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NewsWise

WeekWise: One and Two
Class 7. Seven new startup teams. Seventh summer of hard work and fun. We are so excited for a brand spankin' new #bayoustartupsummer!

Our founders have been digging into their businesses, beginning with customers and the value they can provide to their customers. Over the past two weeks, founders have uncovered some key insights and deep learning into:
  • Business models and forming hypotheses around fundamental questions such as:
    • Who are your customers?
    • What job do they want you to get done for them?
    • What customer problems are you helping to solve?
    • What customer needs are you satisfying?
  • Customer discovery and customer interviews: getting in front of customers to better understand their needs, pains, motivations, decisions, etc.; 
  • Refining value propositions;
  • Exploring the different types of market opportunities as it relates to demand, industries, and other key factors;
  • Defining their position in the competitive landscape;
  • Early team dynamics and the common dilemmas founders face; and,
  • Legal considerations surrounding company formation.
We wouldn't have made it through the first two weeks without our community. Our gratitude and kudos to those who shared their knowledge and mentored our founders over the past few weeks:
Brittany Barreto
Pheramor
WeHaveChemistry

Brad Day
DermaVision
RED Labs Class 5

Thomas Fields
GRIND
RED Labs Class 4

Gray Hancock
Decisio Health, Inc.

Lavonne Hopkins
Johnson & Johnson

Kaz Karwowski
Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

Deborah Mansfield
Deborah Mansfield Business Services

Hesam Panahi
Rice University
Matthew Peña
Barolac
OwlSpark Class 3 and 6

Jay Steinfeld
Blinds.com

Andrew Swick
CheckedTwice
OwlSpark Class 1

Chris Taylor
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Alejandro Tortoriello
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Stephen Tsai
Tax Credit Hero
OwlSpark Class 6

Randy Zhou
Blume Laboratories
RED Labs Class 5

PeopleWise: Adam Wulf

Leaning on a background in software development and business, Adam Wulf launched several ventures after graduating from Rice University in 2005, working for several major software companies along the way. He now resides in Houston, Texas where he runs his two companies, Graceful Construction and Milestone Made, and serves as a mentor for OwlSpark.
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TeamWise: auggie

auggie, created by three lifelong friends, is an app for performers and their fans that improves the experience of live event shopping. Their app targets performers of all live events and attendees who wish to support the performer through their merchandise. So for fans, this means no more lines and an endless supply—how awesome!
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WordWise: Overhead at OwlSpark
“It's better with flash but I don't know if I want to flash people all the time.”

“These are my COOL khakis.”

“I'm open to being crushed.”

“If there's anything we learned last week, it's that there's a lot we don't know.”
“He reminds me of a pocket elf.”

“I’m not judging. I’m just witnessing.”

“Q: What is a business model?
A: A business model is a model around a business.”

“I have a mayonnaise belly...it's so white.”

PhotoWise
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