[[2025-08-10|25-08-10]] Assignment Overview: In principle, this is a simple assignment: First, identify a market need and a potential solution that has an ops component. Second, pitch your idea. Your target persona for this pitch is a venture investor and your objective is raising (typically) a first round of funding. Some examples of start-up sectors that fit the paradigm of having ops as a central component include customer service and process automation (Moveworks, Observe.ai, 6sense, Gong.io); the sharing economy (Uber, AirBnB, Instacart, Grab, etc.); healthcare (Abridge, Babylon, Ada, Buoy, 98point6, etc.); food and food service (Toast, Presto, OfOne, VirtualDiningConcepts, CloudKitchens, Miso Robotics etc.); supply chain and logistics (FourKites, Project44, Covariant) and so forth. It is worth noting that GenAI is driving a new automation wave across many of these sectors. If you’re in doubt whether your idea is a fit, ask the teaching team. The notion of an ‘ideal’ pitch deck does not exist. If you have not had the opportunity of creating one in the past, we suggest you look to online resources. Most VC firms will have resources on what they expect from their entrepreneurs in a pitch; for example see: [https://www.ycombinator.com/library/2u-how-to-build-your-seed-round-pitch-deck](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/2u-how-to-build-your-seed-round-pitch-deck) or [https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/writing-a-business-plan/](https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/writing-a-business-plan/). In addition, your instructor will also share a format that he has cobbled together over the years and successfully used while raising capital himself (note that this latter deck includes components not relevant to early fund raises, so do not view it as a strict template). Finally, we will share successful pitch decks from previous years.