Crowdfunding platforms are a modern way of raising funds for innovative ideas.
 Kickstarter is the biggest crowdfunding platform, having funded 230,000
 projects to a total amount exceeding $6.3B! Innovative ideas funded on such platforms range from cool gadgets to keep you warm in winter or move you around, to an impactful story to be animated.

 But where do all these innovative ideas come from? What gain are they creating and what pain are they eradicating? What improvements can be proposed to these
 ideas?

 Who better put these innovations under the microscope, deconstruct them, and suggest improvements to them? This is a perfect assignment for you.

 We know you are ready for this challenge.

 In this Instruction document, the context, and questions you will be addressing
 will be laid out. 

 In this individual assignment, you are being asked to:
 ➔ Articulate the significant problem the innovation you are analyzing
 aimed to solve
 ➔ Present evidence of your understanding of the customer of this
 innovation and their pains & gains
 ➔ Appreciate the value this innovation creates to solve the customer’s
 problem
 ➔ Propose an imaginative solution to improve this innovation outlining

your research and rationale. 

Context
 In your Individual Hidden Innovation Assignment, we are asking you to think about an existing innovation, deconstruct it and propose how you would improve it.

 Many of you will have come across different innovations which you found
 inspiring. Some might have asked, “How did they come up with that idea?”. Or
 perhaps wished you could create something like that. Guess what, you now
 have the skills to do both of these!

 Most innovations are created through incremental changes to an existing
 product/service. They are merely a newer composition of existing
 solutions/products/services that fill a gap within the market.

 What we will do in this assignment, is to first deconstruct an innovation we like.
 We ask, who is the target customer, what pain is it eradicating and what gain is
 it creating for them? 

Who else is doing something similar and what competitive
 gap is this innovation filling?

 And then we try to think of a better solution for
 this problem, which can be the starting point of our very own creative idea.

 Your Challenge:
 “Pick an innovation, deconstruct and analyze it, and then suggest an
 improved solution”
 The idea is, to make something better, you have to first know how it works. We
 will pick something we like, deconstruct it, learn everything there is to know
 about it, and then imagine an improved version of it (or another solution for the
 same problem).

 Where to find innovative solutions?
 We encourage students to consider multiple innovations before making a
 pick. Crowdfunding platforms are an excellent source of inspiration to find
 innovative solutions and products. You are encouraged to explore
 Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com and identify an innovation you are inspired 

by. 

Your final pick should be something that:
 ➔ You find innovative and inspiring
 ➔ Is solving a problem you are passionate about
 ➔ Allows you to perform adequate research for further information
 ➔ You have a basic understanding of how innovation works and how it is
 made
 ➔ Has received at least 50% of the fundraising goal
 Once you were happy with the innovation you wanted to deconstruct, you are
 halfway done! Congratulations!!
 Deconstructing an innovation and coming up with an improved innovation, is no
 easy task.
 But you have proven yourself to be creative thinkers, innovators
 and change makers.
 
 

Your Submission
 Your submission will be presented in the following sections:
 Section 1: Problem Articulation
 
 

● What is the problem context/statement that is being solved by this
 innovation?

 Section 2: Customer and Value Analysis
 
 

● Who is the key target customer for this innovative product/solution?
 ○ Can you prepare a customer persona for this innovation based on
 your research?
 ● What do you believe were the “Jobs to be Done” for a potential customer
 of this innovation?
 ● What are the pains to eradicate? The gains to create?
 ● In addition to the value being provided by this innovation, what Further
 Does value need to be provided? What pain is not being relieved? What
 further gain can be provided?

Section 3: Problem (re-)Articulation

 What is the underlying problem that needs to be solved? What is the
 root cause?
 
 

Section 4: Ideating a Solution

 Now this is the fun part. You have worked on understanding the problem
 triangle, problem, customer, value in solving the problem. Based upon your
 research you are challenged to propose a creative improvement for the
 innovation you just deconstructed..
 Your ‘solutions’ for this Hidden Innovation assignment should be:
 ● Inspired by the innovation you deconstructed.
 ● Your improved innovation can change and improve the product/solution,
 expand the target market, change the business model (the way you make
 money with this), or a combination of these!
 
 

4.1 Define the Features
 
 

Your pain relievers and gain creators are essentially the benefits you will need
 to deliver in order to create value for your target customer. In order to deliver
 this value, what features will your offer (product, service, experience, or
 combination) need to include?

 4.2 Build your MVP
 Can you describe your Minimal Viable Product (MVP) - the viable solution
 (product, service, experience, or a combination?) with just enough features to
 effectively deploy your solution? No more and no less! You are welcome to
 include sketches, or graphics. Be creative!

 4.3 Analyze the Competition
 Is there someone or another business currently solving the problem you
 identified? Could you identify 3 competitors or substitute (in addition to
 the innovation you deconstructed and are improving) offers that you
 currently see your offer competing against?
 ● How do your features compare to the competition (i.e. How are you
 different?)
 ● What are the current solutions that answer the same or a similar need?
 ● What are the competitors/substitutes?
 ● Are there partners critical for the success of your product/solution?
 
 4.4 Articulate your Compelling Proposition
 You will want to describe your solution in a simple, clear and compelling
 message.
 
 

4.5 My Creative Solution

You are now ready to move forward with your creative idea. Write out the
 creative idea. 

 4.6 Solution Launch

 Now that you have decided on your solution, can you answer the following
 questions about your solution/creative idea?
 ● How would you deliver your solution to your target customer?
 ● How will you price your offering so it is attractive to your target
 customer?
 ● What expertise do you require to take the solution forward? Who do you
 need on your team?

Appendix 3: Deconstruction Assignment

Topic: Innovative Laser Cut Sofa Arm Tray with Detachable Cover	Value	Excellent (5)	Very good (4)	Good (3)	Poor (2)	Very Poor (1)
Provide background information on the founders and the firm	5
Explain the business, how it works and why you consider it as an innovative successful business	10
Explain the impacts of the business on the industry and its competitors.	10
Provide a prognosis for the future of the business and explain why. (long-term growth or short-term fad)	15
Explain the lessons learned from the case which can be applied in your own start-up : our own start-up is YYCaesar a caesar bar	30
Effective use of concepts and theories that has been discussed in the class to the date	20