Submission Guidelines

Executive Summary

General Guidelines:

• Every executive summary must have a Cover Page with:
  • Name of the venture
  • Contact details of all team members
  • Complete postal address
  • Name of the business school of the MBA student / alumni
• Use Times New Roman 12 pt font, page margins 1"
• Not to exceed 5 pages (excluding cover)
• Name your file as project name, team leader and school (eg: pathfinder_sarma_ISB) and not as gsvc submission
• Executive summaries to be sent to gsvc@isb.edu

Please download format of GSVC Coverpage - Executive Summary

Contents

The following parameters need to be captured in the executive summary. These are not mandatory, but do provide a framework for better presentation of your business idea.

l. Business Context

• The idea and why its required
• Who will benefit and how

2. The Opportunity

• Customer pain points
• Criticality of the need

3. Your Solution

• Product/ service
• Benefit/ Value, Uniqueness
• Any copyright / IP protection

4. Market Size Estimation

• Target segments, market size
• What each segment looks for
• What they will pay for the solution
• Any test customers/ feedback

5.Competitive Positioning

• Similar products/ services
• Their advantages/ disadvantages
• How does your offering compare

6. Market Strategies

• Market entry barriers
• Entry strategies
• Alliances and partnerships

7. Roll out Plan

• Resources required technology, people, production, promotion etc.
• Implementation schedule, milestones

8. The Team

• The team, fit with the project
• Profile of the management team
• Long term goal

9. Investment Details

• Project cost
• Source of funds
• Show if phased investment is planned

10. Profitability Projections

• Estimated income, profit
• Break even level, IRR, Sensitivity analysis
• How will you/investors realise returns

11. Social Value Proposition

• How will the activities of your venture lead to ultimate social outcome
• Assess inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and goal attainment

12. Tracking the social value

• Specify top three social output indicators that you can measure to ascertain whether your venture is on track in meeting its social benefit objectives

13. Monetise intended social value

• Social Return on Investment
• Establish metrics to evaluate fulfillment
• If outcome is purely qualitative, discuss what it is and how you will know it is happening

14. Social Return on Investment

• Define outputs (directly attributable)
• Translate output into monetary value
• Develop social cash flow

15. Risk Evaluation

• Risks perceived
• Risk mitigation strategies

16. Preparedness for launch

• What has been done?
• What needs to be done?

For further information please email gsvc@isb.edu