I am pleased to share my pitch idea for …
I am pleased to share my pitch idea for the Virtual online opened learning platform. A full list of video credits and references are available on my ubc blog. A complete transcript of the pitch is also on the blog. I hope you enjoy, and I certainly appreciate any constructive feedback.
Elevator Pitch:
Full Venture:
Posted in: Venture Forum
jenbarker 11:32 am on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello,
I really liked your Elevator Pitch. The music and graphic visuals caught my attention. The text went a bit fast at the beginning and I had to read quite quickly. Generally though you shared enough information that I wanted to know more. Your venture pitch was outstanding. It covered ALL of the critical tenets needed in pitches. I think your venture is original and addresses a pain point. Your venture plan is well thought out and sound. You clearly demonstrated what you were asking for from investors and stated the sequence of your plan clearly. I liked your idea of a free trial too! I thought you did a terrific job. Thanks for sharing, Jen
pcollins 2:25 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I appreciate the supportive feedback Jen. Its great to know that the research that I had done actually managed to come through in my presentaton. I tried my best to generate any of the potential negatives and then address them pro-actively. It would be a neat venture to see fully realized.
PC
avninder 2:15 pm on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think the elevator pitch was great. Although you may want to consider changing some of the colors so that the white text against the white moving images in the background doesn’t become difficult to read for some viewers.
I do not know much about home schooling but this seems like a venture that is very worthwhile. Good explanation of what v.ool is and what it is not. It made me think about all of the other online technology that home schooled students could take advantage of.
You discussed how this process will enhance the students’ experience, which was great. To gain more interest you could also touch on how the students’ currently work to emphasize what this new concept means for those who otherwise have limited interaction. Although you did mention the research of online courses having a high attrition rate which was a great tie-in to the venture.
You touched on many success factors for an online learning environment including participation, 21st century learning principles and collaboration. Plus your detailed plan for presentations, researched statistics and financial information contributed to a solid pitch.
A demo although I know would not be easy to create, would have been great to see for potential investors to see. Thanks for sharing.
pcollins 2:26 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Oh my goodness having access to someone who knows game programming would be amazing. When I first started the project, I thought that I might actually have to come up with something tangible to demonstrate – which would certainly have helped. Albeit fffffaaarrrr outside of my realm of expertise.
Thanks for the feedback.
PC
joeltremblay 4:25 pm on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The elevator was great and the venture was informative. I do wish that some of the pizzaz you applied to the elevator would have been applied to the venture although I don’t think that affects the marketability.
pcollins 2:28 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I couldn’t agree more Joel,
Actually – I really toned it down for the venture pitch…. as I tend to be quite a twitchy and loud kinda girl. I wanted to play it subdued and well researched – but maybe I erred on the side of being boring!
Not something I am usually accused of in real life but certainly I can see it when I rewatch the presentation.
PC
Mike Rae 5:20 am on November 27, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Awesome job Patricia. When I was watching your venture pitch, there were a lot of things that I liked. You had good enthusiasm in your voice and you conveyed that this is a good idea that could make money. Your projections seemed reasonable, and you clearly did your homework (or at least sounded like you did) on statistics. If the BC ministry did sign off on it, of course it would be a hit. I guess the I would have liked to hear more about how you were planning to do that part. Overall though, real strong pitch.
pcollins 2:29 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks kindly Mike,
I did try my best… even though this was a fictional project…. to include realistic and well researched projections. I’m glad it came through to the objective viewer.
PC
visramn 11:33 am on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
I think you did a great job on your pitch. It was informative and engaging.You did a great job of catching my attention and interesting me in your product with your pitch.
I found that your venture analysis covered all the parameters needed in an analysis. You showed excitement in your product which was evident from your facial expressions and your tone of voice. It was apparent that you are knowledgeable about your product and that you have belief in it, which makes viewers feel more drawn to it. Overall, I think you did a great job. The only thing that I would suggest is maybe making the analysis a little bit more interactive or engaging. Although you did a good job of covering all angles related to your project it was hard to stay focused because there were not many visuals. It is hard to concentrate when someone is talking for a longer period of time without some sort of visual component.
Thank for sharing. This is definitely a very good idea and I personally think there is a market for your product. .
Great work
Nureen
pcollins 2:32 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Much appreciated Visramn,
I couldn’t help but notice that myself – that there needed to be something a tad more visually stimulating. Not “glitzy” as Dave had pointed out but eye catching. At first I thought about eliminating myself from the equation all together and having a production that was, well… more polished. And then my concern was it would detract from the product and it’s potential rather then add to it. Perhaps a misjudgement on my part?
PC
visramn 4:20 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think your presence was powerful because of your expressions and body language. Hence, you were right in your decision. After veiwing some more pitches I am think maybe I was wrong in my initial opinion. Sometimes it better to keep it simple because then you are not detracting from the essence of what you are trying to say. Sorry, I am new at this and needed seem more exposure.
Nureen
sophiabb 12:01 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
Great elevator pitch. The music and graphic did an excellent job in capturing and holding my attention.
Your venture pitch came across as well researched and this added to the credibility of your venture proposition. You clearly addressed the pain point and your solution in both pitches. The venture pitch did a great job in addressing the marketability and financial feasibility aspects. I would have loved to see more graphical representation of your points but all major points were covered in your presentation. Well done on both pitches.
Sophia
pcollins 2:35 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Sophia,
I am really quite aware of the pain point that exists because I work with home schoolers on a regular basis and have seen first hand how they would benefit from something similar to V.ooL. And yes, now that I am looking back on my venture, I can’t help but agree it was a bit dry. I have been told that I tend to be a bit too academic in my productions for the courses, and this would definitely be an area that I should work on.
Research I can do! The marketing is an area that needs to be addressed – if this was the real world I’d probably have to invest big bucks to get a company to do the appropriate polish for me. Ha!
PC
C. Ranson 1:53 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Patricia,
Well done, the elevator pitch was a little busy but cool and in keeping with your theme of gaming and learning. I agree with above, the white text was difficult to read at times but still intrigued me to continue to watch on. Your venture analysis presentation was very comprehensive identifying your target group, the investment details and return on investment. The 30-day free trial is a great idea and your revenue projections seem reasonable. What is the age of your target group, I know you mentioned that it wasn’t age specific but would the older learner be attracted to this platform? Very interesting idea.
Catherine
jenniferschubertubc 11:53 am on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Nice job on the elevator pitch, PC! 🙂 I know that it can be tough piecing all of that together, especially getting everything you need across in text on a moving video. It was a lot of material for that amount of time (and did go by a bit quickly), but I always say that it’s better to have more info than not enough. After all, that’s what pause is for! You engaged me quickly and left me wanting more, which is the whole point of an elevator, so mission accomplished.
I also agree with Catherine as to the value of a 30 day free trial. It is often hard to get new users on board anything these days without at least some small concession. This is a very fair one which provides just enough of a glimpse into the value of the program to “hook” your users. Great idea.
I would have liked to have seen more graphics in your venture pitch, but I know how hard it can be to incorporate your ideas, yourself and also accommodate for illustrative elements. You presented a wealth of information very well, addressing all of the points of a successful venture pitch. Very well done!
frank 6:30 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Patricia,
I think you have a potentially great idea.
Because of its novelty, I see your idea more as a R & D project in education tech, require several experiments/iterations.
As such, what you might want to pitch how this idea can create great value for already existing education tech providers and ministries. And present a 1-year plan on how you would go about developing and testing the effectiveness of your program in the next year.
Ideally, you’d have a big sponsor with already established programs that is willing to take a bet on this project in the hope that it might pay off with some direct/indirect results. The advantage of working with them is you’d have access to greater resources and funding for R&D work. The trade-off is the ownership of your project; though if you were instrumental in developing it, you’ll always have status associated with its outcomes and you could earn a good living off of it as long as it is successful. Something to think about it perhaps.