Sandbox Phase
Generate business ideas through design thinking workshops and market research
Overview
The ideation phase is where your entrepreneurial journey begins. This is not about having one brilliant idea—it's about generating many possibilities and systematically narrowing down to opportunities worth pursuing.
Students work through structured design thinking workshops that move from broad exploration to focused problem definition. The goal is to identify real problems worth solving before falling in love with any particular solution.
Core Principle
Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything. The best entrepreneurs don't have better ideas—they validate faster and pivot smarter.
Market research happens early and often. Students conduct industry analysis, competitive landscape mapping, and preliminary customer discovery to ensure their ideas address genuine market needs.
Activities
01
Design Thinking Workshops
Structured sessions using empathy mapping, problem framing, and creative ideation techniques. Learn to see problems from multiple perspectives before jumping to solutions.
02
Market Research
Analyze industry trends, market size, and competitive landscape. Understand where opportunities exist and what incumbents are missing.
03
Problem Definition
Articulate a clear problem statement. Define who has this problem, why it matters, and what a successful solution would look like.
04
Team Formation
Find co-founders with complementary skills. Build a founding team that covers business, technology, and design capabilities.
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