Demonstration Instructions
Welcome!
You've made it very far in our search for our new outreach leader but there is still a long way to go.
In your invite to the group interview stage we shared with you a sneak peak of the task you would need to complete before your 1-on-1 interview on Thursday, October 16th. There has been a change of plans. First, the task has changed. Second, there will be no interview on the 16th. Finalists will now have a behavioral panel interview - but to be a finalist you will need to do well on this next task. Here is that task.
Part 1 -
To begin, you will need to select one potential end user segment for ULGM's workforce programs to focus on. You have four options to choose from. They are:
Create a 1 page draft "customer archetype brief". Please see the "customer archetype" PDF from Steven Blank's and Bob Dorf's "The Startup Owner's Manual". A quality draft will contain most of the suggested content described for the customer archetype in this reading. The preferred draft will also contain clear hypotheses about the "gains" the segment desires and the "pains" the segment experiences. This draft will contain you best "informed guesses" or hypotheses about your chosen segment.
If you are looking for guidance on "pains" and "gains" I have included a video preview of one of Steven Blank's Udacity courses on the subject in the resource section below.
Part 2 -
Next take your draft brief and what you learned about ULGM's workforce programming on Friday the 10th, and sketch out a value proposition canvas. The draft brief should make completing the customer segment section easy. Take your new found expertise in workforce development and complete the value proposition section to meet the needs and desires of your chosen segment.
After you complete the value proposition canvas, use that to sketch out a modified business model canvas that only contains the value proposition, customer relationship, delivery channel, and customer segment sections. Only complete those 4 sections. Make sure the relationships and delivery methods are appropriate for both you value proposition and your customer segment. This abbreviated business model canvas essentially describes your proposed outreach strategy for the selected segment.
If you are unfamiliar with value proposition or business model canvasses I have included a link to summaries on these tools in the resource section below.
Part 3 -
This is the most important part of the task and should take the longest to complete.
Get out of your house and into the real world with your draft brief and canvas sketches in hand. Try to validate and invalidate everything contained in your draft brief and canvas sketches. Collect evidence that both supports and undermines the hypotheses in your draft brief. Search out evidence for your segment "pains" and "gains". Does the product and services along with the gain creators and pain relievers actually address real life employment "jobs that need to be done", and pains and gains for your segment? Are your selected delivery and communication channels the right ones? Is the relationship you described the best one?
Reports and articles are OK but not great. Go talk to real people about this stuff. Find experts and influencers on your chosen segment and talk to them. Tell them you doing a research project for the Urban League. Better yet, go find some people that match your chosen segment, explain to them your model and ask them where you got it right and where you got it wrong. Take great notes.
Part 4 -
Take what you learned in part 3 and create a final customer archetype brief for your chosen segment, a final value proposition canvas a final business model canvas with only the value proposition, customer relationship, delivery channel and customer segment sections completed.
Part 5 -
By 10:30am on Friday, October 17, deliver the following to Sterling Lynk electronically (sterlinglynk@att.net) or physically (2222 South Park Street, Madison, WI):
Good luck and we hope you have fun doing this project.
You've made it very far in our search for our new outreach leader but there is still a long way to go.
In your invite to the group interview stage we shared with you a sneak peak of the task you would need to complete before your 1-on-1 interview on Thursday, October 16th. There has been a change of plans. First, the task has changed. Second, there will be no interview on the 16th. Finalists will now have a behavioral panel interview - but to be a finalist you will need to do well on this next task. Here is that task.
Part 1 -
To begin, you will need to select one potential end user segment for ULGM's workforce programs to focus on. You have four options to choose from. They are:
- Unemployed African American/Black Adults in Dane County, 30-55 Years Old, With Significant Barriers to Employment.
- Underemployed African American/Black Adults in Dane County, 30-55 Years Old.
- Young African American/Black Adults in Dane County, Without a High School Diploma or Equivalent.
- Low Income Parents of Middle and High School Students Served By ULGM's Education Programs.
Create a 1 page draft "customer archetype brief". Please see the "customer archetype" PDF from Steven Blank's and Bob Dorf's "The Startup Owner's Manual". A quality draft will contain most of the suggested content described for the customer archetype in this reading. The preferred draft will also contain clear hypotheses about the "gains" the segment desires and the "pains" the segment experiences. This draft will contain you best "informed guesses" or hypotheses about your chosen segment.
If you are looking for guidance on "pains" and "gains" I have included a video preview of one of Steven Blank's Udacity courses on the subject in the resource section below.
Part 2 -
Next take your draft brief and what you learned about ULGM's workforce programming on Friday the 10th, and sketch out a value proposition canvas. The draft brief should make completing the customer segment section easy. Take your new found expertise in workforce development and complete the value proposition section to meet the needs and desires of your chosen segment.
After you complete the value proposition canvas, use that to sketch out a modified business model canvas that only contains the value proposition, customer relationship, delivery channel, and customer segment sections. Only complete those 4 sections. Make sure the relationships and delivery methods are appropriate for both you value proposition and your customer segment. This abbreviated business model canvas essentially describes your proposed outreach strategy for the selected segment.
If you are unfamiliar with value proposition or business model canvasses I have included a link to summaries on these tools in the resource section below.
Part 3 -
This is the most important part of the task and should take the longest to complete.
Get out of your house and into the real world with your draft brief and canvas sketches in hand. Try to validate and invalidate everything contained in your draft brief and canvas sketches. Collect evidence that both supports and undermines the hypotheses in your draft brief. Search out evidence for your segment "pains" and "gains". Does the product and services along with the gain creators and pain relievers actually address real life employment "jobs that need to be done", and pains and gains for your segment? Are your selected delivery and communication channels the right ones? Is the relationship you described the best one?
Reports and articles are OK but not great. Go talk to real people about this stuff. Find experts and influencers on your chosen segment and talk to them. Tell them you doing a research project for the Urban League. Better yet, go find some people that match your chosen segment, explain to them your model and ask them where you got it right and where you got it wrong. Take great notes.
Part 4 -
Take what you learned in part 3 and create a final customer archetype brief for your chosen segment, a final value proposition canvas a final business model canvas with only the value proposition, customer relationship, delivery channel and customer segment sections completed.
Part 5 -
By 10:30am on Friday, October 17, deliver the following to Sterling Lynk electronically (sterlinglynk@att.net) or physically (2222 South Park Street, Madison, WI):
- Copies of your original draft customer archetype brief for your chosen segment, your original draft value proposition canvas, and your original abbreviated draft business model canvas.
- Copies of the evidence you collected to both validate and invalidate your drafts. If you talk to people (and I hope you do) please include your notes as well as phone numbers and email addresses for those people so we can contact them too.
- Copies of your 1 page final customer archetype briefs and your final value proposition and abbreviated business model canvases.
- Optional: If you like you may also include a 1 to 2 page brief that makes the case for why ULGM should implement the outreach strategy described and hire you to do that implementing.
Good luck and we hope you have fun doing this project.
Resources
| customer_archetype.pdf |