Ten non-obvious assumptions about your target customers (or organizations) that you need to validate.
Their willingness to spend around 20 cents of their $2 a day budget
The popularity of the street food market
Availability of sweet potatoes and likeability of them
Cooperation of local farmers to sell us large amounts of sweet potatoes
The role of mothers and grandmothers is approving what the children eat
Assumption that Sierra Leonean children like a cake texture
Assumption that Sierra Leonean children like a chip texture
Willingness of local restaurants to work with us in the beginning stages of our project in Sierra Leone
We need to validate that they will not over consume the product to the point where the supplements become dangerous
Need to validate that the adults will see the purpose in adding a foreign food into their childrens’ diets
Ten hypotheses about our product that we need to check during fieldwork
Cakes are an easily integrated product in Sierra Leone
Chips are an easily integrated product in Sierra Leone
Our price point of 20 cents is reasonable
There are no other similar products already in the market
Sweet potatoes are available enough to sustain our products
The prices of bulk ingredients given to us by Jawara were accurate
The equipment we have decided we need is accessible in Sierra Leone
The street market is something that we can tap into to sell our product
The street market is very popular and kids have easy access to it
Women will see the nutritional value of our products
I think I bring to my team an overall necessary open-mindedness when looking at our mission and products. Because I have been lucky enough to travel globally to a plethora of places ranging from the slums of India to Paris, I think I bring a unique perspective to the table. I never really seem to shut down an idea but rather think how we can build off of it and go in different directions. Typically I believe most people, especially myself, tend to think of their weaknesses first and foremost when presented with a problem. Last week’s class did a great job of proving how we all have lots of strengths and when one actually takes into account those strengths and works in a way that they can be optimized so much more impact can be made.