Startup Essentials: Discover

What is this program about?

Understanding your customer is key to building a strong foundation for your business.

Knowing your customer lets you develop products and services that address their needs, pain points, and preferences, ideally resulting in product-market fit and paying customers!

The goal of this program

Our goal is to equip you with the skills and confidence needed to launch your startup and engage with customers effectively. By mastering these mechanics, you’ll develop products that truly meet market needs, stand out from the competition, craft compelling marketing and communications, and achieve sustainable growth through strong customer relationships.

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Joe Williams

Board Member

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Joe Williams

Advisor

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Why Register

After completing Discover, you will be able to:

Target Audience:

Master the art of Customer Discovery to reveal authentic market demand.
Develop a Problem Statement Canvas to address real customer challenges.
Gain meaningful insights from customer interviews to drive your startup’s success.
Identify and engage with early adopters who can champion your product.
Conduct competitive analyses to strategically position your startup in the market.
Understand the essentials of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Chart your startup’s trajectory using the Lean(er) Canvas.

Program Schedule

Session 1: Customer Discovery & Insights
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Learn the importance of Customer Discovery and the 4 Phases involved.
Define your hypothesis and practice with the Problem Statement Canvas.
Understand customer segmentation and how to select your target audience.
Discover where to find potential customers and how to build effective interview scripts.

Session 2: Validation, Competition & MVP Development
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Understand the Innovation Sweet Spot: Desirability, Feasibility, Viability.
Explore Product-Market Fit and Assumption Mapping.
Define your competitors and conduct a Competitive SWOT Analysis.
Learn the essentials of MVP Development, including validation techniques.

Session 3: Value Proposition & Lean(er) Canvas
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Understand the Feedback Loop, its definition, and purpose.
Learn about the Unique Value Proposition (UVP).
Explore and build your own Lean(er) Canvas.

‍Session 4: Reflection, Iteration & Next Steps
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Engage in a final reflection on Customer Discovery, sharing key lessons learned and biggest takeaways in a group discussion.
Plan ahead to set yourself up for success by discussing the importance of continuing the journey beyond the program.
Learn about next steps, including additional programs, community resources, and wayfinding for continued growth.

Session 1: Customer Discovery & Insights
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Learn the importance of Customer Discovery and the 4 Phases involved.
Define your hypothesis and practice with the Problem Statement Canvas.
Understand customer segmentation and how to select your target audience.
Discover where to find potential customers and how to build effective interview scripts.

Session 2: Validation, Competition & MVP Development
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Understand the Innovation Sweet Spot: Desirability, Feasibility, Viability.
Explore Product-Market Fit and Assumption Mapping.
Define your competitors and conduct a Competitive SWOT Analysis.
Learn the essentials of MVP Development, including validation techniques.

Session 3: Value Proposition & Lean(er) Canvas
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Understand the Feedback Loop, its definition, and purpose.
Learn about the Unique Value Proposition (UVP).
Explore and build your own Lean(er) Canvas.

‍Session 4: Reflection, Iteration & Next Steps
6-8 PM (MT) | In-Person @ Platform Innovation Centre

Engage in a final reflection on Customer Discovery, sharing key lessons learned and biggest takeaways in a group discussion.
Plan ahead to set yourself up for success by discussing the importance of continuing the journey beyond the program.
Learn about next steps, including additional programs, community resources, and wayfinding for continued growth.

“You have to be willing to be very wrong. Critically assessing the data gathered is key to getting benefit from this program. Doing it right may result in robust discussions among partners - and it’s worth it!”

Nora Brittney, Senior Manager, KPMG Canada

“Discover provides a solid framework for engaging customers to better understand the market potential and needs. It has saved us months in the process of starting our new business.”

Derrick Keoing, Founder & Chief Product Officer, Ontopical

This program is for

Startup Founders

Early-stage founders who need to refine their customer discovery process, better understand their market, and clearly define their value proposition to improve their chances of success.

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Individuals with a business idea or early-stage startup looking to validate their concept, identify their target audience, and develop a solid foundation for their business model.

Innovation and Product Teams

Teams within established companies or organizations aiming to launch new products or services, who need to conduct thorough customer discovery and validate their ideas before moving forward.

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Startup Founders

Early-stage founders who need to refine their customer discovery process, better understand their market, and clearly define their value proposition to improve their chances of success.

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Individuals with a business idea or early-stage startup looking to validate their concept, identify their target audience, and develop a solid foundation for their business model.

Innovation and Product Teams

Teams within established companies or organizations aiming to launch new products or services, who need to conduct thorough customer discovery and validate their ideas before moving forward.

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The Startups

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Seamless

Seamless is a browser extension that solves the online clothing fit problem for consumers and retailers by using AI to predict the best size and fit for any item.

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PeerX.AI

PEERX.AI is an AI-moderated peer support platform addressing the stigma and cultural taboos of mental health.

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OceanML

OceanML's mission is to empower businesses with useful, cost effective, AI-driven automation solutions.

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Visiwise

Visiwise offers real-time visibility, visualization, and analytics tools, simplifying managing and decision-making for wholesalers and manufacturers's supply chains.

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Rambody

Rambody empowers fitness professionals to expand their business online by providing tools for creating customized workout and nutrition plans.

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TouchPoint By Surety

TouchPoint by Surety is a mobile app keeping people healthy and safe in clean workplaces and facilities. TouchPoint allows organizations to proactively manage the risk of viruses being transmitted from dirty surfaces and reduce the impact of costs and losses from people getting sick.

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