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Venture Launchpad · Startup advisory

From idea to execution.
One useful decision at a time.

Find the problem worth solving. Test the opportunity. Shape an MVP and agree the support needed to bring it to life.

For founders and early teams. Start with a non-confidential brief.

START WHERE YOU ARE

You don't need a polished pitch.

A clear problem, a user you want to understand and a willingness to test assumptions are useful starting points. A prototype or early customer feedback can make the conversation more concrete.

A problem you keep noticing

Describe what is difficult today, who experiences it and how they currently cope. Specific observations are more useful than a large market claim.

A prototype with open questions

Bring an early demo or concept and the question it is meant to answer. We can explore what needs validation before more features are built.

A team ready to learn

Student groups and early founders can share their strengths, constraints and the support they are looking for. A venture can draw on several engineering disciplines.

CHOOSE THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

A working relationship, shaped around your next milestone.

The starting point depends on your evidence and constraints. Each engagement needs an agreed scope, responsibilities and a useful definition of completion.

01

Advisory sessions

Work through the problem, customer assumptions, business model or delivery options. Leave with decisions, open questions and the next useful task.

Example working outputA decision note and next-step plan

02

Validation workbench

Plan customer conversations, a prototype experiment or an early pilot. Decide what evidence would change your direction before investing further.

Example working outputAn experiment brief and evidence review

03

MVP & execution planning

Translate a validated opportunity into architecture, milestones and ownership. Implementation support is scoped separately around agreed capabilities and availability.

Example working outputAn MVP scope, delivery plan and handover criteria

STARTUP ADVISORY / THE ENGAGEMENT PATH

From an early idea to an executable plan.

Seven connected stages of advisory and venture-building support. Choose the right starting point, agree responsibilities and move forward as the evidence supports the next commitment. This is an example you can explore. It does not show your progress or create an engagement.

Stage 1 of 7 · Founder action

Define a problem worth investigating.

Describe the user, the situation, the existing workaround and the consequence of leaving the problem unsolved.

Academy support

  • Problem framing and opportunity statements
  • User segments, alternatives and current workarounds
  • Assumption mapping and falsifiable hypotheses

How we can work together

  • Interview notes: capture observed problems
  • Assumption map: rank uncertainty and impact

Example engagement activity

Choose a specific customer problem. Write three hypotheses and define what evidence would disprove each one.

Example working document

Opportunity brief

Opportunity brief: user, situation, workaround, consequence and three assumptions.

Decision criteria

  • Problem describes a user and a situation
  • Hypothesis can be tested without building a product

Review question: Is the problem specific enough to investigate?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 2 of 7 · Founder action

Replace assumptions with observations.

Prepare neutral interview questions, speak with potential users and separate evidence from enthusiasm. Record disconfirming feedback too.

Academy support

  • Neutral interview questions and avoiding leading prompts
  • Observation, sampling limits and consent
  • Evidence synthesis and problem prioritisation

How we can work together

  • Shared document: interview guide and anonymised notes
  • Spreadsheet: evidence matrix and recurring patterns

Example engagement activity

Create a focused interview guide. Prepare for discovery conversations, then synthesise the evidence without turning opinions into demand claims.

Example working document

Interview guide and validation summary

Evidence matrix: interview observation, evidence for/against, confidence and next question.

Decision criteria

  • Separate quotes, observations and interpretations
  • Record contrary evidence and gaps in the sample

Review question: What changed after speaking with users?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 3 of 7 · Founder action

Explain who benefits and who may pay.

Map the value proposition, alternatives, distribution channels, pricing hypothesis and early cost assumptions.

Academy support

  • Value propositions and competing alternatives
  • Pricing hypotheses and distribution channels
  • Cost drivers and first-pass unit economics

How we can work together

  • Business Model Canvas: connect users, value and operations
  • Spreadsheet: price, cost and sensitivity scenarios

Example engagement activity

Compare two ways to deliver an agreed service. Change demand and support assumptions to see where each model stops making sense.

Example working document

Business model canvas

Model canvas: customer, value, channels, costs and revenue assumptions.

Decision criteria

  • Distinguish payer from user
  • Show assumptions and sensitivity, not unsupported revenue projections

Review question: Which commercial assumption is least tested?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 4 of 7 · Founder action

Test one useful promise.

Choose the smallest prototype that answers a question. Define scope, a success signal and a short user-testing plan before adding features.

Academy support

  • Experiment design and MVP boundaries
  • User flows, acceptance criteria and technical feasibility
  • Prototype testing and accessible interaction

How we can work together

  • Paper or Figma: test a workflow before coding
  • Python / React: optional working prototype
  • Git: document experiment changes

Example engagement activity

Prototype the route from finding a slot to receiving confirmation. Give a participant a task and observe where they get stuck.

Example working document

Prototype and experiment plan

MVP scope: one user journey, acceptance tests, exclusions and delivery responsibilities.

Decision criteria

  • Test one clear value hypothesis
  • Define a measurable success signal before running the test

Review question: What learning would justify the next build?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 5 of 7 · Founder action

Find a small, relevant first audience.

Prepare a controlled pilot, onboarding instructions and feedback collection. Define what a successful first use looks like.

Academy support

  • Pilot scope and participant selection
  • Onboarding, support and feedback handling
  • Data boundaries, permissions and rollback planning

How we can work together

  • Pilot checklist: responsibilities and stop conditions
  • Shared feedback log: issues and observed outcomes

Example engagement activity

Prepare a small pilot plan with entry criteria, a contact person and a manual fallback when a booking cannot be completed.

Example working document

Pilot plan and onboarding checklist

Pilot plan: participants, consent, onboarding, support and stop conditions.

Decision criteria

  • User expectations and support ownership are explicit
  • Pilot has a stop or rollback condition

Review question: Can a first user reach value without the founder explaining every step?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 6 of 7 · Founder action

Measure what people actually do.

Review adoption, repeat use, user feedback and costs. Use a decision log to choose whether to iterate, narrow the problem or stop.

Academy support

  • Activation, repeat use and meaningful metrics
  • Qualitative feedback alongside quantitative signals
  • Iteration, pivot and stop decisions

How we can work together

  • Spreadsheet: simple funnel and cohort observations
  • Decision log: evidence behind the next experiment

Example engagement activity

Review a pilot: 20 invitations, 8 first uses and 3 repeat users. Identify what you can conclude and what requires a follow-up conversation.

Example working document

Evidence review and iteration backlog

Learning report: baseline, observed results, incidents and changes to test.

Decision criteria

  • Keep sample size and time window visible
  • Do not confuse interest, usage and willingness to pay

Review question: Are the signals stronger than vanity metrics?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Stage 7 of 7 · Founder action

Prepare a credible next conversation.

Document the product, delivery risks, operating needs and learning to date. Shape a clear narrative for collaborators or potential supporters.

Academy support

  • Product and technical readiness
  • Operational ownership and unresolved risks
  • Demo narratives and evidence-backed next steps

How we can work together

  • Readiness checklist: gaps and ownership
  • Demo / brief: explain the problem, evidence and next ask

Example engagement activity

Prepare a five-minute demonstration and a one-page next-step brief. Separate what works now from what needs resources or more validation.

Example working document

Delivery case study and next-step brief

Readiness checklist: repeatability, operating capacity, risks and next investment decision.

Decision criteria

  • Claims are traceable to evidence
  • Next ask is specific, bounded and justified

Review question: What is demonstrated, what is assumed and what still needs work?

Choose a decision to see what it could mean.

Observe → form a hypothesis → run a small test → review evidence → choose the next step. Engagements are tailored; not every venture needs every stage.

ILLUSTRATIVE CLIENT JOURNEY

From "an app for colleges" to one testable workflow.

Observe

A student team suspects laboratory equipment bookings are difficult. They interview students and lab coordinators before deciding what to build.

Experiment

A clickable booking flow tests whether users can find an available slot. A manually coordinated pilot tests demand before automation is added.

Learn

The team records completion rate, conflicts and coordinator effort. The decision is to refine, change the problem or stop, not to declare success because a prototype exists.

A SIMPLE FIRST CONVERSATION

Share the idea. Agree the next step.

Start with a short, non-confidential brief. The academy reviews fit and available support; where there is a useful next conversation, the team follows up by email or WhatsApp to agree a time.

Advisory sessions, research support, technical architecture, prototype implementation and execution support can be scoped separately. Responsibilities, fees, delivery milestones and any external specialists are agreed before work begins. Submitting an idea does not guarantee selection, funding, investment or an incubation place.

What happens after a brief?

  1. 1Understand the problem, intended user and current stage.
  2. 2Discuss evidence, constraints and the help you need.
  3. 3If mutually suitable, agree an advisory or execution scope, owners and milestones.
  4. 4Review progress, decisions and handover through email and shared working documents.

Working documents and review conversations keep decisions visible. The illustrated journey shows how an engagement could work; it does not show the status of a submitted idea.

Your next useful experiment

What are you trying to change?

Start with a short idea brief. Share enough to explain the problem; keep confidential implementation details out of the initial submission.

Have an idea? Share a short, non-confidential brief.