Idea Development

Idea Development is a practical playbook designed to guide students and university innovators through the early stages of idea development. It offers simple tools, activities, and prompts to spark creativity, shape concepts, and build the confidence to turn ideas into action.

So... What Even Is Innovation?

Welcome to Open Incubator! Before we dive into launching your next big thing, let’s get real about something people love to talk about but rarely define properly:

01

What is Innovation?

Innovation is not just about coming up with a “new idea.” It’s about creating something that works better, solves a real problem, and adds value to people’s lives. It’s the spark between creativity and impact. It’s not just invention. It’s invention that people actually want and can use.

02

What Makes Something Innovative?

An idea becomes innovative when it hits the sweet spot between:

Desirability

Do people want it?

Feasibility

Can you actually make it work?

Viability

Will it survive in the real world (financially, logistically, ethically)?
This is your Innovation Sweet Spot. Every great idea balances all three.
03

Types of Innovation

Innovations come in many flavours. Here are a few:

Type
What it means
Example
Device
A tangible product/tool
A solar-powered water pump
Method
A new way of doing something
Digital banking for the unbanked
Material
A new substance or resource
Compostable packaging
Mindset
A fresh way of thinking
Remote-first work culture
➡️
Note: Innovation isn’t always techy or fancy. Sometimes, it’s a simple shift that solves a problem in a new way.
04

Real Talk: What Isn’t Innovation?

  • A cool idea no one wants to use.

  • A fancy app that solves a fake problem.

  • A product that works well but burns out the planet in the process.

  • A startup that copies others but adds no new value

Innovation ≠ Noise. It’s about making something better, not just different.

05

Activity: Innovation Detective

Grab a notebook or open a new doc and do this:

  • Pick three products or services you use every day (e.g. Spotify, your campus meal plan, a water bottle).

  • For each one, answer:

  • Is this an innovation? Why or why not?

  • Which type is it — Device, Method, Material, or Mindset?

  • How does it balance Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability?

💬
Bonus: Share one of your answers with a teammate or post it in your program chat. You'll be surprised by the different ways people interpret innovation!
06

Key Takeaways

Innovation solves real problems, not imaginary ones
It must be desirable, feasible, and viable
Innovation comes in many forms — not just flashy tech
You don’t need to invent the next iPhone to be an innovator — just solve a real problem in a better way

Lean Startup & Design Thinking

Build smarter, not harder. So you’ve got an idea. Amazing. But how do you actually test it, improve it, and build something people want — without wasting time or money?

Meet your new best friends:

 • Lean Startup
 • Design Thinking

Let’s break them down.

01

The Lean Startup Approach

Coined by Eric Ries, Lean Startup is about learning fast, failing smart, and building things people actually need.

Instead of building a full product and then seeing if people like it, you:

  • Build something small (a prototype, a landing page, even a sketch!)

  • Measure how people react

  • Learn what works, and what doesn’t — then repeat!

That cycle looks like this:

Build

Measure

Learn

Repeat

🧠
The goal? Find Product–Market Fit as efficiently as possible.
02

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a human-centred approach to solving problems.
It’s about empathising with people before jumping to solutions. Here’s the classic 5-Step Process:

Step
What It means
Empathise
Understand your users deeply (interviews, observations)
Define
Clearly state the problem you’re solving
Ideate
Brainstorm wild, wonderful solutions
Prototype
Build a quick version to test
Test
Show it to users, gather feedback

It’s not linear — you’ll jump back and forth between steps. That’s normal. That’s good.

03

Lean vs Design Thinking: What's the Difference?

  
Design Thinking
Lean Startup
Origin
Design + UX world
Startup + tech world
Focus
Understand the problem
deeply
Build a solution and test it fast
Tools
Empathy Maps, Journey Maps, Prototypes
MVPs, Metrics, Hypotheses
Style
Creative, exploratory
Experimental, data-driven
Use together?
YES! Design Thinking first, then Lean
YES! They’re like peanut butter & jelly
04

Activity: Design & Lean in Action

Let’s try this combo out with a real campus problem.

🚨

Step 1: Pick a challenge

Examples:

  • Students wasting food in the dorm kitchens

  • Not enough mental health support during exams

  • Long lines at the coffee shop on Mondays

🔍

Step 2: Empathise

Interview 1–2 friends about this issue.
Ask: What’s frustrating? What do they wish was different?

🧠

Step 3: Ideate

Write down 5 wild ideas — don’t self-censor. The crazier the better.

📦

Step 4: Prototype

Sketch your favourite idea on paper or a slide. Just enough for someone to "get it."

🎯

Step 5: Test

Show your sketch to someone. Ask:

  • Would this help?

  • What’s confusing?

  • What would they change?

💬
Share your results with your team. Iterate. Repeat.
05

Key Takeaways

Design Thinking helps you solve the right problem
Lean Startup helps you test and scale the right solution
Combine both to build faster, smarter, and more human-centered ideas
Start small. Learn fast. Iterate boldly

Teamwork That Works

Because even superheroes don’t save the world alone. Behind every great startup is a team that knows how to balance chaos with collaboration, risk with trust, and "we have no clue what we're doing" with "let's figure it out anyway." Let’s talk about building and working in a great startup team.

01

Why Teamwork Matters in Startups

Startups are messy. Fast. Unpredictable. You’ll make decisions quickly, wear many hats, and sometimes work out of cafés, basements, or classrooms. Having a strong, diverse, and aligned team makes all the difference. Because when the going gets weird, the weird (aka your team) need to get going — together.

02

Roles in a Startup Team

Here's a look at some typical startup roles. (Don’t panic — you don’t need all of them on Day 1.)

CEO / Vision Lead

Big picture thinker, decision-maker, the one who pulls the team forward.

Product Lead

Manages the actual thing you're building. Listens to users. Plans features.

Technical Lead / Developer

Builds the product, app, platform, or prototype. Makes it real.

Marketing / Comms

Gets the word out. Builds the brand. Talks to the world.

Operations / Hustler

Keeps things moving. Schedules. Emails. Budgets. Hustles.

Wildcard

Fills in the gaps. Learns fast. Does a bit of everything. Often YOU.
💡
Pro Tip:  Early-stage startup roles are fluid. Don’t box people in too early. Instead, ask: “What are you excited to own?
03

The Team Canvas: Your Secret Weapon

The Team Canvas is a tool to help your team:

  • Get aligned

  • Know your shared goals

  • Understand each other’s strengths and values

Key sections include:

  • Purpose & Values

  • Roles & Skills

  • Rules & Expectations

  • Strengths & Weaknesses

  • Needs & Concerns

You’ll fill this in during a workshop or team session — or download a copy and try it yourself.

04

Activity: Build Your Dream Team

💡

Step 1: Imagine your startup idea is real.

Who do you need around you to bring it to life?

🚀

Step 2: Create your team lineup.

Assign the roles from above to your current team (or ideal future team). Who’s the visionary? The builder? The customer whisperer?

🦸‍♂️

Step 3: Reflect as a group

  • What are your team’s combined strengths?

  • What might you be missing?

  • What values will hold you together when things get tough?

🗂
Optional: Use the Team Canvas template to organise these answers visually.
05

Real Talk

  • Good teams don’t avoid conflict — they handle it well.

  • Communication beats perfection. Every time.

  • The best startup teams feel like mini-communities. Build trust early.

  • Celebrate wins, share stress, and eat snacks together when possible.

06

Key Takeaways

Startup teams are diverse, dynamic, and often messy — and that’s OK
Everyone has a role, but flexibility is key
The Team Canvas helps keep you aligned
A great idea with poor teamwork will likely fail — but a good team can pivot into greatness

Understanding the Market

Because even genius ideas need someone to buy them. You’ve got an idea. Maybe even a great one. But who is it for? Why would they care? And are there enough of them to make your idea sustainable? This chapter helps you explore who your users are — and how to find your first fans, fast.

01

Why Understanding the Market Matters

A lot of startups fail because they build something nobody actually wants.
(Yes, even well-designed, beautiful, AI-powered somethings.) Understanding the market isn’t just about “targeting customers” — it’s about finding the people whose lives you want to make better.

02

Market Segmentation: Slice It Up

Not everyone is your customer. Seriously. If you try to build for everyone, you’ll end up building for no one.

Here’s how you can segment your potential market:

Segment Type
What It Means
Example
Demographic
Age, gender, income, education
18–25 year-old university students
Geographic
Country, city, climate
Urban dwellers in Ireland
Psychographic
Lifestyle, values, interests
People who care about sustainability
Behavioural
Habits, loyalty, product usage
Heavy TikTok users who ignore email
💬
Tip: Start small. Don’t try to dominate the world in Week 1.
03

Find Your Beachhead Market

Your Beachhead Market is your starting point — the specific group that will love your solution so much, they’ll be your first adopters, testers, and ambassadors.

To define your beachhead, ask:

  • Who has the problem most painfully?

  • Who is easiest to reach right now?

  • Who will benefit the most from your idea?

Once you win that group over, then you expand.

04

Create Your Customer Persona

Let’s turn your target user into a real(ish) person. A persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer.

Example:

Name: Newman, 22
Location: Dublin
Background: Computer Science student
Pain Point: Struggles with managing academic deadlines and job hunting
Needs: A better way to organise her time and track internship opportunities
Personality: Ambitious, always on her phone, values aesthetics and speed Your persona helps you think like your user when designing your product or service.

05

Activity: Persona Party

Create a quick customer persona using this template:

Name:
Age & Background:
What problem do they face?:
What motivates them?:
How would your product/service help them?:
What channels would you use to reach them (e.g. Instagram, email, events)?:

🖼
Bonus: Draw them on paper or Canva. Give them a face!
06

Real Talk

  • You are not your user (unless you are — but validate anyway).

  • Talk to real people. Don’t just guess.

  • Your persona will evolve — and that’s good. You’ll learn more as you go.

07

Key Takeaways

Not everyone is your customer — and that’s a good thing
Use segmentation to focus your energy
Your beachhead market is your launchpad
A strong customer persona helps you design smarter, market better, and test faster

Customer Discovery & Interviews

Because great ideas start with great questions. You’ve got a persona. You’ve got a market in mind. Now it’s time to talk to real humans and test your assumptions — not with surveys or “Do you like my idea?” questions, but with empathy interviews that dig deep. Let’s find out what people actually need.

01

What is Customer Discovery?

Customer discovery is the process of talking to people to:

  • Understand their problems

  • Learn about their context

  • Discover what they’re really trying to achieve

You’re not trying to pitch. You’re trying to listen.

🚫
NOT: “Would you buy my app?”
INSTEAD: “Tell me about the last time you struggled with X.”
02

Why It Matters

Talking to users helps you:

  • Validate if a real problem exists

  • Uncover hidden needs and behaviours

  • Avoid building stuff no one wants

  • Shape your solution based on real-world insights

Most failed startups skipped this step or did it badly. Don’t be one of them.

03

The Empathy Interview

Here’s how to run a good one:

  • Find people who match your target persona

  • Fellow students, community members, Reddit, Discord, LinkedIn, etc.

  • Ask open-ended questions

  • “Can you walk me through the last time you experienced [problem]?”

  • “What did you try? What worked? What didn’t?”

  • “What would an ideal solution look like for you?”

  • Dig deeper

  • “Why was that frustrating?”

  • “What happened next?”

  • “How did that make you feel?”

  • Listen more than you talk

  • You should talk less than 20% of the time

  • Take notes or record (with permission)

04

Activity: Interview Warm-Up

Pick someone (classmate, friend, stranger) and run a mini empathy interview. Ask:

  • What’s something you’ve been frustrated by this week?

  • What did you do about it?

  • What would a perfect solution look like?

Reflect:

  • Did you learn something unexpected?

  • Did you feel tempted to jump to solutions?

This is your training ground. Get good here, and you’ll build things that actually matter.

05

Tools You Can Use

  • Problem Statement Canvas – Helps you define what you’ve heard into a real, testable problem

  • Empathy Map – Helps visualise what users think, feel, say, and do

  • Decision-Making Unit (DMU) – Helps identify who the real customer is (user vs buyer vs influencer)

Example DMU: A student uses the app (user), but the university pays for it (buyer), and lecturers recommend it (influencer).

06

Real Talk

  • People don’t always know what they want — but they know what’s broken

  • You’re not looking for compliments, you’re looking for truth

  • It’s okay if your idea changes after interviews — that’s the point

07

Key Takeaways

Talk to users early and often — before you build anything
Ask open-ended questions that dig into real experiences
Use tools like empathy maps and problem canvases to organise insights
Customer discovery isn’t a one-time step — it’s part of your DNA

Mapping the Journey

Because great ideas follow real-life paths. You’ve talked to users. You’ve heard their frustrations. Now it’s time to step into their shoes — literally — and map the journey they go through while facing the problem you want to solve. This is where empathy turns into action.

01

What is a Customer Journey Map?

A Customer Journey Map is a visual story of how a user interacts with a product, service, or system — from beginning to end.

It helps you:

  • See things from your user’s perspective

  • Understand what they’re doing, thinking, and feeling at each step

  • Spot frustration points, missed opportunities, or magical moments

Think of it as "A Day in the Life" of your customer as they encounter the problem (with or without your solution).

02

Common Journey Stages

Stage
What Happens
Awareness
They realise they have a problem
Consideration
They start looking for ways to solve it
Decision
They choose a solution (or give up)
Use
They use the product/service
Outcome
They feel satisfied, frustrated, or… forget it
03

Add Emotions & Touchpoints

At each stage, ask:

  • What is the user doing?

  • What are they thinking/feeling?

  • What touchpoints (apps, websites, people) are involved?

  • Where are the pain points and opportunities?

🔴
Frustrated while filling out a form?
🟢
Delighted by a quick response?
🔵
Confused by unclear instructions?

Mark these moments. They matter.

04

Activity: Journey Jam

Let’s map a journey.

Step 1: Pick a real problem

Example: Finding healthy food on campus

🔍

Step 2: Define the user

Who are they? A student? Staff? Vegan? Budget-conscious?

🗺️

Step 3: Map the journey

Draw a timeline of their experience trying to solve the problem. At each step, write:

  • What they do

  • What they feel

  • What’s frustrating

  • What’s working well

🗺️

Step 4: Add insights

Highlight points where:

  • A new solution could help

  • A better experience could be created

  • Innovation could happen!

💬
Bonus: Use sticky notes, draw emojis, or use a digital tool like Miro or Figma.
05

Tool Spotlight: The Empathy Map

Another powerful tool to use alongside Journey Mapping:

Think & Feel
Hear
See
Say & Do
Pain
Gain

Another powerful tool to use alongside Journey Mapping:

06

Real Talk

  • You are not your user — walk their path, don’t guess it

  • Pain points = design opportunities

  • Mapping might seem “extra” but it often reveals gold

07

Key Takeaways

Journey maps help you visualise how your users experience a problem
Emotions and touchpoints are key to finding opportunities for innovation
Use this tool before you prototype — it’ll save you time and make your solution more human
Every pain point is a potential breakthrough

Your First Challenge

Because a clear problem is halfway to the solution. So far, you've explored what innovation is, talked to real people, and mapped their journey. Now it’s time to zoom in and clearly define the challenge you want to solve. A great solution starts with a well-framed problem.

01

What Is a Challenge?

In startup terms, a challenge is a clearly defined problem you're trying to solve. It should be based on real needs, grounded in empathy, and open-ended enough to allow multiple creative solutions.Think: “How might we...?” instead of “We must build an app.”

A good challenge is:

  • Human-centred

  • Specific but not narrow

  • Free of assumptions about the solution

  • Focused on impact

02

From Insights to Opportunity

Let’s say your interviews and journey maps uncovered this: “Students skip breakfast because they’re always running late and the food on campus is expensive.” You could turn that into this challenge: “How might we make healthy breakfast more accessible for busy students?” See how it focuses on the problem, not the product?

03

Tool: Problem Statement Canvas

Section
Fill in...
User
Who is experiencing the problem?
Their Need
What are they trying to achieve or avoid?
Current Solution
How do they solve it today (if at all)?
Pain Points
What’s frustrating, slow, expensive, confusing?
Opportunity
Where’s the chance to help them do better?
Challenge Statement
Your final “How might we…” question.

You can fill this out by hand, digitally, or even on a whiteboard.

04

Activity: Challenge Accepted

Step 1: Reflect on what you’ve learned so far

Pull insights from your interviews and journey map.

📋

Step 2: Use the Problem Statement Canvas

Complete it with your team. Take your time. Dig deep.

🗺️

Step 3: Frame your “How Might We…” statement

Examples:

  • How might we make student budgeting more intuitive?

  • How might we reduce digital overload for university staff?

  • How might we help first-year students feel more connected on campus?

🎤
Bonus: Share your challenge with another team and get feedback. Does it make sense? Is it exciting?
05

Real Talk

  • Don’t rush this step. A fuzzy problem = a fuzzy solution.

  • A good challenge should feel meaningful and open to exploration.

  • Be flexible. You might reframe your challenge several times — that’s part of the process.

06

Key Takeaways

A great solution starts with a clearly defined problem
Use “How might we…” to keep your challenge creative and open-ended
The Problem Statement Canvas helps you capture all the right elements
Share your challenge with others — if it resonates, you’re onto something

Designing the Right Solution

From wild ideas to focused concepts. You’ve defined your challenge — now it’s time to start imagining what could solve it. But slow down — don’t rush into building the first idea that pops into your head.
This is your space to diverge, explore, and dream a little bigger.

01

Ideation (a.k.a. Creative Chaos)

Set a timer. Grab a pen, a whiteboard, or your laptop.

Rules of Ideation:

  • Go for quantity, not perfection

  • No idea is too wild — suspend judgment

  • Build on others' ideas ("Yes, and…")

  • Sketch if you can — visuals help!

🎯

Activity: 15 Ideas in 15 Minutes

Try to come up with at least 15 different ways to solve your challenge. Yes, really. Don’t stop at 3.

They can be:

  • Physical products

  • Digital tools

  • Services

  • Behavioural nudges

  • Community-led ideas

  • Even fictional/magic ones — go wild first, refine later.

02

Select & Shape

Now it’s time to converge — narrow down your ideas. Use the Impact vs Effort Matrix to rate ideas:

Impact
Effort
Result
High
Low
QUICK WINS
High
High
BIG BETS
Low
Low
MAYBE / BACKLOG
Low
High
AVOID

Ask yourself:

  • Which ideas solve the problem best?

  • Which ones are doable right now?

  • Which ideas feel exciting to you and your team?

💬
Bonus: Share your top 3 ideas with a friend or mentor. Which one gets them excited?
03

Solution Snapshot

Fill out this quick canvas to shape your chosen idea:

What is your idea?
A simple one-sentence description
Who is it for?
Your primary user
What problem does it solve?
Be clear and specific
How does it work?
Short explanation of the concept
What makes it innovative?
Why this, not that? What’s unique here?
🎯
Activity: Complete the Solution Snapshot Canvas with your team
04

Real Talk

  • Don’t fall in love with your first idea — test it, shape it, evolve it.

  • Every big idea started small and slightly weird.

  • You can always come back and pick another idea later.

05

Key Takeaways

Generate lots of ideas before selecting one
Use tools like the Impact–Effort Matrix to prioritise smartly
Use the Solution Snapshot to clearly articulate your concept
Get feedback early — your solution will only get better

Prototyping Your Idea

Make it real enough to test, fake enough to stay flexible. You’ve picked your solution. Now it’s time to build a version of it — not the final product, but something people can see, touch, click, or experience. That’s your prototype — and it’s one of your most powerful tools as a student innovator.

01

What is a Prototype?

A prototype is a rough version of your idea that helps you test and learn quickly.
It’s like a sketch of a painting, a trailer for a movie, or a demo of an app that hasn’t been built yet.
The goal is NOT to build a perfect product.
The goal is to learn: “Does this solve the problem in the way we hoped?”

02

Types of Prototypes

Type
Description
Example
Paper Sketch
Drawn interfaces, diagrams, flows
App wireframes on paper
Mockup
Designed screens (non-functional)
Canva or Figma visual demo
Landing Page
A fake “launch” site to test interest
Simple webpage with a sign-up button
Explainer Video
Short video showing how your idea works
1–2 minute demo with narration
Physical Model
Handmade or 3D-printed object
Cardboard version of a product
Service Walkthrough
Roleplay how the service would work
Acting out a tutoring platform sign-up

Choose your prototype based on what you want to learn and how much time you have.

03

What to Prototype

Focus on what’s most important to test.

  • The core value: What problem are you solving?

  • The experience: What does the user see, feel, or do?

  • The functionality: What features matter most?

Don’t build the whole product. Start small.

04

Activity: Build a 1-Hour Prototype

Set a timer for one hour. Choose your format (sketch, Figma mockup, slide deck, video) and build a quick prototype of your idea.

Ask yourself:

  • Can someone understand the idea just by looking at this?

  • Would this be enough to get feedback?

  • Did I include the most critical feature or flow?

🎥
Bonus: Film a 30-second walkthrough of your prototype and share it with another team.
05

Tools to Try

  • Canva – Fast, beautiful mockups

  • Figma – Interactive product design

  • Google Slides – Great for clickable demos

  • Lumen5 / CapCut – For explainer videos

  • Marvel / InVision – Interactive prototypes without coding

  • Cardboard, Post-its, LEGO – Yep, physical still works

06

Real Talk

  • Your first prototype will be messy. That’s the point.

  • It’s better to test 3 ugly versions than wait on 1 polished one.

  • Keep it cheap, fast, and focused on learning.

07

Key Takeaways

Prototypes help you test quickly without committing too much
There’s no “right” format — use whatever helps show your idea
The goal is to learn: does it work, is it clear, is it valuable?
Done is better than perfect — you can always improve it later

Testing & Feedback

Test early, test often, and listen with open ears. You’ve created a prototype — now it’s time to see how people actually respond to it. Will they get it? Will they want it? Will it work in the way you hoped? The only way to know is to test — and to welcome feedback like a pro.

01

Why Testing Matters

Even the most brilliant ideas have blind spots. Testing helps you:

  • Find out what works (and what doesn’t)

  • Discover what’s confusing, clunky, or missing

  • Learn how users actually behave — not just what they say

  • Avoid spending weeks building the wrong thing

“You’re not launching. You’re learning.”

02

What to Test

You don’t need to test everything — just the most critical assumptions.

Ask:

  • Do people understand my solution?

  • Can they use it easily?

  • Does it solve the problem I think it does?

  • What surprises them (in a good or bad way)?

03

How to Get Feedback

Use this 3-Question Feedback Test:

Grab a notebook or open a new doc and do this:

  • What stood out to you?
    (Find out what’s memorable, useful, or confusing.)

  • What would you change or improve?
    (Uncover friction points or gaps.)

  • Would you use this or recommend it? Why or why not?
    (Get a sense of real-world appeal.)

Bonus: Ask users to think out loud as they interact with your prototype — this reveals gold.
04

Activity: Run a Quick Test

  • Share your prototype with at least 3 people who match your target user.

  • Ask them the 3 feedback questions above.

  • Record key quotes and observations.

  • Reflect with your team: What should we change based on what we heard?

Test in person or over video call — whatever helps you see their reactions.

05

Make Sense of What You Heard

After testing, take 15–20 minutes to debrief as a team:

Feedback theme
What you heard
What you’ll do about it
Confusing parts
“I wasn’t sure where to click.”
Redesign the layout
Missing features
“Can I save my progress?”
Add a save button (later)
Emotional response
“Omg, this is so helpful!”
Keep it simple, don’t overbuild

Patterns matter more than one-off comments.

06

Real Talk

  • Not all feedback is equal — listen to your target user first

  • Don’t get defensive. Stay curious

  • Testing is ongoing. You’ll test again after every improvement

  • The goal isn’t to prove your idea — it’s to improve your idea

07

Key Takeaways

Testing is a learning opportunity, not a final exam
Focus on clarity, usability, and whether it truly solves the problem
Ask smart questions, not just “Do you like it?”
Take what you learn and use it to improve your solution before pitching

Pitch Like a Pro

Because a great idea needs a great story. You’ve done the work. You’ve explored the problem, built a solution, tested it, and improved it. Now it’s time to pitch. Whether you're talking to judges, funders, or your classmates — the way you present your idea will shape how people respond to it. Let’s make it count.

01

What Is a Pitch?

A pitch is a short, powerful presentation that communicates:

  • The problem you’re solving

  • The solution you’ve built

  • Why it matters

  • And what you need to grow

It’s storytelling + strategy + a little sparkle.

02

The 60–Second Pitch Formula (Elevator Style)

Need to pitch fast? Use this format:
“We’re solving [problem] for [target audience] by offering [your solution].
Unlike [alternatives], our approach [key advantage].
We’ve [traction so far], and next, we’re looking for [your ask].”

Example:
“We’re solving food waste on college campuses by helping students share extra meals through a peer-to-peer food-sharing app.
Unlike traditional food banks, our approach is hyper-local and real-time.
We’ve onboarded 200 users in 2 weeks, and next we’re looking for funding to build our MVP.”

03

Longer Pitch? Use This 6-Step Structure

  • Hook – Start with a bold stat, a story, or a big question

  • Problem – Show why this issue matters

  • Solution – Present your idea clearly and confidently

  • Impact – What change will it create?

  • Traction – What have you done so far?

  • Ask – What do you need? Support, funding, team members?

Keep it under 3–5 minutes unless told otherwise.

04

What Makes a Great Pitch?

  • Clear — anyone can understand it

  • Focused — no buzzwords, no feature overload

  • Human — tell stories, not just facts

  • Visual — use images or a simple slide deck

  • Confident — not perfect, just passionate and prepared

05

Activity: Write & Share Your Pitch

  • Draft your 60-second elevator pitch using the formula above

  • Practice saying it out loud — with a timer

  • Share it with your team or mentor. Ask:
    • What was clear?
    • What was confusing?
    • What stuck in your head?

🎥
Bonus: Record a 1-minute video pitch and share it in your program group
06

Real Talk

  • You’ll never feel 100% ready. Do it anyway.

  • No one cares about buzzwords. They care about impact.

  • Confidence comes from knowing your idea, not memorising lines.

  • Your first pitch will be rough — and your tenth will be.

07

Key Takeaways

A pitch is a story about how your idea creates change
Use a structure, but make it feel like you
Practise out loud — your delivery is just as important as your content
Be proud of how far you’ve come — pitching is a milestone moment

You’re Now an Innovator-in-Action

Welcome to the Open Incubator community. This isn’t the end — it’s a new beginning.

You now have:

  • A toolkit of ideas, frameworks, and mindsets

  • Real experience in solving problems that matter

  • A team, a story, and a journey to build from

No matter where you go next — startup, research, social change, or your next challenge — know this:

You can make ideas real. You already have.

Start building your idea now
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