Sem Selector-Learning Launch

Challenge:

So, my college has a internship scheme wherein the students have to choose the semester they  want to go to a company for their internship (let us name them 1 and 2). It’s a really  important decision for the students as their future placement depends on this decision.  Generally speaking, from the previous years’ data, the students with a comparatively less  CGPA prefer going in semester 1 while students with a higher CGPA tend to prefer semester  2 for their internship. That being said, CGPA is not the only criteria for selecting semester for  internship. The other one is an offshoot score (Offshoot score: The score obtained in certain  specific courses). So my idea was to create an index that would help them choose there  semester more efficiently.

Selection:

I was inspired by the video “Learning Launch Tool”.

What is it ?

The tool that I have selected is Learning Launch.

Learning Launch as defined in the course is a set of cheap and fast experiments that needs to  be conducted with a small set of people to test the idea or hypothesis in a real marketplace  with a real customer set.

Why I selected it?

Now I had to test my idea of creating an index before presenting it in front of everyone.

As it was explained in the video, I had to test whether the idea was great just in my head (that  is whether I had a bias for the idea because of the fact that I came up with it) or whether it  would really wow and work. My team consisted of two friends I had with me and we already  came to a conclusion that this was the idea everyone wanted to go through with. Now that we  know why I used this tool, lets see how it was put into action.

Application:

So, to test my idea, I had to create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to a particular  customer set. And that particular set was my 10 friends.

So, here is how it was put into action. I created a google form that would take their CGPA,  Offshoot Scores and preferred semester of the particular student and I told them that I’d mail  back the Index that I created (taking 50% of CGPA and 50% of Offshoot score) along with  the some charts and graphs that would help them to create a clear understanding of where  they stand among the peers and hence can make a better and an informed decision as to  which semester they would want to go to an internship in. Simple. Easy and Cheap. Fast to  Test.

Now, what was the result? Everyone when asked about the experience, said that they loved  how everything was just crystal clear to them (Where they stand, How many people were  going in either semester) and told me that they wanted this to be done on a larger dataset so  that the accuracy of the inputs can be improved. Now, it was the time to scale it. So, that  google form (with minor tweaks) was put in front of all the students and we received 120  responses out of 150 students that were to go to internship.

Insight:

Now, what I gained after I incorporated this. Basically, how the focus should always be on  solving customers’ (here students) problem (i.e. adding value to them).Next, I think how  important it is to get rid of the bias that we have towards our idea by interacting with people  across different streams and to understand their point of view so that they can curate the focus  and the importance of coming to least argued or debated solution. Next, I’d say the  importance of testing it again and again and doing it quickly and doing it at a cheap cost.  Again, as he said in the video, test again and again.

Approach:

Next time, I’d like to repeat this exercise with Visualization. With the customers and with the  internal team as well. The internal team will understand my thought process in a better and an  effective way. And with the students (my customers here), I’d like to present them something  tangible, that really gets into their head and how my product will create value for them and  how it will help them create an informed decision. I’d like to narrate a story with pictures  starting from the low the students feel when they are confused on how to choose their  semester to a picture that depicts them using my product to the next picture where they make  a better decision and hence get a Pre Placement Opportunity at their favourite company (the  happiness of the customer). Hence, this would make my idea more visible and clear to  everyone and that more and more can comprehend my idea.


Sem Selector - Learning Launch Challenge : So , my college has a internship scheme wherein the students have to choose the semester they want to go to a company for their internship ( let us name them 1 and 2 ) . It ’s a really important decision for the students as their future placement depends on this decision . Generally speaking , from the previous years ’ data , the students with a comparatively less CGPA prefer going in semester 1 while students with a higher CGPA tend to prefer semester 2 for their internship . That being said , CGPA is not the only criteria for selecting semester for internship . The other one is an offshoot score ( Offshoot score : The score obtained in certain specific courses ) . So my idea was to create an index that would help them choose there semester more efficiently . Selection : I was inspired by the video “ Learning Launch Tool ” . What is it ? The tool that I have selected is Learning Launch . Learning Launch as defined in the course is a set of cheap and fast experiments that needs to be conducted with a small set of people to test the idea or hypothesis in a real marketplace with a real customer set . Why I selected it ? Now I had to test my idea of creating an index before presenting it in front of everyone . As it was explained in the video , I had to test whether the idea was great just in my head ( that is whether I had a bias for the idea because of the fact that I came up with it ) or whether it would really wow and work . My team consisted of two friends I had with me and we already came to a conclusion that this was the idea everyone wanted to go through with . Now that we know why I used this tool , lets see how it was put into action . Application : So , to test my idea , I had to create an MVP ( Minimum Viable Product ) to a particular customer set . And that particular set was my 10 friends . So , here is how it was put into action . I created a google form that would take their CGPA , Offshoot Scores and preferred semester of the particular student and I told them that I ’d mail back the Index that I created ( taking 50 % of CGPA and 50 % of Offshoot score ) along with the some charts and graphs that would help them to create a clear understanding of where they stand among the peers and hence can make a better and an informed decision as to which semester they would want to go to an internship in . Simple . Easy and Cheap . Fast to Test . Now , what was the result ? Everyone when asked about the experience , said that they loved how everything was just crystal clear to them ( Where they stand , How many people were going in either semester ) and told me that they wanted this to be done on a larger dataset so that the accuracy of the inputs can be improved . Now , it was the time to scale it . So , that google form ( with minor tweaks ) was put in front of all the students and we received 120 responses out of 150 students that were to go to internship . Insight : Now , what I gained after I incorporated this . Basically , how the focus should always be on solving customers ’ ( here students ) problem ( i.e. adding value to them).Next , I think how important it is to get rid of the bias that we have towards our idea by interacting with people across different streams and to understand their point of view so that they can curate the focus and the importance of coming to least argued or debated solution . Next , I ’d say the importance of testing it again and again and doing it quickly and doing it at a cheap cost . Again , as he said in the video , test again and again . Approach : Next time , I ’d like to repeat this exercise with Visualization . With the customers and with the internal team as well . The internal team will understand my thought process in a better and an effective way . And with the students ( my customers here ) , I ’d like to present them something tangible , that really gets into their head and how my product will create value for them and how it will help them create an informed decision . I ’d like to narrate a story with pictures starting from the low the students feel when they are confused on how to choose their semester to a picture that depicts them using my product to the next picture where they make a better decision and hence get a Pre Placement Opportunity at their favourite company ( the happiness of the customer ) . Hence , this would make my idea more visible and clear to everyone and that more and more can comprehend my idea .