Turning an idea into a profitable finished product Hani Gamal
Establish Success Clear Vision
Establish Elements Reinforces
Influences
Your Idea Est a Ele blish me nts
ish l b a Est ents m Ele
Emphasis on teamwork/cooperation
AFFECTS
The will to create the future
Forming Ideas #1 Research
Gather & Core Idea Refine to Scenario info.
Define Feasibility Requireme nts
Define SWOT
Research, Gather & Refine Information Understand the concept, clear and define the research goals ● List proper keywords ● Manipulate search phrase with your keywords to get the best results ● Scale your research bit by bit, this will help you refine your information ●
Core Idea to Scenario “Prototyping” ●
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Prototype is not a proof of concept it is a minimal shape of your product/service but it is not a product or service Know that your prototype is better than thousands of words and presentations
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Clear your core functionality whether product or service
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Make a “Scenario” out of your core functionality
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Create “cases” of the problem If right then all “cases” will lead to your solution ● otherwise you need to find an alternative solution or workaround – if that happens don't panic it is a good sign that you can see the flaws of your upcoming product/service ●
Alternative Solutions & Workarounds Both depends on your creativity ● Finding alternatives almost about bending your first solution a little bit ● Research skills is a key point here ● Workarounds almost done because of a threat of some limitation of technology ●
Feasibility ●
Idea Scope ●
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Current Analysis ●
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How requirements are defined depends on the object of the project's attention
The approach ●
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Used to define and understand the current method of implementation
Requirements ●
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Well stated problem is half solved
The recommended solution or course of action to satisfy the requirements
Evaluation ●
Examines the cost effectiveness of the approach selected
Choosing the right technologies ●
It does what you need!
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Wisely fit your resources, money and human
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Never choose something because its “free” or it has some “offer” Choose the less customization but customizable, more configuration and make sure you can customize at least without a 3rd party involvement Scalability and long-term life cycle Wide known technology over the new ones, well documented is a must and large community is an asset
Define SWOT
Strengths ● Weaknesses ● Opportunities ● Threat ●
Elements of SWOT Strengths: characteristics of the business, or project team that give it an advantage over others ● Weaknesses (or Limitations): are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others ● Opportunities: external chances to improve performance (e.g. make greater profits) in the environment ● Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project ●
Know Your Plan ●
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Everybody likes plans that presents lots of information in as few words as possible. 15 to 20 slides will be more than enough including the following: ●
Business Purpose: one sentence only
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Problem & Solution: use cases
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Why now?
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Marketplace & Market Size: larger is better
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Competition: list your advantages
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Product/Service: define your development road-map
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Model: how you'll get revenue, pricing, pipeline
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Team: DNA of your company
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Financial
Start-up Success Elements Clarity of purpose, company's mission statement ● Large market & rich customers ● Focus on a product or a service ● How important/valuable is your product/service to your customer ● Team is the company's DNA, this should be formed in the first 90 days, “A” class founders attract an “A” class team ● Agility will usually help beat-out large companies ● Spend only on priorities and maximize profitability ● I see that the main success for a start-up is to be an enduring company ●
Achieve Success Elements Brainstorming
Teamwork
Time Management
Define The Best Tools
Fulfill your ambitions with Open Source
Recommended Tools #1 ●
Brainstorming, Mind Mapping & Research ●
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Desktop –
Xmind http://xmind.net
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Freemind http://freemind.sourceforge.net
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ViewYourMind http://sourceforge.net/projects/vym/
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Visual Understanding Environment http://vue.tufts.edu/
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Compendium http://compendium.open.ac.uk/institute/index.htm
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Blumind http://blumind.org
Web based –
Mindmeister (Paid) http://mindmeister.com
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Bubbl.us http://bubbl.us
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Mind42 http://mind42.com
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Wisemapping http://wisemapping.com
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Dabbleboard http://dabbleboard.com
Recommended Tools #2 ●
Teamwork & Project/Time management ●
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Web based –
Google Docs, Google Apps :)
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Open Atrium http://openatrium.com
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ProjectPier http://projectpier.org
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Project2manage http://project2manage.com
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Basecamp (Paid) http://basecamp.com
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Campfire (Paid) http://campfire.com
Communications –
Spicebird http://spicebird.com
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Skype :)