Deliverable Specifications

BUS 399: Entrepreneurship Capstone | Winter 2026

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🔍 How We Evaluate

All deliverables are assessed using the same 5 dimensions. Work is Satisfactory when all dimensions are met. Needs Revision means one or more dimensions need work.

Dimension Question We Ask Satisfactory Needs Revision
Complete Are all required elements present? All elements included Missing components
Evidence-based Is it grounded in real data? Cites interviews, tests, observations Based on assumptions or invented
Specific Are there concrete details? Names, numbers, quotes, examples Vague generalizations
Iterative Does it show learning? Demonstrates adjustment based on feedback Static, no evolution shown
Honest Does it acknowledge failures? Discusses what didn't work Only highlights successes

Note: Each deliverable spec below highlights which dimensions are most critical for that particular assignment, but all 5 always apply.

★ ★ ★ INDIVIDUAL WORK ★ ★ ★

Venture Log (Weekly)

→ Submit Venture Log

Format Google Form submission
Frequency Weekly, due Fridays by 11:59pm
Length ~500-800 words per entry

Required Sections

  • Evidence This Week – Interviews, experiments, observations
  • Decisions & Pivots – What you decided and why
  • Reading-to-Doing – Connect current book to your actions
  • Reflection – What's working, what's not, what you'd do differently
  • AI Audit Trail – If you used AI: tool, prompt, what you verified
Key dimensions: Complete, Specific, Honest
Every section filled with concrete details. "Things are going well" = Needs Revision.

Book-to-Venture Memos (3)

Format PDF or Google Doc
Length 1-2 pages single-spaced (500-1000 words)
Due Dates Memo 1: Fri Feb 6 Your Music & People
Memo 2: Fri Mar 6 Business Secrets of Drug Dealing
Memo 3: Fri Apr 3 Co-Intelligence

Required Elements

  • 2-3 key ideas from the book that resonated with you
  • Connection to your venture – How each idea relates to your challenge
  • One specific action you'll take based on the reading
  • One question the book raised for you
Key dimensions: Evidence-based, Specific, Iterative
Connect ideas to YOUR project with concrete examples. Not a book report.

Final Reflection

Format PDF or Google Doc
Length 3-5 pages single-spaced (1500-2500 words)
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • Your entrepreneurial thinking journey – Reference the 7 ET skills
  • Most significant failure and what you learned from it
  • How your assumptions changed from Day 1 to now
  • Evidence of growth – Specific examples from your Venture Logs
  • What you'd do differently if starting over
  • Application beyond this course – How you'll use this thinking
Key dimensions: Honest, Specific, Iterative
Cite specific examples from your Venture Logs. "I learned a lot" = Needs Revision.

Peer & Self Evaluation

Format Google Form submission (individual, confidential)
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Section 1: Team Member Ratings

For each teammate (including yourself), rate 1-5 on:

  • Contribution – Did their share of the work on deliverables
  • Reliability – Showed up, met deadlines, followed through
  • Collaboration – Communicated well, receptive to feedback
  • Initiative – Proposed ideas, solved problems proactively

Section 2: Qualitative Feedback

  • What did each teammate do particularly well?
  • If you could change one thing about how your team worked together, what would it be?
  • Did workload feel evenly distributed? If not, explain.

Section 3: Self-Assessment

  • What was your primary role on the team?
  • What would you do differently next time?
  • Rate your own contribution compared to teammates
Key dimensions: Complete, Honest, Specific
Confidential. Used to inform grades when team submissions are borderline.
★ ★ ★ TEAM WORK ★ ★ ★

Challenge Brief & Research Plan

Sprint 1
Format PDF or Google Doc (template provided)
Length 2-3 pages
Due Fri Jan 23

Required Elements

  • Problem Statement – 1-2 sentences, specific and scoped
  • Why This Matters – Personal connection + broader significance
  • Stakeholder Map – Who's affected, who has power, who to talk to
  • Initial Assumptions – What you believe to be true (to test!)
  • Research Plan – Minimum 8 planned interviews, 2 observation sessions
  • Timeline – With owner for each research activity
Key dimensions: Complete, Specific, Evidence-based
Problem scoped (not "fix healthcare"). Research plan has names/dates.

Fieldwork Evidence Pack

Sprint 1
Format PDF compilation + raw notes
Length Variable (quality over quantity)
Due Fri Jan 30

Minimum Requirements

  • 8 interviews (15-30 min each) with typed notes
  • 60 minutes total observation with field notes
  • Each interview includes: date, participant description (anonymized), key quotes (3+), surprises, follow-up questions

Interview Note Format

Date: Participant: [role/relationship to problem, NOT name] Duration: Key Quotes (verbatim): 1. "..." 2. "..." 3. "..." Surprises (what you didn't expect): Questions this raised:

Observation Note Format

Date/Time/Location: Duration: What you observed (behaviors, not interpretations): What surprised you: Questions this raised:
Key dimensions: Complete, Specific, Evidence-based
Not "they seemed frustrated" but "she checked her phone 4 times in 10 minutes."

Interpretation Pack

Sprint 1
Format PDF or slide deck
Length 5-8 pages or 10-15 slides
Due Fri Feb 6

Required Elements

  • Affinity Map – Photo or digital showing how you clustered findings
  • 3-5 Needs Statements – "[User] needs [need] because [insight]"
  • 1-2 Personas – 1 page each: name, photo, background, goals, frustrations, quote
  • Customer Journey Map – Stages, actions, thoughts, emotions, pain points, opportunities
  • 3-5 "How Might We" statements – Derived from needs
Key dimensions: Evidence-based, Specific, Iterative
Cite your interviews! HMWs actionable, not "make everything better."

Ideation Pack

Sprint 2
Format PDF compilation
Length Variable
Due Fri Feb 20

Required Elements

  • Evidence of 50+ ideas – Photos of sticky notes, whiteboard, or typed list
  • Idea Selection Matrix – Criteria, scoring, top 5 candidates
  • Top 3 Concepts – Each with: name, 1-sentence description, sketch/visual, key value proposition
  • Selection Rationale – Why these 3? What evidence supports them?
Key dimensions: Complete, Evidence-based, Specific
50+ genuinely different ideas. Selection based on evidence, not gut.

Prototype & Test Pack

Sprint 2
Format PDF + photos/videos
Due Fri Mar 6

Required Elements

  • Prototype description + photos/screenshots
  • Test Plan – What question you're answering, who you're testing with, what success looks like
  • Test Results – 3+ test sessions documented
  • Iteration Notes – What you changed based on feedback and why

Test Session Format

Date: Participant: Prototype version: Task given: What happened (observations): Quotes: What worked: What didn't: Changes to make:
Key dimensions: Complete, Evidence-based, Iterative
Prototype exists (not just described). Tested with real people. Changes evidence-based.

Summit Booth Package

Sprint 3
Format Multiple deliverables
Due Wed Mar 18

Components

  • Poster (24x36" or similar)
    • Problem, Solution, Evidence, Team
    • Readable from 3 feet away
    • More visuals than text
  • Demo
    • Working prototype OR video walkthrough
    • 2-minute max explanation
  • 1-Page Handout
    • Problem, Solution, Call to Action
    • Contact info / QR code
    • Leave-behind for interested visitors
  • Feedback Capture Plan
    • How you'll collect visitor feedback (form, QR survey, notes)
    • 3 specific questions you want answered
Key dimensions: Complete, Specific, Evidence-based
All components present, professional quality. Feedback plan is concrete.

Final Venture Dossier

Sprint 4
Format PDF
Length 10-15 pages (excluding appendices)
Due Fri Apr 17

Required Sections

  1. Executive Summary (1 page)
  2. The Challenge – Problem, stakeholders, why it matters
  3. Discovery Process – Research methods, key findings
  4. Interpretation – Needs, personas, insights
  5. Solution Evolution – Ideation → prototypes → iterations
  6. Evidence of Learning – What worked, what failed, pivots made
  7. Current State – Where the venture is now
  8. What's Next – Roadmap, open questions, recommendations
  9. Team Reflection – How you worked together, roles, conflicts resolved

Appendices (not counted in page limit)

  • Interview notes summary
  • Test results
  • Prototype photos
  • Summit feedback summary
Key dimensions: All 5 – Complete, Evidence-based, Specific, Iterative, Honest
This is the capstone. Coherent story. Learning from failure. Honest about what didn't work.

Mastery Options

If you're submitting any Mastery Options for a higher grade, include them as appendices to the Final Dossier or submit as separate files alongside it.

✨ ✨ ✨ MASTERY OPTIONS ✨ ✨ ✨

Team work – shared credit. Choose from these options to move from C → B → A. All mastery work is due with the Final Dossier (Fri Apr 17).

External Validation Depth

Sprint 1-2
Format PDF or Google Doc
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • 6+ additional interviews beyond the Fieldwork Pack minimum
  • Interview notes for each (same format as Fieldwork Pack)
  • 1-2 page synthesis including:
    • Patterns across the additional interviews
    • Key quotes that shifted your understanding
    • How this changes/validates your earlier interpretation
Key dimensions: Evidence-based, Specific, Iterative
Diverse perspectives (not 6 friends). Synthesis shows genuine new learning.

Second Prototype Cycle

Sprint 3
Format PDF + photos/videos
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • v3 Prototype – Clear evolution from v2, addressing specific feedback
  • 3+ test sessions documented (same format as Prototype Pack)
  • Iteration rationale – What changed between v2 and v3, and why
  • Comparison summary – Side-by-side of v1 → v2 → v3 showing evolution
Key dimensions: Iterative, Evidence-based, Specific
v3 meaningfully different from v2 (not cosmetic). Tests reveal new insights.

Go-to-Market Experiment

Sprint 3-4
Format Live URL + PDF report
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • Landing page – Live URL with clear value proposition
  • Email capture – Working signup mechanism
  • Outreach campaign – Document your distribution strategy:
    • Channels used (social, email, in-person, etc.)
    • Number of people reached
    • Outreach messages/scripts
  • Metrics report including:
    • Total visitors
    • Email signups
    • Conversion rate
    • Outreach response rates
    • What you learned about demand
Key dimensions: Complete, Evidence-based, Honest
Outreach actually happened (not hypothetical). Metrics honest even if disappointing.

Technical Feasibility Check

Sprint 2-3
Format PDF
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • 4+ expert consultations across different domains:
    • Technical (engineering, development)
    • Regulatory/legal (if applicable)
    • Operational (manufacturing, logistics, delivery)
    • Industry/domain expertise
  • Consultation notes for each (who, their expertise, key insights, concerns raised)
  • Feasibility matrix – Table showing:
    • Key feasibility dimensions
    • Current status (feasible / needs work / blocker)
    • Evidence supporting assessment
  • Go/No-Go recommendation with rationale
Key dimensions: Evidence-based, Specific, Honest
Experts genuinely qualified. Matrix honest about blockers.

Funding Narrative

Sprint 4
Format PDF or live draft
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

Both components required:

1. Crowdfunding Page Draft

  • Compelling problem/solution narrative
  • Team introduction
  • Reward tiers (if applicable) or impact levels
  • Funding goal with clear rationale for amount
  • Timeline and use of funds
  • Visuals (photos, video script or storyboard)

2. One-Page Investor Memo

  • Problem & market opportunity
  • Solution & unique value proposition
  • Business model (how you make money)
  • Traction/evidence to date
  • Team & why you'll win
  • Ask (what you need, what you'll do with it)
Key dimensions: Complete, Evidence-based, Specific
Both components complete. Narrative grounded in actual research. Financials realistic.

Operations Plan

Sprint 4
Format PDF
Due Fri Apr 17 (with Final Dossier)

Required Elements

  • 3+ potential partners identified and analyzed:
    • Who they are and why they matter
    • What you'd need from them
    • What you'd offer in return
    • Status of outreach (if any)
  • 12-month milestone roadmap:
    • Key milestones by quarter
    • Dependencies and critical path
    • Go/no-go decision points
  • Budget with unit economics:
    • Startup costs
    • Monthly operating costs
    • Revenue model and pricing
    • Unit economics (cost to acquire customer, lifetime value, margin)
    • Break-even analysis
Key dimensions: Complete, Specific, Evidence-based
Partners realistic (not fantasy). Roadmap concrete. Financials researched.