Entrepreneurship · Week 4 of 18

Value Proposition &
Customer Segments

A persona is only useful if it's specific enough that it couldn't describe anyone.

NKUHT · International Tourism Management Program · 2-hour session

Today's plan

One session, two halves

0:00–0:10

Welcome back. Recap: top 2 ideas from Week 3.

0:10–0:35

The Value Proposition Canvas.

0:35–1:00

Jobs, pains, gains — and how to avoid a generic persona.

1:00–1:45

Activity: draft 2 contrasting personas.

1:45–2:00

Share, debrief, quick learning check.

Quick recap

Last week → This week

WEEK 3

You generated 8 ideas and converged on your team's top 2, using clear criteria.

WEEK 4

Now you get specific about who this is actually for — using real evidence, not assumptions.

Key framework

The Value Proposition Canvas

Two halves. If they don't connect, the value proposition doesn't hold up.

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Jobs (what they're trying to do), Pains (what gets in the way), Gains (what a great outcome looks like).

VALUE MAP

Pain relievers, gain creators, and the product/service itself — must map directly to the profile.

Avoiding generic personas

The "could apply to anyone" trap

WEAK PERSONA

"Wants good food and low prices." — This describes almost every student on campus.

STRONG PERSONA

"An exchange student who doesn't recognize menu items and worries about ordering wrong." — Specific, evidence-based, testable.

Hour 2 · Activity

Draft Two Personas

Goal: create 2 distinct personas with contrasting needs, grounded in your Week 2 interview notes.

  1. 01 Choose two different user types relevant to your idea (e.g., international student vs. local commuter).
  2. 02 For each: name, key job-to-be-done, 2-3 pains, 2-3 gains — all traced back to real observations.
  3. 03 Fill in the Value Proposition Canvas for each persona.
  4. 04 Run the swap-name test: if you swapped the names, would the content still make sense?
  5. 05 If yes — go back and make the personas more specific.
Activity timer

Work time

35:00

Tip: give a 10-minute warning, then a 2-minute warning.

Debrief · Ask the whole class

Talk about it

1. Read your two personas out loud. Could you swap the names and it still make sense?

2. Where did each pain or gain come from — a real interview note, or an assumption?

3. Which persona's value proposition feels weaker right now? Why?

Quick learning check

Before we go — 3 short questions

1. A strong persona is one that...

2. Pains and gains in a persona should come from...

3. The Value Map should...

See you next week

Week 5 — Team Formation & Idea Selection

Next week: the Idea Marketplace — pitch your idea to recruit teammates, then sign a Co-founder Agreement.

Bring: your two personas.