Pitch
Leaping forward.
Empowering inward.
Explore ideas, learn new skills, meet
new people, and so much more.
Pitch
Type
Concept Design (Self Initiated project)
Duration
3 days
Brand-Driven Design
Unlock interactive possibilities beyond boolean experience!
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Pitch has the potential to bridge the gap ⚡️ for aspiring entrepreneurs 👨🏽💻 who have innovative ideas 🙌🏻 but lack the practical tools and network 👍 to launch successful startups 🫶🏻 . Pitch empowers entrepreneurs with access to mentorship, resources, and a network, helping them launch businesses and find partners to turn ideas into reality.
Key Skills applied
Ideation, Experience Strategy, Research, Visual Design, Interaction Design.
Inspired by
Empowerment through Networking!
Pitch
Empower your ideas.
Launch and grow your startup with mentorship, tools, and community.
Identity
Nunito
Aa123
Meet.
Connect.
Learn.
e
& much more.
Pitch Prototype
Revolutionising startup success through entrepreneurial empowerment
In the age of democratization of knowledge, medium should never be a barrier. Empowering ordinary people to do extraordinary stories!
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
#EmpoweryourPitch
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Rise and Failure of Startups
Starting a successful startup can be challenging, especially when you have an unproven idea. It can be difficult to know where to start or if your idea has any merit. While incubators and accelerators can be helpful, they may not always be the best option.
90%
Source: StartUp Genome
Startups Fail
PROCESS
Project Approach
Following a Agile Methodology - Very simplified Waterfall management model
Require | Design | Implement | Verify
Agile Manifesto says it all:
value over any method.
2
3
4
1
/ Require /
Exploring what the solution can be (i.e. working and features), assessed potential competitors, interviewed potential users, and additional background research.
/ Design /
I processed all that I learned from my exploration into actionable goals to solidify the opportunities that can be fulfilled to get the desired outcome.
/ Implement /
Processing findings into opportunities and actionable goals while collaborating with some potential users to create high-fidelity mockups of the solution.
/ Verify /
Gathering feedback from potential users through testing, refining high-fidelity prototypes, and making necessary adjustments based on user insights.
THOUGHT PROCESS
A look into how I
thought things through.
I finalized what my solution will be and how it’ll benefit the people using it.
What Pitch will be
A solution
geared towards entrepreneurs to network, learn, and exchange ideas
developed by understanding the pain-points and challenges faced by aspiring entrepreneurs.
⚡️
What Pitch will offer
A dynamic platform that
connects individuals with complementary skills, facilitating
meaningful conversations and collabrations.
🙌🏻
Users Pitch wants
to serve
Primary user base
Entrepreneurs
Individuals at various stages of starting a business, from ideation to early growth phases.
Entrepreneurs who may lack certain business skills such as finance, marketing, or legal understanding, are searching for guidance, resources, and tools to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship. They also seek networking opportunities with peers and potential investors.
Secondary user base
Mentors
Experienced business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, or industry experts.
Mentors interested in giving back to the startup community by sharing their knowledge and experience. Also those looking for meaningful engagement without the
administrative hassles typically associated with mentorship.
I started by...
Understanding typical Journey Map of an Entrepreneur
Workflow Modelling
Through understanding common patterns, data collected on traditional methods used by these creators was then modeled into a workflow.
Helped by incubators
and accelerators
About the
competition
I compared both direct and indirect competitors to understand their offerings and shortcomings. Here’s what I found:
Indirect competitors provide a far superior UX
Social platforms (indirect comp) offer engaging experiences not specifically tailored for entrepreneurs, but their ease of use and broad functionality make them very attractive.
None of the competitors provide a remotely similar offering
Pitch provides a unique, comprehensive solution for every stage of startup development—from ideation to scaling—unmatched by any competitor. It integrates AI-driven mentorship, essential resources, and a supportive community, all tailored to empower entrepreneurs.
About the
Users
I conducted interviews with 30 potential users (17 entrepreneurs) to comprehend their journey towards being an entrepreneur and how important networking is. Here’s what I found:
Entrepreneurs value targeted and efficient solutions
On an avg. it takes 8 weeks just to validate an idea and that's when you already have mentors. Also one can come up with an idea and it might still take 12 to 18 months to turn that idea into something real and functional.
Preference for interactive platforms
Users highly value features that facilitate easy mentorship and networking, enabling effective communication and real-time collaboration that directly aids their entrepreneurial journey.
Analyzing the
competitors
BENCHMARKING
Ease of use
No of features provided
Benchmarking Pitch right in the middle
LEARNINGS
Combining LinkedIn's social networking capabilities with incubator support to strengthen community building and facilitate idea exchange.
There's a chance to foster organic connections, an often overlooked element of entrepreneurial relationships that can result in unexpected partnerships.
There is a gap in structured education around frameworks and skill-sharing, suggesting a market opportunity.
Analyzing the
users
I conducted interviews and surveys with over 35 individuals from MICA Ahmedabad, NMIMS Mumbai, SPJIMR, entrepreneurship labs, and IIT Guwahati's Department of Design to understand their challenges in transforming ideas into solutions.
35
People Interviewed
17
Entrepreneurs
Age at which entrepreneurs started their businesses
HERE'S WHAT I FOUND
What participants had to say:
100 %
users believe that the real issue arises when money is at stake!
83%
said it's difficult to calculate the success rate of an idea and testing ideas is difficult without loss of IP.
14 out of 17
found it hard to calculate the success rate of an idea due to lack of proper metrics or tools.
31 out of 35
said that advice from peers in similar or related industries was incredibly valuable for making better business decisions.
8 out of 9
younger entrepreneurs felt that older professionals or investors didn’t take them seriously, which impacted their confidence.
74%
expressed uncertainty about whether their feature was worth pursuing, which led to delays MVP's
28 out of 30
said they struggled with managing their time, especially when trying to balance a side hustle with a full-time education or job.
8 out of 17
said that advice from incubators or accelerators was not always useful, and that conducting independent research was more effective.
32 out of 35
think that finding right people to get work done and retention of freelancers is very difficult.
28 out of 35
expressed confusion about which frameworks to use when starting their business journey, indicating a need for better resources or guidance.
Design Brief
Entrepreneurship is an inherently challenging journey, requiring time, effort, dedication, and perseverance. Despite the availability of incubators and accelerators, access to these programs is limited and they do not cater effectively to all entrepreneurs. Many (approximately 80%) entrepreneurs lack awareness of the necessary frameworks and tools to develop their ideas and understand the market, which further complicates their ability to succeed. As a result, entrepreneurs often face numerous struggles and require external support to navigate through their journey effectively.
CREATION
How can we build
something impactful?
This was on top of my mind while processing all the data from the research to prioritize all that’s important for the UX.
APROACH
Linking opportunities
to design goals.
Our research revealed the lack of a social networking app for Entrepreneurs, which can be fulfilled by Pitch. And so, we decided to focus on these aspects while starting out:
Kickstart Struggles
How can we inspire individuals with great ideas to embrace entrepreneurship and boost their confidence to overcome the intimidation of starting a business?
How might we streamline the
initial steps for entrepreneurs to start a business, overcome common obstacles, and facilitate efficient knowledge transfer?
Lack of Knowlegde
How might we create a comprehensive toolkit that combines learning essential skills, financial management education, research and market analysis tools and access to funding strategies?
StartUp Collaboration
How might we create a platform for testing and feedback on early ideas and MVPs, and develop frameworks to help entrepreneurs launch MVPs and tackle initial challenges?
How can we improve collaboration and team building to enhance communication and partner integration in startups, while fostering partnerships and community engagement among entrepreneurs?
I created the solution in mainly three stages.
(with a couple of more intermediary steps)
Throwing everything
at the wall:
Brainstorming through all types of designs, and ideas to see what sticks and is viable.
Working on viable options from the 1st step:
Taking the viable ideas and making several prototype versions to get feedback on them, from potential users.
Fine-tuning the final prototype to perfection:
Combining the best parts from all the design versions and refining them from the feedback to bring the final design to life.
STAGE 2 OF 3
Building the visual identity and user flow.
I picked one design layout and created variations to get feedback on different user flows. Then finalized user flow and design elements for the brand identity.
STAGE 3 OF 3
Solving problems, getting feedback, refining rough edges.
Main things I did in this stage:
I created the entire solution by designing one section at a time.
I designed each section by focusing on the problems that a user might face from existing solutions.
I created each feature after prioritizing it based on how much it affected the overall UX.
I gathered feedback from usability studies on each section after designing it and refined it before moving to another one.
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SOLUTION SHOWCASE
And finally,
say hello to
Pitch.
A look at how Pitch, the AI-powered app, can help entrepreneurs succeed with personalized recommendations, expert guidance, and real-time insights. From skill development to market research, Pitch provides the necessary tools to propel your business forward.
Meet. Connect. Learn. Ai.
MEET
Build together.
With Confidence.
Connect with skilled individuals for business partnerships, freelance services, or consultancy. Discover people with diverse skills to start a business or collaborate on projects.
Connect with skilled individuals for business partnerships, freelance services, or consultancy. Discover people with diverse skills to start a business or collaborate on projects.
SWIPE RIGHT TO CONNECT
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Profile
ORGANIC CONNECTIONS AND SEAMLESS COLLABORATION
Connect with skilled individuals for business partnerships, freelance services, or consultancy. Discover people with diverse skills to start a business or collaborate on projects.
Connect with profiles based on your profession and location details. A designer can connect with a marketer or developer, and vice versa.
Search for various profiles quickly based on your preferences.
Swipe and connect with detailed profiles. Save profiles for later chats.
Chat instantly to connect
Granular Preference Settings
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Filter
Save Profiles
Chat
CONNECT
Organically Built.
Confidently Grown.
All about sparking spontaneous and genuine connections with fellow entrepreneurs!
Users can easily filter options to discover and engage with specific individuals.
Engage with various entrepreneurs and mentors based on factors such as location, distance, age, and shared interests.
They can explore topics they want to learn more about, engage skill-sharing activities to teach their expertise to others (either for free or for a fee), and sell valuable research data, presentations, case studies, and other resources to support fellow entrepreneurs.
LEARN
Personal is Powerful.
Customised Resources.
Ai
Unleash your potential
with Ai.
The application features an Entrepreneurial AI Assistant that leverages user data, bios, goals, and skills to deliver personalized advice and guidance. It keeps users informed about emerging opportunities, potential collaborations, and more, ensuring they stay updated and ahead of the curve.
Brand
Identity
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USECASE
New Entrepreneurs
Individuals starting their business ideas who need guidance on strategies and next steps.
Freelancers
Skilled professionals seeking to collaborate with entrepreneurs for long-term projects.
Instructors
Experts wanting to conduct workshops or classes to teach valuable skills.
Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Individuals with business ideas seeking partners to help realize them.
Learners
People interested in entrepreneurship looking to improve skills and network.
Explorers
Individuals exploring entrepreneurship and seeking support and resources.
TAKEAWAYS
So what did
I learn?
The wins and the fails. I gained invaluable insights collaborating with entrepreneurs at stages of their businesses, and their feedback on my final designs was incredibly meaningful to me.
Additionally, I discovered that in-person interviews are far more effective than online ones.
Moving forward. I'd love to do more research on the entrepreneurial journey and exploring how we can meet their needs at various stages. And on aspects that can help increase user engagement, trust, and collaboration.
And that’s all from my side.
Thanks for checking this out.
