is possible to touch upon…you have to make critical decisions on what to keep and what to eliminate.

Thanks,
Cathy

5 Bev { 12.04.09 at 4:01 pm }

Hi Sean: This is an interesting product which I understand is real and in use. You say in your presentation that there are no other products out there that are similar- this surprises me as the whole market to learn to English is huge. I think focusing on the market for Chinese language speakers ( I assume this is appropriate for the different languages spoken in China) makes sense- target the biggest market to start with. I think there would be a fair market in BC’s lower main land as it has a high population of the target group as well.

I would be interested in hearing a bit more about the financials. How much will it cost?
Can an individual get this program or is it available through schools. Has it been adapted for mobile phone technology?

Your presentation was well done and very easy to follow.
Good job.

6 Liz Hood { 12.05.09 at 4:30 am }

Sean, I thoroughly enjoyed your pitch. After viewing the elevator pitch, I was intrigued enough to pursue the full pitch. My Words Suite is a unique opportunity for sure. Good integration of graphics and narration. Your explanation of the product and accompanying screenshots were clear and concise, giving investors a coherent grasp of the integration of the product. As an EVA, I am impressed with the potential market, particularly because of the growing population of China with its national emphasis on English language acquisition. As an investor, I would be inclined to invest in this venture. The only concern which comes to mind is the necessary dependence upon internet access, because I am unsure whether China has the infrastructure as well as intellectual freedom to guarantee the access needed to fully implement the venture.

Very well done presentation.

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