Business Case Template

This worksheet guides your team through capturing the critical details needed to justify your capstone project. Use it alongside Lesson 01 – MVP Definition and Lesson 02 – Go-To-Market Strategy when preparing for mentor approval.

1. Project Information

• Team Name:
• Project Title:
• Primary Contact:

2. Problem Statement

Summarize the key pain points discovered in your user research. Focus on issues that are both frequent and severe. Reference any interviews, surveys, or analytics that highlight why this problem matters.

Example:
Students struggle to track assignment deadlines across multiple learning platforms. Interviews with ten classmates revealed frequent missed due dates and frustration with manually updating calendars.

3. Proposed Solution

Describe how your product addresses the identified problem. Keep the scope lean by listing only the features required for a Minimum Viable Product.

Minimum Feature Set

• Feature 1
• Feature 2
• Feature 3

Value Proposition: In one sentence, explain why users will adopt your solution over existing alternatives.

4. Market Overview

• Target Audience – Who benefits most from the MVP right now?
• Competitor Analysis – What are the closest alternatives and where do they fall short?
• Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM) – Provide rough estimates if available.

flowchart LR
    A[Market Research] --> B[Segmentation]
    B --> C[Competitor Analysis]
    C --> D[TAM/SAM/SOM]

5. Go-To-Market Plan

Outline how you will reach early adopters and measure traction. Prioritize 1–2 channels you can execute well. - Launch channels (email list, social media, partnerships, etc.) - Key messaging or positioning statement - Metrics to track (conversion rate, sign‑ups, direct feedback)

6. Basic Financials

Provide a lightweight estimate of costs and potential revenue. Numbers can be high level—they serve to demonstrate your thought process.

Expense	Estimated Cost
Development tools
Hosting or infrastructure
Marketing/outreach
Other
Total Cost

Revenue Stream	Estimate
Subscription/licensing
One‑time sales
Advertising or partnerships
Total Expected Revenue

Briefly note any assumptions or break‑even considerations.

7. Next Steps

List immediate actions after submitting this document, such as prototype milestones, user testing sessions, or mentor check‑ins.

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Fill out this template as completely as possible. A clear problem statement, focused solution, and realistic financial outline will help your mentor evaluate the viability of your concept.