esthertester

It does - thanks for that, Laurie. This is interesting stuff. I think the re-use is key here. I didn't consider that (although I should have) during my review. Curious to know if you have a particular app in mind to use? Have you tested out a few already? Sorry for the multitude of questions. Your pitch is the most relevant to the work I am currently pursuing.

The business model of libraries is a mystery to me, but it seems that there should be a way in. Hope I wasn't too cutting in my review of your dream team. That certainly wasn't my intention. Sometimes trust trumps the CV, Briar. I get that and I wouldn't fault you for it.

Hi Chris, I likely should have gone into a bit more detail on the microlearning bit. Microlearning is really as it sounds. It refers to e-learning delivered as small chunks of information, generally broken down into 10-minute modules, focused on one specific concept. Microlearning is often referred to as mobile learning, m-learning, or “just in time learning” as it's designed to be consumed on-the-go, accessed by learners as and when needed. You can learn more about microlearning by visiting my A1 assignment at https://etec522m.sites.olt.ubc.ca/2016/06/19/microlearning-why-smaller-delivery-can-equal-bigger-impact-for-learners/

Hi Cole, Thanks for your review and inquiry. While it wasn’t specified in the pitch, I see CompanyCAVU being more suited to start-ups as it is specifically these early phase companies that tend to move at a much faster paced than established organization that need to light a fire within their employees. It is these new venture that also need to develop and exploit as much of their people’s talent and energy as they can in order to survive. In terms of start-up costs, I would expect a few round financing to be in the $350K mark to take us to beta phase of the product, although I would be inclined to go after innovation funding in the early days and look at giving in up a piece of the company later on when we’re talking more serious dollars.

Hi Briar, Thanks for your review. You touch on some great points. I left pedagogy out of this due to the target investment audience who I believe to be more focused on other areas. It is clear I missed some detail on the “how this actually works” part of my pitch. I am regretful of that as there were many ideas. I think some of that woul have filled in the gaps for you. This is a fictional company, but some of the concepts (particularly microlearning) are aligned with some ideas I am brewing and certainly some of the research I did may be applied to a venture in the future. To address your questions about the affiliate revenue model. This would be a revenue model that I would expect to bring into play by year 3 of roll-out. The basic concept is to partner with services that are offered through the company’s benefit plan (eg: eye exams, massage) and select particular companies who would pay CompanyCAVU for advertising in the app. If an employee clicked on a coupon or ad from the CompanyCAVU app for that service with that particular company, CompanyCAVU would recieve a referral fee.

Hi Michael, My apologies about the confusion around the term. Onboarding is simply the process by which a new employee starts a company or a new position. It is often thought to run around 90 days, as this is seen to the term of assimilation into a company’s culture and practices. Here’s a quick read that gives you a good sense of onboarding: http://employer.careerbuilder.com/jobposter/small-business/article.aspx?articleid=atl_0192onboardingtips_s

Hi Tomek, many thanks for your kind review. Regarding costs, I did go fairly deep into the research for this assignment and spoke with a sales rep. from both ClearCompany and iCIMS Onboard, 2 of the 3 competitors To CompanyCAVU that I listed. They were both offering subscription models. iCIMS Onboard was priced at $5-7 USD per employee, plus a set-up cost. ClearCompany had a subscription pricing based on admins, with ~$6K USD per year for 2 admin seats. Neither company offered any creative services to help as they were very focused on forms and process. CompanyCAVU would stand apart from this as being a more creative service, with process bits woven in. Therefore, our pricing would be based on company sizes (S,M,L) and then a fee for the creative consulting and development team.

Many thanks for your review, Stephen. I realize, as others have pointed out, that my pitch may have been missing some detail. To answer your direct question of how it would be implemented, I envision that CompanyCAVU would make available to employees a branded app that they can run on their phones, tablets or access via the web. The app would contain the journey (the story) along with some tasks to achieve along the way. The would be options for companies on how this could be implemented which would reflect their company culture. For example, this could be an animated story, a video, text-based or an audio story with images. The value that CompanyCAVU would offer is the platform for distribution and the consulting arm that can work with the company to create the content.

Hi Briar, Nicely done. Here are few points that stood out for me: Your phased start-up chart was very insightful. It read as a view into your thought process for this venture, which was nice. Identifying the need to put a MVP (minimum viable product) out the door was great to see as this is often overlooked. The key to the success of this business seems to be proliferation and getting your numbers up. In this vain, how you are approaching the marketing of your product was a bit confusing for me. Getting right in front of everyone who's trying to access journal articles is what you're after here. Would this not be through library systems? If you could figure out how to partner with large libraries, or even cosy up to the software companies and form a partnership, perhaps you'd achieve that end. While your dream team has a very polished presence, but the qualifications of your COO and in particular your CMO don't seem very strong given the undertaking you are looking to pursue. This poses a potential credibility problem for investors. I would be inclined to look for people with expertise in marketing for a marketing position. You did a great job with this venture pitch. I am keen to know if you're going to run with it. Regards, Esther

Hi Aaron, This is a very strong venture pitch. You are very credible - I am was extremely impressed with the concept and your presentation and I would certainly entertain an investment. Your phased approach to roll out is very smart. Offering the freemium model on year 2 is also a good way to allow for trying out the app before committing. I am wondering, however, if teachers are the most desirable buyers for this app. Would there be more benefit to targeting a higher level buyer instead? Also, what about outside of schools such as publishers, libraries and museums? Had you thought about these markets instead of or in addition to schools? You've left me with little fault to find. Many thanks for sharing your idea. I am keen to know if you plan to pursue it. Regards, Esther