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Lesson 3
Thursday
12/11/2020

Today we were consulted by Will Bishop - a judge in the technology section of the INNOV8 Expo - who had prior experience in business development. This means that while we expected to receive highly useful feedback, he would be highly upfront and not unwilling to criticise the fundamental aspects of our action project, which was slightly intimidating.

However, upon my brief pitch of the product, Will was mostly supportive of the concept, although he did claim to have some difficulty initially understanding what it was composed of.

The most critical feedback he gave related to the instruction booklet, where we debated whether it was entirely necessary at all. As the aim of our product was to provide convenient relief for anxiety in all circumstances, I exclaimed that there were situations where the phone application may not be available, and thusly the book is more relevant, to witch Will agreed with.

The overall appraisal of our pitch has boosted my confidence in the product further, which I believe will aid in our ability to present to the judges and the class, as when one is sure of their capabilities, it becomes easier to illustrate your intentions and ideas and showing effective communication skills.

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Value Proposition Pitch Reflection- Week 10, Term 3

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Value Proposition Pitch Reflection- Week 10, Term 3

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Lesson 3
Thursday
17/9/2020

The INNOV8 Pitch was submitted earlier today. During the timeline of this assignment, I was working primarily from home, and thus it caused immediate difficulty with our communication and collaboration. Ultimately, however, this did not stop us from achieving highly. To ensure effective teamwork, we planned online meetings as previously described, where we would discuss and physically divide the work between us so that we knew exactly what needed to be completed, and where our collaborative efforts were most necessary. I openly attempted to not restrict Keziah's input in any regard, by discussing exactly what parts of the assignment he felt he could excel in, and thus independence was granted in those areas.

I am impressed by the outcome of our efforts, which I definitely owe to both our new approach to communication and the consideration of my teacher to allow for an extension. The element I was most confident in was my digital illustrations, as I was able to express my creative skills, which I find are more prominent than any other of the 4 C's. Although it was not made explicit, I experimented heavily with colour theory and the effects of multiple stylistic ideas. This allowed for the creation of a product which I felt could be admired by a vast audience, and thusly was made more applicable to our target demographic.

I am unsure as to the quality of our financial model, as there were no directions provided on how we could calculate the approximate cost. It was a rough estimate that considered general materials, hypothetical employee wages and manufacturing costs. There was most likely an assortment of influencing factors which I did not consider, but due to my lack of knowledge on the topic, there was little I could do to improve upon this area of the value proposition pitch.

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Out of School
Sunday
13/9/2020

Keziah and I realised that while most of our restrictions were out of control, there was little point in making no attempt to complete the assignment. However, an extension to Thursday of Week 10 has been negotiated. This was not a figure that was decided out of thin air - Keziah and I had an extensive virtual discussion as to what exactly needed to be done, being clear and concise as to the time frame needed.

We met virtually and were highly communicative of exactly what we needed to do. Utilising visual methods, such as a Venn diagram and a procedure, we were able to evaluate both the independent and collaborative contributions we needed to make. This expression of excellent communication may prove to be greatly beneficial, as the oncoming days will be spent primarily on the completion of this assignment, and so now that we are coordinated, my confidence in our performance has increased.

Now we fully know which tasks we must to complete, whether individually or jointly.

Cy:

1. Refine the issue inquiry so that our development process is more coherent.

2. Compose the script for the value proposition pitch, and subsequently audio recordings. Additionally, editing will be required.

3. Illustrate digital images of our product, ideally with dimensions.

Keziah:

1. Complete the empathy map, highlighting specifically the pains and gains of our selected audience.

2. Create the slideshow for the value proposition pitch.

3. Research similar products, not only to regard the areas where they excel but more importantly where we can improve upon.

Both:

1. Produce the basic website layout to display all our planning.

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Lesson 3
Thursday
2/9/2020

Work on the INNOV8 pitch has been somewhat stunted. Without exact instructions as to what we should be doing, alongside my declining health and Keziah's recent injury, we have not been able to make significant progress, and both Keziah and I are unsure how to address this. The pitch is due on Monday, Week 9, and while I believe we are capable of completing the task, it would require considerable dedication, and I may be dissatisfied with the quality.

In regards to the progress we have made since the last progress marker, there have been numerous developments:

Further work on the issue inquiry has been enacted, including a meeting with our primary interaction, being clinical psychologist Greg Fell.

Based on the feedback from this primary interaction, we were able to compose a survey to be sent to students. This is so that we can use general statistics alongside our own research, to solidify the need for our product.

We have the general concept for our product, although it may be refined in later iterations. Currently, it is a phone case, containing a booklet and a phone application, emphasising the concept of convenient anxiety-relief methods.

A logo has been developed, using the symbolism behind a semi-colon to express our solidarity against anxiety.

While it seems that our progress has been reasonable,  the recent days have consisted of little work, which is why my current reflection seems somewhat downcast. To counteract this instance of unknowingness, I will continue to utilise the 4 C's continuum to produce a method for the completion of work.

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Lesson 2
Tuesday
25/8/2020

It was mentioned in an earlier reflection that we were unable to effectively begin the Action Project due to issues surrounding the production of our Spin-Off Task. Subsequently, both Keziah and I have expressed immense dedication to making a productive start on our INNOV8 Market Pitch.

After discussing the possible issues that we address with our product, Keziah was interested in my proposal to address mental health in the youth. We initially chose to research depression but quickly found that anxiety disorder was a more abundant problem in younger populations, so we "used logical reasoning" as stated in the far transfer of critical thinking in the 4 C's continuum and altered our focus to anxiety.

Once some general research had been conducted, evidenced by the progress on the Issue Inquiry, we produced a divergent thinking mind-map to outline possible products we could produce. While there were a multitude of outside factors to consider, such as similar products and price, this exercise was mostly to think of some unique product ideas so as to not prevent the creative process.

I am confident that we have made sufficient progress, not only relative to other students, but to the course outline. We will continue to apply the 4 C's continuum to dictate the methodology of our assignment.

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Lesson 2
Tuesday
25/8/2020

Yesterday, the Adelaide Hills Issue Analysis was uploaded. Moderate difficulty was encountered in regards to the collaboration aspect of the project, due to my inconsistent absence, but my partner and I were ultimately able to complete the assignment to an extent I was satisfied with. This was an assessment which I particularly enjoyed, as it allowed for critical thinking skills, relating to if our proposed solution for the selected issue is applicable and practical. When the major Action Project starts, I will believe it will be highly beneficial to make an open attempt to self-critique, as it will help to make a more comprehensive product that we are confident in, with all possible issues being addressed.

We were already introduced to the primary Action Project assessment, as in prior lessons we were tasked with divergent thinking exercises (such as filling in the lotus diagram) to aid in the initial brainstorming process. I already have an issue which I think would be engaging to address, being mental health, but it is still important to discuss with my partner the possible directions we take the assignment.

Unfortunately due to the issue with completing the Spin-Off Task as described earlier, we have not been able to make an effective headstart with the action project. We will make an open effort to express skills relating to collaboration and communication even in difficult circumstances, so as maintain a consistent work output. These skills are outlined on the 4C's continuum, which I have referenced frequently. For instance, the far transfer of collaboration on the continuum discusses how ideally one should "implement courses of action independently or collaboratively". This was definitely the case in regards to the Spin-Off, as while collaborative means of teamwork were implemented in earlier stages, our difficult circumstances led to independent action being taken to complete the assignment, where it was made it explicit what each group member needed to do.

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Lesson 1 - Lesson 3
Monday - Thursday
17/8/2020 - 20/8/2020

Progress on the Adelaide Hills Issues Analysis has been someone steady, although there are some arising issues surrounding the recording of the audio lines.

Our selected issue, being the lack of necessary emergency care facilities in the hills region, has been thoroughly analysed. We have both used qualitative and quantitative data - both vital to conveying critical thinking skills - to explain the issue. For instance, we calculated the number of health establishments in Adelaide and the hills region, with varying facilities including emergency care, 24-hour service and urgent care. However, we used divergent thinking and critical thinking to locate an adequate spot for a new facility - considering population statistics and pre-existing medical centres. Additionally, our solution considers the budget of the Adelaide Hills Council, and we aimed to maintain a low cost: another instance of being critical.

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Lesson 2
Tuesday
10/11/2020

As to my experience in overall Action Project course, I once again have mixed regards, although it was a mostly positive experience. Unfortunately, my involvement in the course was greatly compromised by health issues, and thusly I was not able to perform to my greatest extent. However, this led me to work harder when I was provided with the opportunity.

I enjoyed the experience of creating a hypothetical business model. I did a similar task for my Risk Taker goal in my Personal Learner Portfolio, and thus I was somewhat accustomed to looking at different aspects of a successful business. One particular area of the Action Project course that was especially helpful was the numerous exercises and resources to help with divergent and convergent thinking, allowing one to not only create a more engaging product but also considering the practical business aspect. For instance, the "pains and gains" brainstorm helped to identify what elements of the product need to be emphasised, and where possible improvements can be made, thus tailoring the product to the target audience more. This same usefulness was consistent amongst other exercises, such as:

Lotus Diagram - A highly broad exercise which could be used alongside collaborative skills to identify an area that the group is collectively passionate about.

Convergent Thinking Mind Map - Used to brainstorm the product itself based on the selected issue.

Issue Inquiry - A visual thought process which conveys the development of the initial idea, progressively becoming more refined as statistics and relevant data are applied.

The first assessment task, being the Adelaide Hills Issue Analysis, was also a highly enjoyable but extremely important assignment. It introduced the concept of the Action Project on a much smaller scale, thus allowing students to gain an understanding of the general process. As a result, this process could be applied to work in the Value Proposition Pitch and the final presentation, giving students an idea as to how they should approach their selected issue.

The reflection padlet was also an aspect of the Action Project that I believed was important. At least in other subjects, a consistent reflection process is extremely important when attempting to achieve highly, and being able to relate one's work to the 4'Cs continuum can lead to a more comprehensive final outcome. However, I felt that the reflective padlet was only applicable for the first few weeks of the course when we were initially developing skills relating to divergent thinking and self-critique. Outside of that, we were mostly occupied with assignments, and thusly a less comprehensive reflection took place.

One area of the Action Project course that I disliked was the lack of an exact process. For instance, when working on the Value Proposition Pitch, the instructions were highly vague, and thus students didn't know what they should have been doing. This led to a considerable variation in people's presentations, where because of the inexact methodology, elements of the business model were left to great interpretation. This is especially relevant in the financial aspect of the action project - instructions were not provided on how we would achieve a price for our product and the costs which we should consider (such as manufacturing, employee wages, transportation, etc). If a more detailed outline of the task was provided, it would ensure that students were regarding all necessary parts of the assignment.

Action Project is something I would not endeavour to attempt again. This is not personal - I am simply disinterested in the idea of independent business development. But for what it is, I am glad that I could have participated in the experience. It allowed for new applications of 21st-century skills, which will always lead to long-term, more comprehensive learning. The social issue I chose to address was one I was personally passionate about, and thusly I am grateful that the Action Project allowed me to consider this issue from multiple perspectives, and how I could possibly use my knowledge on the topic in the future. The divergent and convergent processes that I have consistently applied throughout the course will last a lifetime, as I have already implemented them in other subjects. While entrepreneurship is not an area I will pursue, the core skills within the course are not replaceable.

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Lesson 1
Monday
9/11/2020

Both the INNOV8 Expo and the in-class presentation have been completed, and thus I have been instructed to conclude my padlet reflections, providing insight to both the final assessment and the overall course.

In regards to the INNOV8 Expo, I have somewhat mixed thoughts regarding the experience, but am overall satisfied with both my and my partner's performance. The first issue was that our product and website were not on the INNOV8 website, despite our logo being used as an example. I felt as though an area we excelled in was observing similar services to our final product, as we were extremely transparent that there was no single solution to anxiety, and thusly were able to explain what differentiated our product from others. This capability was reflected by the comments from the judges. In addition,  the research and breakdown of our selected problem, being anxiety in the youth, was highly sufficient and emphasised the need for our product. Equally relevant, the judges were impressed by our inclusion of the primary interaction, being the clinical psychologist Greg Fell, in the final presentation.

Our group placed third in the technology category. I am content with this, although I felt that the reason we were not placed higher was not reasonable to some extent. It was stated that we needed to elaborate more on our financial model and how we reached the estimated price. That was a fair request, as we did not fully discuss the previously mentioned financial aspect, but I was expecting this to occur during the feedback section of the presentation, much like the Shark Tank presentations that we observed earlier last term. However, this section of the presentation was much more different than I expected, consisting only of a few questions from the judges and not a fully engaged discussion. As a result, we were not provided with the opportunity to explain our financial details more. While we should have placed this information within the initial presentation, the three-minute time limit was greatly restrictive.

To improve upon this feedback, the in-class assessment presentation was altered slightly so that I could explain the financial aspect more. This was improvised, although all the information had been planned beforehand and I had a relatively good understanding of the hypothetical business model.

To conclude, our presentation in both the Thursday night event and the in-class demonstration was above satisfactory, where I think improvements could have been made from a more specific development process. Areas in which we excelled were our understanding of the problem and our recognition of similar products, where the application of critical thinking skills allowed us to understand that no single product could "solve" anxiety and that it was instead about equipping one with all necessary tools. Additionally, our creative composition of the product created a more engaging concept to the audience.

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Lesson 1 - Lesson 3
Monday - Thursday
3/08/2020 - 6/08/2020

From this point onwards, reflections will not occur each lesson, as I will be engaged with assessment tasks and subsequently the reflection process does not update as consistently. Additionally, these reflections will not be as extensive - aimed to recount progress, outline issues, display the application of 21st-century skills and state future ambitions.

The first assignment has begun - the Adelaide Hills Spin-Off Project. It replicates the concept of the Action Project, although to a more local extent, as it is focusing on an issue in the Adelaide Hills region. I had prior knowledge on this subject as when I was younger I lived at Mount Osmond. I decided that the issue I wished to address was the poor placement of medical facilities, as immediate medical aid is essential in the Adelaide Hills, and I feel as though this has not been fully considered.

My partner in this task is Keziah Rowe-Bush, and we have begun by compiling general facts and creating maps of the relevant hills areas, highlighting the pre-existing medical facilities so that we can pinpoint where the construction of a new facility would be most convenient.

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Lesson 2
Tuesday
13/10/2020

In response to the prior lesson, further consideration was made to retitle the project to Peace of Mine: Strategy Guide. Ultimately, this was decided against, as it detracted from the purpose of the product. Equally relevant, plans have been established to create a new prototype that more accurately conveys the capabilities of the product.

Additional work will be made on editing the product based on the review of the Value Proposition Pitch, which was provided by our teachers. While the quality of the pitch excelled in most areas, an issue was outlined which would greatly benefit the security of our product, being to identify already existing products which emulate a similar concept. This has been done to an extent; we have analysed multiple self-help books in relation to anxiety relief, alongside phone applications. Unfortunately, due to time constraints (as the length of our presentation was an equally relevant issue with our pitch) we were unable to discuss these further to our audience. Now that we understand this is an important element of our product, an effort will be made to establish the flaws of existing products.

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Lesson 1
Monday
12/10/2020

Upon completion of the Value Proposition Pitch, peer review was necessary to further develop the product. This was performed by assigning groups to one another, where a brief description of the product is provided alongside supporting statistics and motivators for the production.

The primary piece of insight that was given in regards to the Peace of Mine: Anxiety Strategy Guide was that the content of the booklet could be included within the application as well. This has already been achieved to an extent; where video walkthroughs are provided on the application. However, it may be beneficial to include the visual procedures that are present in the booklet.

An alternate product title may also be beneficial, as the word "anxiety" has negative connotations that may deter the audience from purchasing the product. In substitute,  the Peace of Mine: Mental Health Strategy Guide also suits the product.

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Lesson 1, Monday, 27/07/2020

To further develop skills relating to divergent thinking, students were introduced to two thinking routines to aid in the expansion of an idea/concept:

Random Input

Using the random input method is as the name implies - combining the characteristics of two contrasting objects. Within the random input routine, there is no direction and is merely listing ideas that involve aspects of each item. Doing so may lead to an innovative and unique concept that can then be expanded into a fully realised product.

The given example involved an orange and a mug. Some of the ideas that arose included:

Give the handle of the mug the texture of orange peel.

Make the mug collapsible - able to divided into multiple segments, much in the manner that an orange is cut.

Give the mug several layers, similar to an orange, to improve the insulation properties.

SCAMPER

SCAMPER, being an acronym, relates to a method of product creation that also involves the combination of two items:

Substitute - Replace one part of an object with an aspect of the alternate item.

Combine - Building from the substitution process, combine the ideas and/or functions of each object together.

Adapt - Adapt the combined item to solve an external, real-world problem.

Modify - Modify a particular element of your product (meaning to increase or decrease the size), and record whether a new purpose or value is provoked.

Put to another use - Using the initial purpose of the product, attempt to use it in a different context to solve an alternative problem.

Eliminate - Eliminate or simplify an area of the product to make it more efficient or to outline a more critical aspect.

Reverse - Alter the position or orientation of the object to discern a new purpose if possible.

Of these two processes, my partner and I selected the random input to create a product. A list of assorted objects was generated, and of those, two in particular were chosen that we felt would produce an exciting concept. They were:

Glock 17

Hand Sanitiser

The cartridge of a Glock 17 was swapped for a small capsule of sanitiser, alongside the pump action of a hand sanitiser bottle replacing the mechanical function of the Glock so that when the trigger was pulled, a small amount of pressurised hand sanitiser was dispersed. We titled creation as "the pandemic pistol", which could be used to solve a real-world problem, being enforced sanitation to mass audiences.

This exercise not only employed skills related to divergent thinking but also helped to find application and purpose for random items that did not initially seem obvious. The creative process allowed students to think critically about their ideas and find real-world areas in which the product could be useful.

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Lesson 1, Monday, 20/07/2020

In the first lesson of action project, we were briefly introduced to the assessment plan, and a discussion occurred in which we could establish our prior knowledge on action project (which was quite minimal).

The two primary activities throughout the lesson were to brainstorm as a group regarding the ways in which a monkey could be shaved and how an elephant could be painted. These ideas began relatively simple, such as:

Shaving the monkey with a razor.

Cutting the monkey's hair with scissors.

...and...

Using acrylic paint on the elephant.

Spray painting the elephant.

As the activity progressed, the ideas that the group created became more absurd and in most cases violent, including:

Using a lawnmower on the monkey.

Dump it into a vat of acid.

...and...

Make the elephant join a tribe, so it is forced to paint its own body.

Hydro dip the elephant.

The meaning behind this activity extends beyond a simple, fun exercise. It introduced the concept of "divergent thinking". This involves non-linear thinking in which ideas can be produced in a spontaneous way. It is essential to incorporate divergent thinking into a creative process as it encourages free-thinking and brainstorming skills. As it will become a consistent skill through out the action project, it is essential that students understand where it is applicable.

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Lesson 2, Tuesday, 21/07/2020

As previously mentioned, the first lesson was spent on activities relating to divergent thinking, including ridiculous hypothetical situations to aid in these (shaving the monkey and painting the elephant). This lesson, the same concept was re-enacted, where groups would illustrate skills relating to divergent thinking through strange circumstances. However, the situations that were provided to students contained more restrictions, including:

1. Coming up with a way to help people use a mobile phone when they don't have any arms.

2. Get a monkey to paint your house.

3. Get a cat to wash your car.

4. Devise a way for a blind person to play golf without assistance from others.

Of course, many of these hypothetical situations contain absurd elements but are more limited in terms of how they can be addressed. For example, "shaving a monkey" is extremely broad and thus can be done a variety of ways. However, trying to "get a monkey to paint your house" is limited by the intelligence of the monkey and the communication barrier. Therefore, when undergoing a brainstorming session to create solutions to these problems, a more reasonable approach should be taken, whilst also implementing divergent thinking.

Our table group was assigned the fourth problem, being to "devise a way for a blind person to play golf without assistance from others". The immediate idea was to implement 21st-century technology, such as drones and artificial intelligence. This lead to the concept of using smart technology within a golf ball, such as a GPS relative to the position of the person playing golf.

When the ball is launched, a tone will begin to play in intervals. Then, as the player approaches the ball, the intervals will shorten until they are extremely close, notifying the player of its location.

While this was a practical solution, it still contained a significant flaw - the player would remain unable to hit the ball correctly. Using divergent thinking, a multitude of solutions were created, although many of them were not applicable, as the situation states that they must be able to play independently. This signifies the importance of both divergent and convergent thinking, where they are both necessary to determine the most successful solution to a problem. Regardless, a resolution was eventually developed for the issue mentioned earlier regarding the player being unable to hit the ball.

The golf club was altered to contain the ball itself - the end of the club was spring-loaded so that when a trigger is pulled, the ball would be launched at an immense velocity. This would replicate the ball being launched through a traditional swing of the club.

To conclude, while divergent thinking is a fundamental skill in producing the answer to a problem, the limitations and requirements of a situation should also be considered, or else the solution may contain substantial flaws.

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Lesson 3, Thursday, 23/07/2020

Why was the iPhone created? (i.e. what were the flaws with similar products?)

The market for portable phones before 2007 was relatively unchanging. Most phones had mechanical keyboards, small LCD screens and keypads. The companies that produced these primarily included Nokia and Blackberry. While these were sufficient products, they lacked many of the capabilities that are associated with phones today, such as the touch screen, the camera, and internet access. A significant development in the standard mobile phone would have incorporated all these listed aspects, and that was what the iPhone fulfilled.

How does the iPhone create a positive impact for users? (i.e. how does it improve life, make a task easier etc).

There were issues surrounding portability at the time - the phone could generally only call and message, and thus for most people it was necessary to use other devices such as laptop computers, music players and cameras. By combining the primary functionalities of these devices, the iPhone acts as a highly convenient device that can fulfill the need for the other electronic appliances.

What has studying the iPhone revealed to you about the ‘Importance of Empathy’ in innovation and finding a problem worth solving?

In order to create a product that fully appeals to an audience, there has to be a sense of empathy, meaning that the needs of the audience must be considered. Any recurring issues with a product that affects the audience are an excellent motivator to create an innovative product.

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Lesson 3, Thursday, 23/07/2020

Selected product to research:

The selected product was Thomas Edison's final model of the light bulb, which was a lamp with a carbon filament.

Why was it created? (i.e. what were the flaws with similar products?)

It was created to find an alternative for equivalent lighting methods at the time, which mostly included gas lamps and oil fires. While these products were relatively effective, they were difficult to use on a mass scale and often the resources to create them were difficult to obtain (i.e. whale oil). In addition, many of these lighting methods were dangerous, involving fire and potentially hazardous materials. An alternative lighting method that included a new and progressive technology would have been an excellent advancement, which is what Edison's final model of the light bulb fulfilled.

How does it create a positive impact for users? (i.e. how does it improve life, make a task easier etc).

The electrical light bulb is much more easily controlled than other lighting methods, and thus it was generally seen as safer (although electrical fires were still a possibility). The lighting did not have to be manually turned on or off via the flow of gas or fire ignition, but rather through a simple switch mechanism, which led to a more convenient method of lighting. Additionally, the electrical components used to produce the lamp opened up possibilities for not just lighting purposes, but other applications and thus newer advancements could be made.

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Lesson 2 - Lesson 3
Tuesday - Thursday
28/07/2020 - 30/07/2020

These two lessons were primarily spent analysing the show Shark Tank. It followed a simple premise - an entrepreneur would advertise their business in an attempt to receive additional funding and mentoring to a panel of five people, each with a successful corporation.

Several aspects of the show were analysed:

What were traits consistent between successful pitches?

What were traits consistent with failed pitches?

What aspects of a business should be emphasised to the panel?

In order to correctly respond to each of these questions, students employed a "PMI" thinking exercise. PMI is an acronym for plus, minus and interesting. The thinking routine is somewhat self-explanatory - the positive, negative and interesting aspects of an object or service are outlined. This activity was then applied to the three Shark Tank presenters that we viewed so that we could discern the characteristics of an ideal marketing pitch.

Market Pitch #1: Jack, Daniel, Lochie and Samuel - JAR Education

Plus

All the presenters appeared confident and were concise with their speech, which gave the impression of competency.

They appeared knowledgeable in their industry (being drones and aerospace).

The presentation was highly formal, implying a sense of professionalism.

Minus

They kept many aspects of their business confidential from the investors (such as sales figures and profit margins). This deterred the investors from backing their business, as the reliability of the pitch was compromised.

While confidence is an essential skill when presenting, there were times in which the presenters appeared arrogant, which is obviously an unlikeable trait.

They often confused the ambitions of their subsidiary business and their primary business, being JAR education and JAR aerospace respectively. This led to an unclear business goal, which diminished the interest of the investors.

Interesting

As previously mentioned, the presenters were confident, but in some areas, they came off as narcissistic. It is interesting to note how the presenters must have a balance in how their confidence is exuded.

It is interesting to see how the investors are able to outline each flaw. For example, they identified that the presenters were only revealing their net income and not the calculated profit.

Market Pitch #2: Irina Zikner and Lilly Stesin - ILoveEarth

Plus

While the market pitch was highly informal, the presenters compensated with enthusiasm and easily comprehendible language.

There was a sense of mother-daughter bonding between the two presenters that came off as genuine, which is appealing to the investors.

Minus

The product was not correctly researched - there were cheaper alternatives for sale online with arguably better designs.

The factory production of the product was considered too expensive in comparison to other similar items.

The informality of the presentation hindered the credibility of the performers, as in some instances they appeared uneducated.

Interesting

Referring back to the JAR education pitch, the presenters gave the impression of overconfidence and arrogance as they failed to limit their confident appearance. A similar phenomenon occurred with the ILoveEarth pitch, where the presenters appeared unintelligent due to their highly casual image.

Market Pitch #3: Caroline Africh  - Things 4 Bubs

Plus

Similarly to the JAR education pitch, the presenter was confident in her mannerisms and speech, giving a distinguished and competent impression. However, she did not appear narcissistic, as she did not "oversell" the product or exaggerate her success.

She involved a new method of marketing, which is to supply local individuals, who could then re-sell to a broader audience.

The aim of the business was apparent - the products were designed to care for small children in many aspects of life, from clothing to toys and even tools to help calm children.

It had a theme of female empowerment, and that her product was able to help mothers around Australia who were caring for children. This is an excellent business model to have and appeals to investors.

Minus

While her mode of marketing was unique, it did present some possible issues, and thus if the investors were to back the project, they might have to alter the methodology.

Interesting

The products were not inherently innovative - many appeared to be simple clothing articles and toys. Instead, the presenter was essentially attempting to sell how she marketed the products (where she would distribute products to mothers, who could then sell locally).

By thoroughly analysing each entrepreneur presentation on Shark Tank, there were a few discernable elements that contributed towards a successful pitch. Firstly, there should be a balance in the mannerisms and speech of the presenters. For example, they should be formal, but not too formal that their pitch becomes unclear. Equally important, having a casual aspect to the business presentation can aid in conveying a message, but being too informal will result in seeming ignorant and unprofessional.

In addition, the correct statistics should be provided to the investors. It is inefficient to provide information such as the net income without the total profit, and relevant figures should be outlined explicitly with no estimates being made. In many circumstances, he presenters either approximated a value (for example, they would regard the total profit as "a lot", instead of giving an exact number and timespan ) or lacked the statistic overall, which led to a poor appearance in regards to business competency.

Understanding the fundamental aspects of a market pitch will be highly applicable in the future of action project, as when the market expo occurs, these presentation-related skills will heavily contribute to a successful pitch.