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Capstone Project Guide

This guide explains how to plan, build, and present your final team project. It ties together the lessons on Minimum Viable Products and Go‑To‑Market strategy from Module 4.

1. Form Your Team

  • Work in groups of 2–4 interns.
  • Brainstorm problems you observe in your studies or daily life.
  • Use the techniques from Lesson 01 – MVP Definition to interview potential users and rank pain points.
  • Once you choose a problem, summarize it in the business_case_template.md. Submit this brief to your mentor for approval.

2. Plan Your MVP

  • List the minimum features needed to prove your solution solves the chosen pain point.
  • Sketch the user flow and create simple wireframes or mockups.
  • Break features into a backlog of tasks. Limit work‑in‑progress just like we practiced with Kanban.
  • Create a GitHub repository and push an initial README outlining your MVP scope.

3. Build, Test, and Iterate

  • Aim to finish a working prototype by the end of the second week.
  • Collect feedback from at least three people outside your team. Use that feedback to refine features.
  • Write short unit tests for critical logic and document any bugs in issues.

4. Craft Your Go‑to‑Market Plan

  • Follow Lesson 02 – Go‑to‑Market Strategy to outline:
  • Target audience and problem statement
  • Value proposition in one sentence
  • Launch channels (email list, social media, partnerships, etc.)
  • Metrics you will track during launch
  • CRM tracking – plan how you'll log leads and feedback in your CRM, applying Lesson 03 – CRM Hierarchy
  • Keep this plan to a single page of bullets or a lightweight slide.

5. Required Deliverables

  1. Business Case Document – completed business_case_template.md.
  2. Source Code – GitHub repository with clear commit history.
  3. README – setup instructions and summary of features.
  4. GTM Plan – one page or slide describing your launch approach.
  5. Demo Day Slides – use ../media/02_slide_pitch_template.pptx as a starting point. Consult the Demo Day Checklist for slide flow and timing tips.
  6. Live Demo or Recording – 5 minute presentation showing your MVP in action.
  7. CRM Feedback Log – teams must log leads or customer feedback in the CRM and summarize key takeaways.

6. Demo Day Expectations

Each team will present during the final session. Plan for:

  • 5 minutes to pitch and demo, followed by 2 minutes of Q&A.
  • Cover the problem, your MVP features, and brief GTM plan.
  • Show a working prototype—screen share is fine.
  • Submit your slide deck and any demo video link the day before Demo Day.

7. Suggested Timeline

gantt
    title 3-Week Capstone Timeline
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    section Week 1
    Team Formed & Idea Approved    :a1, 2023-01-01, 3d
    MVP Scoping & Wireframes       :a2, after a1, 4d
    section Week 2
    Prototype Development          :b1, 2023-01-08, 7d
    Feedback & Iteration           :b2, after b1, 3d
    section Week 3
    Finalize Features              :c1, 2023-01-18, 3d
    Prepare Slides & Demo          :c2, after c1, 3d
    Demo Day                       :c3, 2023-01-24, 1d

8. Submission Checklist

  • [ ] Business case document uploaded
  • [ ] GitHub repository link shared
  • [ ] Slide deck uploaded
  • [ ] Demo video link (or commit containing artifacts)
  • [ ] README includes setup instructions
  • [ ] Leads and feedback logged in CRM as practiced in Lesson 03 – CRM Hierarchy

Completing these steps demonstrates your ability to take a concept from initial idea through market planning and presentation—skills critical to launching real products.