business model, business model canvas, columbia, customer development, lean launchpad, lean startup, steve blank

1. SportsIn
1 of 15
One stop destination to find your sporting companions and locations
Save time | Find friends | Stay healthy
Kai Jui Chen
Yaqing Xie
Michelle Shue Min Fung
Guan Yong Tan
Interviews past 24h: 34
Total # of interviews to date: 96 DAY 5

2. 2 of 15
Business Model Canvas Day 1
School Gymnasiums
Student Organizations
Sports Websites
Columbia Startup Lab
Application Management
Data Analytics
Marketing
Server Hosting Costs
Marketing Costs
App Development
Programmers
Web Servers
Sports Enthusiasts
Convenience for users via
matching and booking
service
Amateurs
Promote healthy lifestyle
through social sports
events
Freemium – Discounted rates and priority matching
Mobile Advertising
Self Service Platform
Mobile Platform
College Students
18-30
Male & Female

3. 3 of 15
Initial Thoughts
College Students
Do not meet recommended frequency of
exercise due to lack of friends with similar
sporting competencies
One Stop Mobile Application
Connect people with similar sports interests
Wide Variety of Sports Events
Cater to wide interests in student population
PAIN
Unable to find sports companions
Mismatch of skill level
Difficulty in booking venues
PAIN RELIEVER
Matching of sports companions
Connect with more people
Convenience in booking venues
Save time | Find friends | Stay healthy
Target Segment Existing Problem Value Proposition

4. 4 of 15
Day 1 Key Insights
College students do not
face problems looking
for sports companions
due to large circle of
friends
College students have
free access to school
gymnasiums and do not
require any additional
help in booking facilities
Matching of skills
amongst players was a
recurring concern and
there was also a problem
of ‘no show’
Widen customer segment to
include all sports enthusiasts
Add value proposition to meet
wider customer needs
1 2 3
10/15

5. 5 of 15
Business Model Canvas Day 2
School Gymnasiums
Private & Public
Gymnasiums
Student Organizations
Sports Websites
Columbia Startup Lab
Application Management
Data Analytics
Marketing
Server Hosting Costs
Marketing Costs
App Development
Programmers
Web Servers
Efficient Matching
Provide a platform to help
find sports companions
Efficient matching based
on skill level
Integrated Booking
Convenient booking for
access to private
gymnasiums in New York
Strict Commitment
Peer review of members to
solve the problem of ‘no
show’
Freemium – Discounted rates and priority matching
Mobile Advertising
Mobile Platform
Sports Enthusiasts
Male & Female
25-50
Active in social network
platforms
Get: Social Media; Sports
Websites; Free trials
Keep: User customization
Grow: Referrals

6. 6 of 15
Day 2 Key Insights
Sports enthusiasts are
already engaged in leagues
and do not require matching
of sports companions
Mainly working
professionals have
problems with matching
due to unpredictable
work schedule
Lack of specific
information on sporting
venues was a key
concern among those
interviewed
TARGET WORKING PROFESSIONALS
Ex-team sports players
Provide flexibility and professional
quality of games
Recreational players
Provide social opportunities to
connect through sports
Aggregator
Aggregate information on
sports venues & resource
1 2 3
15/18

7. 7 of 15
Business Model Canvas Day 3
Sports & Nutrition brands
Private & Public
Gymnasiums
Sports Websites
Columbia Startup Lab
Application Management
Data Analytics
Marketing
Server Hosting Costs
Marketing Costs
App Development
Programmers
Web Servers
Provide Flexibility
Participate in one-off sports
events without commitment
Aggregator of sports info
Provide info on necessary
resources (eg. Venues,
referees, etc)
Social Platform
To meet friends with similar
sports interest
Efficient Matching
Find sports companions based
on skill level
Strict Commitment
Peer review of members to
solve the problem of ‘no show’
Mobile Platform
Working Professionals
25-50
Male & Female
Active on social media
platforms
Ex-team sports players &
recreational sports
players
Get: Social Media; Sports
Websites; Free trials
Keep: User customization
Grow: Referrals
Freemium – Discounted rates and priority matching
Mobile Advertising
Commission from collaboration with partners
providing facilities

8. 8 of 15
Day 3 Key Insights 1/2
Validated our product market
fit: Flexibility and aggregator
of information was highly
valuable to working
professionals
Facilities in public gym
cannot be reserved in
advance
Integrated Booking System
Implement integrated booking system
to improve current booking processes
and increase convenience to users
Private gyms with lower
fees are more open to
advance reservations
compared to high end gyms
Private gyms are still relying
on traditional phone
booking methods which is
inefficient
VALIDATED
1
2
3
4/4
4

9. 9 of 15
Day 3 Key Insights 2/2
Smaller sports and
nutrition brands prefer
traditional SEO methods
compared to targeted
mobile advertising
Fitness Centers offering
health classes are more
open to new methods of
advertising to gain more
market exposure due to
highly competitive
environment
Health & Fitness Centers
Focus on advertising partnerships
with companies offering fitness
classes
Major Sporting Brands
Focus on sports brand companies
targeting working professionals
4
5
4/5
3/3

10. 10 of 15
Advertisement
Sports & Nutrition Major
sporting brands targeting
working professionals with
interest in sports
Fitness Centers offering classes
Venue
Private & Public Gymnasiums
Get
Sports Websites
Funding
Columbia Startup Lab
Application Management
Data Analytics
Funding
Marketing
Server Hosting Costs
Marketing Costs
App Development
Programmers
Financing
Web Servers
Freemium – Discounted rates and priority matching
Mobile Advertising (major sporting brands &
fitness centers)
Commission from collaboration with partners
providing facilities
Get: Free trial; Social Media;
Sports Websites; Corporate &
government partnerships
Keep: User customization
Grow: Referrals
Mobile Platform
Website
Working Professionals
25-50
Male & Female
Active on social media
platforms
Ex-team sports players
Recreational sports
players
Business Model Canvas Day 4
Provide Flexibility
Participate in one-off sports events
Aggregator of sports info
Provide info on necessary
resources (eg. Venues, referees,
etc) Promote less known venues;
Display availability of venues;
Provide online booking function
Social Platform
To meet friends with similar sports
interest
Efficient Matching
Find sports companions based on
skill level
Strict Commitment
Peer review of members to solve
the problem of ‘no show’

11. Day 4 Key Insights 1/2
Freemium model
unsustainable form of
revenue due to low take up
rate of premium account
based on interviews
Working professionals
prefer to pay a per event
charge to use SportsIn
services compared to
monthly subscription
Pay-per-use
Working professionals are willing to
pay a small fee per event ($1) for
additional flexibility
1
2
20/23
18/23
2 EARLY
EVANGELISTS
IDENTIFIED
WILLING TO TRIAL APP
ONCE READY
11 of 15

12. Day 4 Key Insights 2/2
Working professionals are
interested in more
opportunities to connect
with players after event and
are willing to pay a small
premium
Working professionals
depend heavily on word-of-
mouth referrals through
colleagues or trusted
networks for new mobile
applications
Happy Hours
Collaborate with bars / pubs near
sporting venues to offer extended
Happy Hour promotions to SportsIn
customers after games
Marketing Partnerships
Partner with corporates and
associations that encourage healthy
lifestyle or team events to market
SportsIn to employees/ members
Partner with government health
organizations to reach a larger
audience
3
4
12 of 15

13. 13 of 15
Advertisement
Major sporting brands targeting
working professionals with
interest in sports
Fitness Centers offering classes
Venue
Private & Public Gymnasiums
Happy hour locations
Get
Sports Websites
Corporates promoting healthy
lifestyle
Professional Associations
Government Organizations
Funding
Columbia Startup Lab
Application Management
Data Analytics
Funding
Marketing
Server Hosting Costs
Marketing Costs
App Development
Programmers
Financing
Web Servers
Freemium – Discounted rates and priority matching
Pay-per-use – $1 per event
Mobile Advertising (major sporting brands & fitness
centers)
Commission from collaboration with partners providing
facilities and Happy Hour locations
Get: Free trial; Social Media;
Sports Websites; Corporate &
government partnerships
Keep: User customization
Grow: Referrals
Mobile Platform
Website
Working Professionals
25-50
Male & Female
Active on social media
platforms
Ex-team sports players
Recreational sports
players
Business Model Canvas Day 5
Provide Flexibility
Participate in one-off sports events
Aggregator of sports info
Provide info on venues and
necessary resources & online
booking function
Social Platform
To meet friends with similar sports
interest; After-event Happy Hours
specials at nearby locations
Efficient Matching
Find sports companions based on
skill level
Strict Commitment
Peer review of members to solve
the problem of ‘no show’

14. 14 of 15
Next Steps
Revenue Streams
Explore possibility of tiered-
pricing
Different subscription rates for
different time periods
Advertising
Continue seeking advertising
partners with major brands,
fitness centers
Explore other advertising
options such as sports related
startups
Commission-based
Negotiate contracts or
agreements with gyms for
discounted booking rates
Find partnerships with bars
Customer Relationships Partnerships Cost Structure
Social Media
Set up FB page to attract initial
customers
Free trial period
1 month free trial of different
sports events for initial users
to kickstart our service
Growth Strategies
Form hypothesis on how to
grow initial customer base
Corporate and Government
Firm up relationship with
corporate and government to
promote the use of SportsIn
amongst employees
Better assess cost structure
Accurately quantify cost of
mobile application and human
capital expenditure

15. Wireframe
Event Listing Search Create
Event Info Venue
Reviews
Messaging
15 of 15