Module 1 & 2

Customer Acquisition & Crowdfunding with Generative AI Toolset

Methodology

The program trains entrepreneurs to acquire paying customers and crowdfund for their business with a personalized approach using Executable Strategies and Generative AI Toolset. Fieldwork activities are required so they can practice, get real outcomes, and replicate the same approach, strategies and toolset in next phases.

Goal: Survive and Sustain

The Program focuses on helping Entrepreneurs to:

  1. Acquire paying customers.
  2. Raise fund from market.

Why?

Failure is most common thing for startups – about 90% of startups fail. Statistics show that, about 10% of startups fail within the first year. According to CBInsights, top 3 reasons why startups fail are:

  • The number one reason is due to misreading market demand – 42% of cases.
  • The second largest reason is due to running out of funding and personal money – 29% of cases.
  • The third reasons is a weak founding team or founders’ breakup – 23% of cases. 

As for the third reason, we believe that a team is not required in our Global EIR Program, as solopreneurs do work well. Having a compatible team is great, but having an unsuitable team is worse. Unless our entrepreneurs have the need to team up, team is not required.

How Strategy and Generative AI can help?

The program focuses on fieldwork activities using Executable Strategies and Generative AI Toolset, to acquire paying customers and crowdfund. Specifically, 

  1. Craft their personalized Storytelling about Why they want to build the business and product. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to get detailed guidance and create Story contents.
  2. Pitch their products to investors for Funding, or to customers to get Pre-orders, aka Presales. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to get detailed guidance on Sales and create Pitch deck. Know how to apply Generative AI tool to master public speaking skills.
  3. Personalize their Personal Marketing strategies and setup Sales funnel to generate sales from new customers and return customers. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to create marketing materials to save time and cost.
  4. Crowdfund for their business by Reward-based tactic or Presales tactic. Know how to apply low-cost Marketing tactics and leverage available Crowdfunding platform to fundraise from outside circles. Know how to build a Community of backers and turn them into ambassadors and loyal customers. Know how to apply Generative AI tool to write content of the Crowdfunding campaign and understand customer feedback.
  5. Build Sales Funnels with Content Marketing using Story, Images and Video tactics. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to create content.
  6. Build Sales Funnels with Lead Generation using Social Viral Giveaways, Social Events, Email Marketing tactics. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to create content.
  7. Build Distribution system with Omni-channel (online, offline, distributing agents) using Sales pitch and Negotiation skills. Know how to apply Generative AI tool to master Sales pitching skill and Negotiation skill.
  8. Build Training as-a-Service for your associates, agencies, distributors who want to work with you and distribute your products. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to create content.
  9. Build Community of Membership for loyal customers using Social Proof, Webinar and Livestream. Know how to apply Generative AI tools to create content.
  10. Build Network with Business Partners (B2B), Angel Investors, Financiers, VCs. Know how to apply Generative AI tool to master public speaking skills and negotiation skills.

What to expect upon graduation?

Entrepreneurs are required to achieve below Quantified Outcomes:

  1. Launch & Commercialize an MVP, a new business or new product line.
  2. Gain Traction of minimum 1,000 end-users; and generate Sales from at least 1,000 items or 100-500 B2C orders or 10-100 B2B orders (paying customers). 
  3. Raise a minimum Funding of $5,000. 
  4. Be able to personalize their approach to acquire customers and crowdfund, using Executable Strategies and Generative AI Toolset, and know how to replicate the process in the next phases of Growth.

If any entrepreneur cannot graduate, she or he can rejoin the Program in the following Cohort at no cost, until they can graduate with confidence.

Who will be benefited ?

Our Program is open to all who want to build business in FnB, CPG, DTC industry, who (i) have idea but not product, (ii) have no traction yet or no paying customers yet, (iii) solo entrepreneurs or teams with the objective of creating more than 2 jobs in the next 6 months. 

If an entrepreneur is belonged to Underserved category, i.e. low-income, we will support on case by case basis, e.g. we provide partial-to-full reimbursement. Please refer to our FFI@University – Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program.

What to prepare?

Commit to schedule​

Core Module consists of a 12-week program, which is designed as a hands-on, practical and experiential Coaching, based on the Lean Startup Methodology. Entrepreneurs work with industry mentors and experts to go from Ideation to launch their Minimum Viable Product and Crowdfund for the business within set timeline. 

Understand your goals

Entrepreneurs need to clearly understand their goals in terms of life, wealth and business, before engaging in any commitments of time, finance, and effort. Key questions are:

  1. Why do you want to build the business, i.e. what do you want to achieve in terms of Profit, Passion, Purpose? What about your Wealth goal?
  2. What is your Core Power to build the business successfully, i.e. you can survive, sustain and scale?
  3. Who will help you to build the business, i.e. partners, industry experts, mentors? 
  4. How do you plan to build the business? i.e. strategy, roadmap, exit, generational wealth?
  5. Do you plan to scale the business beyond your border? and How?

Understand your industry: F&B & FMCG, CPG & HoReCa, DTC & Omnichannel

Entrepreneurs need to explore suitable industries and opportunities based on their Core Power, identify their own Unfair Advantage, and create solution with suitable business model. Examples of solutions:

  • New Food products are developed based on scientific discoveries and research findings to enhance nutrition and health value.
  • New Lifestyle change services are developed based on scientific discoveries to prevent and mitigate health problems, such as Prediabetes, Obesity, etc.

Setup your fundraising target

Entrepreneurs need to do research and choose suitable Fundraising target which are aligned with their chosen type of business model. 

As per our research, 1 in 3 begin their small business with less than $5,000. Recent research has shown the most expensive small businesses and startups to launch are restaurants, cafe, hotel services needing more than $100,000 to get started. Meanwhile, startups in online retail, lifestyle & wellness services were most likely to get started with under $5,000 in startup costs. 

In our Program, entrepreneurs can set the fundraising target of $$ as much as they want, but we require you to raise a minimum of $5,000. 

Pricing

We offer the Program at $997 per person with 50% off for the second person in the same team. We do offer certain discount or fellowship on case-by-case basis. 

Note: The Program is an IP of Design Your Venture School. The Program’s License Right and Fee are being supported by FHH Japan, Tokyo, Japan. 

Program Content

As Steve Jobs has said, Strategy is top element out of three, besides People and Culture, to build a successful business. Meanwhile, Technology is the key to scale.

Our aim is not just about how much $$ that you could raise or how much $$ in sales that you could make. Our Program is to help you personalize your approach to acquire customers and raise fund using Executable Strategies and Generative AI Toolset, so you could replicate the process in Launch, Commercialization and next phases of Startup journey including Growth and Scale. Throughout the program, you will practically train your own mind and build out your core power, i.e. your expertise, assets and capabilities, make them aligned with your business, and use Generative AI toolset to scale your impact. These strategies in turn will help you not to fail, but survive and sustain in a long run.

Your Execution is the Key to Success of Your Business.

Our aim is not just about how much $$ you could raise or how much sales in $$ you could make. As Steve Jobs has said, Strategy is top element out of three, besides People and Culture, to build a successful business. Meanwhile, Technology is the key to scale.

Our Program is to help you personalize your approach to acquire customers and raise fund using Executable Strategies and Generative AI Toolset. The personalized approach in turn will help you not to fail, and be able to survive and sustain in a long run. 

Just please keep in mind – Your Execution depends on You and Only You. 

Fail
  1. Not enough customers.
  2. Run out of money.
Survive
  1. Determine right market demand.
  2. Start small to gain traction. Target at $5,000. Do not burn money.
Sustain
  1. Monitor market demand. Retest over time.
  2. Replicate recurring revenue stream. Target at MRR > $10,000, or ARR > $100,000.

Launch Your Business with Us

Contact us: hello@aoba.ai

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