blackboard academy hypothesis may 2014

Blackboard Academy: hypothesis test (Apr 2014)

A D R I Á N G R O BA

M A R I A BA R BA S

Entrepreneurship and Business Plan2nd semester

R I TA LU C E N A

R O M A I N B E S C H

Current BMC: Blackboard Academy 2.2

Hypothesis board: WIP

H2.6

H1.1 H1.3

H1.4

H2.1 H2.2 H2.3

H2.4

H1.2

H1.5 H1.6

H2.5

H2.7 H2.8 H2.9

H2.6

H2.7

H2.8

H2.9

H2.5

H2.3

H2.2

H1.3

H1.4

H2.1

H2.4

H1.1

H2.8

H2.5

Blackboard Academy 2.2

H2.10

Hypothesis board: importancePr

obab

ility

of b

eing

inva

lid

Impact of being invalid

H2.6

To be tested

Discarded

Aproved

Rejected

H1.1H1.3

H1.4

H2.1

H2.2

H2.3

H2.4

H1.2

H1.5

H1.6

H2.5

H2.7

H2.8

H2.9

H2.10

Tested hypothesis

Tested hypothesis

Result: the result of the measure was 11 points interviewing 9 people, giving more importance to access to financing, access to customers and business promotion.

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.0 H 1.1Component: Value proposition – flexible cost and schedule office space for entrepreneurs and

freelancers

Hypothesis: Entrepreneurs and freelancers need temporary offices for their professional activities

Test: Interview 10 people that are or have been entrepreneurs or freelancers, giving them a set of 15 problems that they face, and the option to choose the 3 most important ones in order.

Validation: First to be picked gets 3 points, second 2 points, and third 1 point. To validate the idea, the component needs at least 15 points.

Tested hypothesis

Result: 60% of the interviewed said an office in a), normally customer’s or own office. Cafés in the city center were however the preferred locations.

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.0 H 1.3Component: Value proposition – flexible cost and schedule office space for HR / coaches

Hypothesis: HR / Coachers need temporary offices for their professional activities

Test: Interview a minimum of 10 people that are or have been HR / coachers, asking them (a) 3 places where they normally meet with clients / professionals for their sessions, and (b) if they would be willing to have any other place to be.

Validation: (a) An office have to come to their mind at least in 40% of them (b) An office have to show up in 80% of the cases in which it didn’t appear in (a)

Tested hypothesis

Result: After two weeks sending the emails to business browsed by internet, just + 6 visitors in the blog not being our team (it can also be due to professors visit, so totally discarded). No real responses showing interest in the proposal

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.0 H 1.4Component: Value proposition – flexible cost and schedule office space for small businesses and

certificate schools

Hypothesis: Small business and certificate schools need temporary offices for their professional activities

Test: (a) Mail to at least 50 small business and check the change in visitors to a site created just for the occasion. (b) Mail to at least 5 certificate institutions and check the change in visitors to a site created just for the occasion.

Validation: By sending them an explanation email with our blog link, experiment at least an increase of 15 visits to the blog, and at least one response from a certificate school and 5 from small businesses showing interest.

Tested hypothesis

Result: the option with the focus on the platform showed a lower conversion rate 15,9% than the option with the focus on the physical space 17,1%

Model: Blackboard Academy

Version: 2.0 H 2.1

Component: Value proposition – the platform to reach students is very important

Hypothesis: Current and potential teachers will benefit a lot from a social platform

Test: Do A/B testing: A) will be the option with the platform and the rental space B) will be the same, but instead of offering the platform, focusing more on the physical facilities.

Validation: There should be a considerable difference in conversion rate between A and B, at least of 10%

Tested hypothesis

Result: 19/20 positive answers


Version: 2.1 H 2.2

Component: Channels

Hypothesis: The booking platform is our core channel for sales

Test: Surveys, minimum 20 people, with questions regarding if whether or not they will benefit from online booking.

Validation: At least 50% should answer positively.

Tested hypothesis

Result: positive, more than 20% mention it as a possibility, however not as major source of value in comparison with printers, for example.


Version: 2.1 H 2.3

Component: Revenue Streams

Hypothesis: Vending machines will be an important source of revenues

Test: Interview 20 potential customers to ask them if they will benefit from the extra service of having vending machines.

Validation: At least 20 % should mention they would use them.

Tested hypothesis

Result: negative, just 2 barely mentioned another one that was the same, somehow a payment system so they don’t run the risk of not getting paid by students.


Version: 2.1 H 2.4

Component: Value proposition – extras further than wifi, classroom facilities (blackboard, desks, chairs, projector, markers…), coffee and printers.

Hypothesis: Teachers can have a need for other extras, like a secretary, customer management from the company, security…

Test: Interview 20 target customers and see if they come up with the same added value not mentioned before.

Validation: At least 5 of the interviewed should mention another extra we have not considered.

Discarded hypothesis


Reason: difficult to get from internet prices, need to ask specifically the needs to have a number easy office model obsolete

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.0 H 1.2Component: Cost Structure

Hypothesis: Furniture and device will be the most expensive key resources

Test: Make an Excel file with all the products and quantities needed to run our business, check furniture and device companies websites to analyze and compare prices and visit stores

Validation: If the financial data that we collect shows the hypothesis.


Reason: customer target changed before completing the interviews.

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.0 H 1.5Component: Channels

Hypothesis: Scheduling will come mostly trough the web platform

Test: Ask at least 10 entrepreneurs+ 10 HR/coachers+ 10 small businesses, to order their favorite way to schedule a room. Choosing between: platform, in-house, phone, mail.

Validation: First to be picked gets 3 points, second 2 points, and third 1 point. To validate the idea, the component needs at least 15 points.


Reason: customer target changed before completing the interviews.

Model: Easy Office Version: 1.1 H 1.6Component: Value proposition

Hypothesis: The location of our office is a decisive issue. It’s a determinant point of our business.

Test: Ask at least 10 entrepreneurs+ 10 HR/coachers+ 10 small businesses to quote 3 places in Lisbon where they used to giving appointments for business. Places in which it would be more convenient for them to meet. They would have to choose between 10 places we have selected before: Marques de Pombal, Saldanha, Baixa / Chiado…

Validation: The most relevant place will normally appear very fast. But we can also introduce a system with points. 1 point for each quote.

Prospective hypothesis


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.5

Component: Value proposition - Location

Hypothesis: The location of our office is a decisive issue. We would need to have two locations to cover the spectrum of customers.

Test: Interview at least 30 targeted customers, asking them about the preferred location.

Validation: Pick the two most preferred location, if the distribution is more egalitarian than 35%, 65%, then we would need to think about opening two offices.

?


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.6

Component: Value proposition – Customer relationships

Hypothesis: Customer might benefit from a pack of 25 prepaid hours if they get a 20% discount.

Test: Interview at least 30 targeted customers, asking them about if whether or not they would go for it.

Validation: If more than 50% goes for it, it should be lowered the discount to 15% and tested again.If more than 20% goes for it, it should be considered, less, it should be discarded.

?


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.7

Component: Key partners– association with OLX and Custojusto

Hypothesis: These companies would allow us to set banners or other kind of advertising to promote our idea in their section “explicadores”

Test: Try to establish contact, to check if they would be willing to accept banners specifically in that section of the site.

Validation: No reply of any: null test, find another wayPositive reply of at least one: positive test

?


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.8

Component: Revenue streams - Price

Hypothesis: The price is something between 10-25 per hour, and it basically depends on the person and the size of the facilities, assuming the maximum convenient location

Test: Interview at least 20 persons asking the price. From their responses, we should come to a figure in each interview even if the answers are vague or relative.

Validation: At least 16 should set a price around that figures.

?


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.9

Component: Customer relationship– students for teachers

Hypothesis: To add value to teachers, we may have to add some value for students as well. We think with our offer we do, due to best facilities and location.

Test: Do a survey to at least 40 potential students, asking them for if they find positive the concept and if they have extra willingness to pay for the service

Validation: At least 70% of students should have positive feedback on our offer and at least 25% should have extra willingness to pay superior to 2€ per hour.

?


Result:


Version: 2.2 H 2.10

Component: Key Activities– marketing: the name

Hypothesis: The name is appropiate to the concept

Test: Do at least 20 interviews concerning the name

Validation: At least 70% should think it is appropiate

?

blackboard academy hypothesis may 2014

Documents

hr coachers

blackboard

customer target

easy office

prospective

proposition

professional

tested hypothesis