This assignment requires you to create a value proposition “pitch deck” that presents a comprehensive depiction of your value proposition story. If you’ve done good work to this point, much of this assignment is crafting this work into a more comprehensive proposal and polishing some of the weak points in your prior efforts. This presentation will be the basis of the value proposition pitch video you will submit to our BIG IDEA COMPETITION that serves as the capstone experience in this class.
YOU MUST USE POWERPOINT TO CREATE YOUR SLIDES SO YOU CAN ADD NOTES THAT PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR IDEAS AND EVIDENCE THAT ADDS CREDIBILITY TO YOUR PROPOSALS (click here to learn how to add notes to your slides (Links to an external site.)). At least 50% of your grade will be based on the quality of your notes, so be sure these are clear, well-written, and (most importantly) provide supporting evidence that enhances the credibility of your proposals. You will present your slides and stories during our final face-to-face class, so do the work necessary to represent yourself and your ideas well!
Your slides will emphasize descriptions of the story elements listed below (mostly ideas), and your notes will provide additional description and/or specific evidence that supports the credibility of your story. You must include one slide with notes that addresses each of the story elements below (one exception – you can use two slides to describe your solution if you prefer). These “stories” have been the addressed by our prior assignments (see below), so you should be able to capitalize on the work you’ve done previously and align it in a compelling narrative that gets others interested in helping you. YOU MUST PROVIDE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE FOR YOUR DESCRIPTIONS/ASSERTIONS IN THE NOTES FOR SLIDE 2-5 (enriching descriptions may be adequate for your personal story and concluding value proposition story). Here are the required elements of your presentation with some illustrative questions to guide you:
0. Title Slide – Name, proposal, and tagline (not graded)
- Personal story – Who are you? Why are you interested in solving this problem? Was there an inciting incident? (refer to Startup Step #2)
- Problem story – What is the problem, what are it’s characteristics, and why should others be interested? (refer to Startup Steps #3 & #4)
- Customer story – Who experiences this problem? Who is MOST frustrated with current alternatives? (refer to Startup Steps #5)
- Competitor story – What current alternatives are used to address the problem (refer to Startup Step #6)?
- Solution story – What is your solution and how is it better than alternatives? Can you explain and provide credible evidence that your solution solves your customers’ problem? (may include two slides – refer to Startup Steps #6, #7, #8 & #9)
- Overall value proposition – Can you clearly and concisely summarize your value proposition?
Keep in mind that it’s better to show than to tell, so emphasize meaningful illustrative images, keep text on your slides compelling and concise (about 20 words max per slide, 28 point font or bigger), and use the notes section to add enriching descriptions and supportive evidence.
Instructions
- Create a 6-slide PowerPoint presentation (7-slides including the title) addressing the six stories/chapters associated with your value proposition narrative. The only permitted deviation from this format is that I’ll allow one extra slide to help you illustrate or demonstrate your solution if that helps you convey your value proposition more effectively (helps most with complicated solutions that require considerable explanation).
- Save your PowerPoint file using the naming convention firstnamelastname–Step10.pptx.
- Check to verify that your file opens and shows your notes as you expect when viewed in Notes view. At least 50% of your grade will be based on the quality of your notes, so be sure these are clear, well-written, and (most importantly) provide supporting evidence that enhances the credibility of your proposals.
