CSI Launch Challenge

Key links:

Leaderboard: www.launch.unc.edu/leaderboard
To submit an Interview: www.launch.unc.edu/csi
Launch Challenge 3 - CSI Snapshot
Launch - Survey 1st Draft
Launch Challenge 5 - CSI Final

The CSI Launch Challenge gets teams out of the building talking to customers and experts. Teams are encouraged to have LOTS of conversations, starting in the first week of class with exploratory conversations with low value targets, with the goal of reaching high value targets and collecting quantitative data by the end of the class. For B2C teams, this should include a customer survey (see bottom of this page).

For our weekly challenges, there will be three occasions when we focus on the CSI Challenge:

There are three ways that teams may "earn points" toward the CSI Launch Challenge:

Interviews
Surveys
Other validation points

1. Interviews

There are two types of individuals you should contact:

Customers: anyone in your value network who might ultimately be a user, consumer or buyer of your offerings.
Experts: anyone who knows more than you. Types of experts can include:

Industry experts: have worked in the industry
Technical experts: can advise on technical aspects of your proposed concept
Startup experts: have gone through the startup process before
Operational experts: have intimate knowledge of specific aspects of your venture
Competitors: know exactly what your competitors are doing

Teams are encouraged to reach out to UNC Startup Coaches. We have two ways to find them:

LInkedIn UNC Launch Coaches Group
Launch Coach Database PRIVATE.xlsx (password "UNCLaunch")

Scoring Guidelines for Interviews

These guidelines are intended to provide a framework in which teams get rewarded for their creativity, strategy and industriousness. This is not a perfect scoring system. The instructor will review materials and make adjustments at his discretion as necessary.

CSI scoring.JPG

Example 1: software to help private pilots

Example 2: social networking site for college and grad students

2. Surveys

All teams must create a survey in Qualtrics (or other provider). All teams should use the survey instrument to input data, though not necessarily by using the online survey tool. For example, your team may choose to ask specific questions during interviews and input the answers into Qualtrics yourselves.

Teams who distribute the survey to respondents beyond their interview pool will receive extra points for their Launch Challenge 5 - CSI Final.

Scoring Guidelines for Surveys

These guidelines are intended to provide a framework in which teams get rewarded for their creativity, strategy and industriousness. This is not a perfect scoring system. The instructor will review materials and make adjustments at his discretion as necessary.

3. Other Validation Points

Creative teams may also validate hypotheses by gaining traction with customers in other ways. Teams will receive points for the following at the instructor’s discretion. Raw data must be submitted. This is not intended to be a complete list. Teams are encouraged to submit any validation points they deem appropriate.

Twitter followers
Email signups
Web hits
Alpha or beta customers
Letter of intent
Strategic partnership
New member on board of advisors
Particularly compelling direct quote