Explanation & Justification 

Problem: 

I know that this is a big issue for many students, especially new incoming freshmen, that wish they had someone to help them with the stress of being in this new setting with so many unknown people. I believe that I am not the only person that has felt this way in the past and might still be feeling this way when it comes to interacting with people you don’t know. I speak from experience because this is exactly how I felt when I first arrived at college, wishing I could run back home to the people I’m familiar with.  

Solution: 

The reason why I believe the solution will work is because the only way these students are going to break out of that panic state is by having someone that is going through the same thing as them by their side. I believe people need to feel connected to others in order to understand exactly what their emotions are and what is the best thing they can do about it. By using this app, students will have the opportunity to connect with people without having to go through the awkward stage of walking up to someone in person. They will have the chance to chat with someone through here before meeting in person and realize if this is the right platform for them.  

Unique value proposition: 

This service provides unique value to the customers because its attributes simplify creating connections for students with little to no effort. These features also help with the anxiety that can sometimes occur when having to meet someone in person.  When they are placed in their pod, they will feel like they truly belong somewhere and have hope that they can make friendships and don’t have to go through this alone.

Unfair advantage:  

The algorithm created for the app will be unknown for everyone except the creator of the app.

Customer segments: 

This app is specifically for new incoming students and undergraduates in general. I believe these are the most vulnerable groups of an educational institution due to all the hardships they will have to endure for the next few years of their lives.

Existing alternatives: 

Now a days there are other alternatives to how students can interact with other students at their school. I believe these activities are not as effective as this app would be because they have existed for a long time and this issue of loneliness and fear of new incoming students hasn’t been resolved by them. For example, with group projects, some students will still be a little apprehensive with their teammates and decide to do their part of the project individually making it impossible for a connection to be created.

Key metrics: 

The app will show certain performance measures like, how much time it is spent on the app, because we want to be able to know how students are interacting on there, if they’re making connections within their pod or if they choose to connect with someone outside their pod, this is also possible. We want to know this information to see if any changes have to be made within the app or if anything must be improved. It will also have the option for the student to let us know if they have met someone else from the app in person and this will give us a better insight into whether the app is effective or not.  

Channels: 

There is different types of ways to let the students know about this amazing opportunity, whether it is hanging up posts around the school or setting up an email list, the main objective here is to let the students know about this amazing app they can use to connect with other students that will make their lives easier and a little bit less scary.  

Early adopters: 

It makes sense that this app targets new incoming students and undergraduates. They are the ones who are going through this issue and need to have the opportunity to interact with other students.

 

Customer/Business assumptions 

• For this service to be brought to life and work to its maximum potential, the students have to be the priority. It must add value to their lives for them to see this platform worthwhile using. I believe this service will be successful because this app does just that. It finds connections for the students that dream of that special interaction with other people that feel just as overwhelmed and lonely as they do. They long for a helping hand and a friend who is going to emotionally help them get through some hard times because having someone by your side will make everything feel a little bit easier.

• Another reason why this will be successful is because the many features offered on the app are exceptionally great. It will incentivize the students to continue to use the app if they believe this platform is truly working for them. They will get some perks for staying active and interacting with others through the app. At the end of the day we just want to alleviate their pain and them feel as happy as we can.