This presentation caters to Idea Stage Startups, wannapreneurs and other passionate individuals who want to solve real world problems. It describes some best practices of the ideation process and classifies the ecosystem into four zones and introduces some tips on how wannapreneurs can think about their idea. – The Problem/Opportunity Zone, The Solution Zone, The Ideation Zone, The Implementation Zone.

1. Validating Your Startup
Ideas
Sathish Vaidyanathan
t: @sathivaid | in: sathishvaidyanathan
Image credits : pixabay, google images

2. As of 2020, there will be a huge
requirement of skilled
workforce all over the world
India has less than 3% skilled
work-force and should answer
this call for skilled labour, by
the formation of the new skill
expansion initiatives that can
leverage it’s 1.2b population.
A sample problem and the opportunity it presents

3. Your idea is not isolated !

4. FEW OTHER
KNOWNS
Problem
THE
SYMPTOMS
THE
MANIFESTATIONS
AND SIDE EFFECTS
THE MANY
ASPECTS OF
THE SOLUTION
CUSTOMERS
COMPETITORS
A rich ecosystem surrounds it.
Consider all aspects of the ecosystem while validating your idea
MANY OTHER
UNKNOWNS
THE IDEAS THAT LEAD TO
THE SOLUTIONS
PROBLEM
ZONE
IDEATION
ZONE
SOLUTION
ZONE
IMPLEMENTATION
ZONE
THE IDEATION ECOSYSTEM

5. Diverge
DIVERGE CONVERGE
Consider ALL
problems &
opportunities
Consider ALL
solutions
Pick THE
CORE
problems
Identify THE
CHOSEN
solutions
to Converge

6. The Problem Zone

7. Start With The
“Why?”

8. Know if you are
solving for a
symptom or the
actual problem
“Ask FIVE Iterative
Whys “

9. Know if you are
solving for a
symptom or the
actual problem
“Ask FIVE Iterative
Whys “
Problem: One of the monuments in
Washington D.C. is deteriorating
Why #1 – Why is the monument deteriorating?
Harsh chemicals are frequently used to clean the monument.
Why #2 – Why are harsh chemicals needed?
To clean off the large number of bird droppings on the monument.
Why #3 – Why are there a large number of bird droppings?
A large population of spiders on monument are a food to birds
Why #4 – Why is there a large population of spiders?
Swarms of insects on which the spiders feed, are drawn to the
monument at dusk.
Why #5 – Why are insects drawn to the monument at dusk?
The lighting of the monument in the evening attracts the local insects.
Solution: Change how the monument is illuminated in the evening to
prevent attraction of swarming insects.

10. Understand how the problem manifests itself

11. THE PEN AND PAPER STEP
Pen Down
The problem you are trying to solve
The ways the problem manifests itself
The root cause(s) of the problem

12. The Solution Zone

13. NEEDS WANTS DEMANDS
Know what your solution solves for
BASIC NEEDS TO
LIVE LIFE
NEEDS + DESIRE
WANTS +
AFFORDABILITY
So that you can better identify who you are solving it for,
and how they can access your solution

14. Identify all aspects of
your solution
So that you can think of an experience, not
just benefits

15. What
assumptions
are you
making ?

16. THE PEN AND PAPER STEP
Pen Down
The positioning of your solution
All individual elements of your solution
All assumptions you have made

17. The Ideation Zone

18. Respect the market. Test multiple ideas.
Have the courage to REJECT ideas that
don’t work
Market’s Uncertainty > Entrepreneur's
Smartness

19. The Best Idea ≠ The Best Idea for YOU
Do you have the resources to pursue
the idea and building a solution ?
Are there other ideas that could solve
the same problem ?

20. Idea → Idea → Idea → Idea → WINNING IDEA
Idea Breeds Ideas
When you share your ideas and seek
feedback, they will breed, grow and
evolve into winning ideas

21. Idea + Idea + Idea + Idea = SOLUTION
Believe in “Innovation by Combination”
Pick and choose several relevant ideas
to build one grand solution

22. It’s a GREAT Idea ≠ I’ll pay for your product
Just because you have a great idea, does
not mean that someone will pay for it.
Idea should bring value

23. Value > Features ; Value ≠ Price
Focus on the value you will create, not
the features you will build.
Your feature sets do not determine
either the value or the price.

24. THE PEN AND PAPER STEP
Pen Down
All ideas, their merits and demerits
Which ideas can work together?
How does the idea make the problem
and solution meet?

25. The Implementation Zone

26. KYC – Know Your Customers
 Who are my customers ?
 How many types of customers will I have to
serve?
 What value will my solution provide each
customer type?
 Can I quantify the value?
 What channels can I pursue to deliver the
solution ?
 How will my idea bring me my 1st, 10th and
100th customer ?

27.  Good way to convince yourself that you
have a market
 Will help you assess market size for your
idea
 Visualize WHY they will use the product
 Write down names of 5 people who WILL
use your product
Build Customer Personas

28. Listen : Voice of the Customer is powerful
 TALK to potential customers
 Know their motivations and values
 Empathize with their problem/ situation
 Find out how they are solving the problem
today
 Ask open ended questions
 Listen to their feedback - even critical
ones
 Know that customers can give you ideas -
Look for that “AHA” moment
 Assess if they will pay and how much ?

29. Equip yourself with rapid validation techniques
 Paper Prototypes of your screenshots
 Landing pages of your websites
 Models
 Combined with a good story to tell
about your product
 Talk about competitor products

30. Other Knowns and Unknowns
 What are the critical dependencies
 What channel will I deliver my solution ? –
Web/ Mobile/ Offline etc.
 What risks do I foresee in my idea ?
 What other opportunities can I pursue with
this idea ?

31. When you know that you have the right
idea, go and make it happen !