!!!!!2015 How to Write a Concept Paper

7/25/2019 !!!!!2015 How to Write a Concept Paper

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How to Develop a Winning Concept Paper

Charlie Baecker, Administrative Director

January 20, 2015


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Agenda

Welcome, Introductions and Background

What ou Will !earn

"ur#ose o$ a Conce#t "a#er

"lanning %ethodology and Challenges Judging Criteria

Conce#t "a#er &ormat

'uggested A##roach

( and A


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My Background

) &irst #eer*to*#eer %' Windo+s net+orking solution, installed onover 1 illion deskto#s +orld+ide-

) &irst 12. it symolic #rocessor, the In$er'tar, ada#ted $or use y/A'A as the #rimary C" $or the '#ace 'tation rootic arm controlsystem-

) &irst 11 server $or %' Windo+s, 11A3 y Integrated In$erence%achines-

) &irst #rocess manu$acturing %an*%achine Inter$ace 4%%I $or %'Windo+s, In3ouch, $rom Wonder+are 'o$t+are-

) &irst digital "B e6change +ith integrated voicemail ca#ailities,the Delta 1, $rom Del#hi Division o$ 766on 7nter#rises-


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What You Will Learn

3he asic #rocess to e discussed8 "rovide evidence o$ a market

"rovide evidence o$ a solution

%anagement team

A $undamental ingredient is #assion


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Purpose of a Concept Paper

sed in the com#etition to select semi*$inalists through o$$eringevidence o$ a market and evidence o$ a solution

It is a salesdocument9 it is an e6citing story

It:s #ur#ose is not to demonstrate ho+ much you kno+

'uset o$ $ull usiness #lan $or a com#any investment "rovides evidence o$ a market

"rovides evidence o$ a solution

%anagement team

Conce#t #a#er descries the ;#oint o$ #ain< and value

#ro#osition minus the $inancial #ro=ections section >rgani?e your team:s thoughts, hel# you identi$y roles


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eneric Planning Methodologies

Waterfall Process

Model

Spiral Process

Model


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Business Concept Planning

Financial Projections Management Team

Product/ServiceMarket Need


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!ypical Concept Paper Challenges Assigning roles

;@etter, Doer, Counter< and !eader

Collecting market data 3alk to #ros#ective customers

'i?e, @ro+th rates 'egmenting %arket

Identi$ying Com#etitors

ey di$$erentiators $or com#etitors

Identi$ying market ga#

&itting #roduct to the ga# %aintaining internal consistency in #a#er

Deciding +hat are key di$$erentiators

A##ealing to oth the head and the heart


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"udging uidelines Is there a large, growing market

Is the market opportunity compelling

Is there a clear target customer?

Is the solution realistic? Is the business proposition well thought-

out?

Can the business become a market

leader? Is there proprietary technology?

Is there team expertise?

7vidence o$ a%arket

7videnceo$ a'olution


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Concept Paper #or$at !ength ma6imum o$ three #agesplus cover #age Cover #age com#any name, team memer names,

school a$$iliations, and graduateundergraduate status Due date % #e& '( ')*+( **,+- p$ via i.tart/org

www/$erage&pc')*+/istart/org
http://www.meragebpc2015.istart.org/http://www.meragebpc2015.istart.org/


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Concept

Paper

Approach


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Basic !ea$ Approach1- ead 'ahlman, Eo+ to Write a

@reat Business "lan2- 3eam discussions $ocusing on

the ;nine Fuestions< on #age102

G- Develo# alternative usinessmodels using the Business%odel Canvas

H- Write conce#t #a#er covering8) 7vidence o$ a market) 7vidence o$ a solution

) %anagement team) 3he conte6t

%arket

'olution


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.ahl$an0s 1ine 2uestions1- Who is the venture:s customer2- Eo+ does the customer make decisions aout uying this #roduct

or service

G- 3o +hat degree is the #roduct or service a com#elling #urchase $or

the customerH- Eo+ +ill the #roduct or service e #riced

5- Eo+ +ill the venture reach all the identi$ied customer segments

- Eo+ much does it cost 4in time and resources to acFuire acustomer

K- Eo+ much does it cost to #roduce and deliver the #roduct orservice

.- Eo+ much does it cost to su##ort a customer

L- Eo+ easy is it to retain a customer


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Concept Paper Co$ponents

) >vervie+Introduction to grab attention

) %arket /eed to create urgency

) "roduct or 'ervice to develop interest) %arket "otential to substantiate claims

) Com#etitive Advantages to validate approach

) %anagement to provide confidence


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Co$pany 3verview 4 5ntroduction

What is your usiness #ro#osition $or

solving the #rolem

Who +ill e your customers


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Co$pany 3verview 67a$ple

Je$$ 'mith has a #rolem8 $or the last seven months, Je$$ has attem#ted tocontact Fuali$ied investors interested in $unding his +e services startu#- A$termeeting over 150 contacts, he has made only 15 investment #itches and

received only 2 o$$ers9 oth o$ +hich +ere insu$$icient to meet his needs- A$terseven months and 150 meetings, Je$$ is thinking there has to e a etter +ay-

'eekingCa#ital-com is an e6citing ne+ com#any that o$$ers oth entre#reneursand investors a #o+er$ul and e$$icient +e*ased service $or matchinginvestors +ith #re*I"> com#anies-


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Market 1eed @oal8 o$$er evidence o$ a market

%agnitude o$ the #ain8 vitamin or #ain killer

What s#eci$ic as#ects or changes in the market have

created the #rolem you are solving Eo+ +ill your #roduct or service take advantage o$ this

o##ortunity

Who are your customers and +hat are their attriutes

Eo+ +ell de$ined are your #otential customers and +hyshould they #ay $or your #roduct


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Product or .ervice @oal8 egin o$$ering evidence o$ a solution- What is the #rolem you are solving, need you are satis$ying

or #ain you are addressing What is the #roduct or service

76am#les8

'o$t+are that enalesM A medical diagnostic device used $orM An automotive a$termarket accessory a##ealing toM A #rogrammale chi# $or the telecom market thatM '#eciali?ed usiness services targeted toM An innovative everage container thatM

What are its attriutes, advantages What is innovative aout your #roduct or service and ho+

does it di$$er $rom the com#etition Any ;secret sauce< or intellectual #rotections


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Market Potential What are the market characteristics Eo+ ig is the market numer o$ #otential

customers and annual sales @ro+th 'egments What +ill e your niche in the market and +hy Eo+ +ill dominate your market niche

Eo+ +ill you identi$y customers Eo+ +ill you reach your market Eo+ +ill you make money


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Co$petitive Advantage

Who are your com#etitors

'egments they occu#y

What are their advantages and+eaknessesvulnerailities

Why they can:t close the ga#


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Manage$ent

%a6imum one #aragra#h

ey memers o$ the team name, role,ackground, education, e6#erience

7m#hasis on #revious success +orking

together in another com#any or conte6t


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.u$$ary Advice,

3i#s8 se charts as ;eye candy< Address only to#ics that are most

relevant to your com#any Be concise and to the #oint

4N5-00+ord rule Eighlight your strengths

1- ead 'ahlman, Eo+ to Write a@reat Business "lan

2- 3eam discussions $ocusing onthe ;nine Fuestions< on #age102

G- Develo# alternative usinessmodels using the Business%odel Canvas

H- Write conce#t #a#er covering8) 7vidence o$ a market) 7vidence o$ a solution

) %anagement team) 3he conte6t


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Where to et 5nfor$ation

#ind rules and regulations at, www/$erage/uci/edu4go4&pc

Charlie Baecker( Ad$inistrative Director

Don Beall Center for 5nnovation 8 6ntrepreneurship

-9-:;'9:**

!!!!!2015 How to Write a Concept Paper

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