agile, bmnt, business model, corporate innovation, customer development,dod,nsa, diux, h4d, hacking for defense, lean, lean launchpad, lean startup, stanford, steve blank

1. AquaLink
Navy divers perform challenging tasks under challenging conditions, and
having the right equipment can be a tremendous capability multiplier.
How might we improve the operational effectiveness of our nation’s divers?
AquaLink is an ecosystem of devices that provides added situational
awareness to divers and their supporting elements to aid mission success.
TEAM
Dave Ahern: International Policy/Defense Acquisition
Hong En Chew: Hardware Engineering
Rachel Olney: Product Design
Samir Patel: Mechatronics/Finance
SPONSOR
U.S. Navy Special Warfare Group 3
U.S. Special Operations Command
AquaLink
This Week Previously Total
Users 5 37 43
Buyers 3 14 17
Experts 2 20 23
Interview Breakdown

2. Act
1. Tested last week’s MVP in pressurized
water chamber at Jabil up to 3.5 atm (115’)
2. Added basic satellite communication (text
messaging) functionality to MVP
Observe
Continued Exploration of Multi-sided Markets
Understand commercial business flows
Recap
Orient
Outreach to oil and gas industry contacts
Conversations with Jabil and NextFlex
Decide
Refine testing vs. funding timelines
Discussions of plans moving forward post-class
2
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1

3. Testing the Prototype

4. Testing the Prototype

5. Testing the Prototype

6. Resources, Partners, & Activities Diagram
Customer Discovery ManufacturingOutreach Testing
Course Staff,
Military Liaisons,
Mentors, DIUX
Approval
SOCOM
SDVT-1
129th Rescue Wing
Funding
PrototypingDeployment
?
J8 Office of Testing
and Evaluation

7. Lessons Learned About Cost
How Many Will We Sell?
● To NSWG-3/SDVT-1 on the order of 10-100, no promising commercial data points yet
What’s the revenue model? Sales vs Subscription vs. Pay-per-use?
● We’re selling hardware (and possibly embedded firmware) but are unsure of the future. Most
likely candidate: Direct-to-business hardware sales.
Pricing Tactics: How much do we charge? Do revenues point to a business worth doing?
● Possibly not, but initial few data points suggest no.
Is the market size as we expected? How have we validated? Are there enough customers?
● Probably not, but we’re relying on more but still few data points and primarily phone interviews.
There are possibly more commercial use cases out there that we haven’t uncovered.
Is the market growing significantly?
● We don’t know the market size, but DARPA’s recent involvement in developing underwater
GPS might suggest otherwise.
How excited are customers? Do they want to buy repeatedly?
● Interest in concept from the sponsor side but they need to try an actual prototype to get excited.

8. Finance Funds for MVP creation
Supply Chain Resources for Manufacturing
Physical Manufacturing Facilities, Testing
Facilities
Human Advisors for: Guidance on Process,
Military Expertise, Operator Knowledge
Network of support to enable process.
Mission Model Canvas
Who: SDV/SEAL Divers
How: Commodore of NSWG-3
approves if long-term/external funding
is not needed, otherwise Commander
of NSW needs to approve
KEY PARTNERS KEY ACTIVITIES
KEY RESOURCES
VALUE PROPOSITION BUY-IN / SUPPORT
DEPLOYMENT
BENEFICIARIES
MISSION BUDGET MISSION ACHIEVEMENT FACTORS
SOCOM: Provide funds
NextFlex: Materials Supplier
Stanford PRL/AOERC: Enable
manufacturing and Testing
Problem sponsors: Navy
Special Warfare Group 3
(NSWG-3), U.S. Special
Operations Command (SOCOM)
Course Faculty and Staff, DIUX,
Military Liasons
Conduct Customer Discovery
Outreach to key partners
Design and Manufacture MVPs
Test MVPs for functionality and with
customers
Obtain approval by Navy
- Hardware/software prototyping costs (RDT&E from SOCOM)
- Purchase of existing products on the market for evaluation (NSWG-3 or
NAVSOC N-8).
1. Feasibility: At the end of the quarter, SDVT-1/NSWG-3 decide that our
proposal merits further development and initiates their internal processes for
funding/pilot testing/field deployment i.e. creating the ODR
2. Performance: Our prototype should demonstrate that all critical features can
be integrated within given size/weight/cost specs
3. User satisfaction: Seamless integration into current SOP, increased
situational awareness
4. Increase Mission Capabilities: Reduce the time it would take for the diver to
get a GPS fix 500% increase in efficiency.
FOLLOW THE PROCESS:
● SDVT-1/NSWG-3/NSW
CDR create ODR
● N8 drafts CDD
● J4 will select office to lead
the charge
● N8/Ops field test, third-
party labs certify
● J8 creates official
requirements
● N4 approves funding
End Users (Divers)
Influencers
SWG 3
Decision Makers
NSWG-3
NSW
Research Entities
Commercial Divers
Fishing
Tourism
NSWG
Provide greater situational
awareness for SDVT-1 with a
mechanism for the SDV to
obtain absolute location and
comms while staying underwater
and minimizing exposure.
Research Entities
Provide a periodic check in from
equipment placed in the field.
Commercial Divers and
Fishing
Enable the location of assets.
Tourism Divers
Find lost tourists or have an
automatic location check in.

9. Finance, Operations, and Fundraising
H1 2016 H2 2016 H1 2017 H2 2017 H1 2018 H2 2018
Legend: Finance Fundraising
Operational
H4D
Test + Cycle
Seed Identify Customers and
Appropriate Sales Model
Test +
Cycle
Build Out
Series Funding
Organize Channels for
Sales to Customers
Organize
Marketing

10. Questions

11. MVP: Position Communication
Data Out: Position & ID
Data In: Positions & IDs
Version 1.0/2.0: SDV Buoy
Version 3.0: Small Scale
Diver Buoy

12. MVP: Initial Physical Builds

13. MVP: Initial Physical Builds
GPS
IRIDIUM
LCD Screen

14. Mission Achievement
Version 1.0: GPS/Iridium Version 2.0: Motor Driven Version 3.0: Scaleable
NSWG Operators:
● Provide enhanced location to the
SDV
NSWG Commanders:
● Provide Increased situational
awareness (know where the SDV
is actually at)
Scientific Divers:
● Location-tracking for
Researchers, Mapping/Locations
of Interest
General Population:
● Waterproof Case for Deep Sea
Diving
NSWG Operators:
● Enhanced operations
● Time/distance features
Ocean-based Communications:
Shipping, Travel, Tactical
Emergency Signals:
Distress
NSWG Operators:
Provide similar location + comms
capability to dive pairs
Commercial Dive Masters:
● Able to track all divers
● Divers who get lost have an
means to communicate back to
boat crew and dive master

15. AquaLink Value Proposition SDVT-1 Diver
Value Proposition Canvas
A device that enables the SDV/dive pairs to:
1. Obtain absolute location
2. Obtain comms link
Enhanced situational awareness of location of
self and others on-demand with minimal
exposure
Time spent lost
Difficulty of finding objects or the SDV
underwater in poor visibility
Avoidable incomplete missions due to lack of
a convenient comms channel for C2 node to
update SDV/divers and adapt plan of action
on the fly
Complete assigned
mission within time
constraints
An easily accessible GPS fix
An easily accessible satcom network
between dive pairs, SDV, and C2 node
A small form factor,
easily deployable
and retrievable
buoy with GPS and
satcom capability

16. AquaLink Value Proposition Research Diver
Value Proposition Canvas
A device that enables the divers to:
1. Obtain absolute location
2. Obtain comms link
Enhanced situational awareness of location of
self and others on-demand with minimal
exposure
Time spent trying to find other members
Poor methods of communication
(whiteboards, hand signals)
Complete research
mission tasks
An easily accessible GPS fix
An easily accessible satcom network
between divers
A small form factor,
easily deployable,
retrievable, and
economic buoy
with GPS and
satcom capability