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Youth AI Founders Camp

Day 3: Define Your Problem & User Goal

Narrow 3 raw ideas into 1 razor-sharp problem statement and build a rich target user persona using the 5-Whys Root Cause Framework and 60-Second Peer Pitch Simulator!

Ages 10–18 60–120 Mins Problem Discovery Lab
1 Idea Funnel Matrix 2 "5 Whys" Root Cause 3 Persona Canvas Studio 4 60-Sec Peer Pitch 5 Locked-in Output 6 Facilitator Guide

Day 3 Learning Roadmap

1️⃣
Idea Funnel Matrix
10 mins
2️⃣
5 Whys Root Cause
15 mins
3️⃣
Persona Canvas Studio
20 mins
4️⃣
60-Sec Peer Pitch
15 mins
5️⃣
Locked-in Pitch Card
15 mins
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1. Idea Funnel: Narrow 3 Ideas into 1 Winner
⏱ 10 Mins

Founder Wisdom: Ideas are cheap, but focused execution on a high-need problem is priceless! Rate your 3 candidate ideas on User Impact, Feasibility, and Team Passion to find your champion idea.

📊 Interactive 3-Idea Decision Matrix

Type 3 potential startup ideas below and adjust the score sliders (1–10) to automatically identify the highest-scoring concept:

🏆 Ranked #1
User Impact9/10
Feasibility (AI Tech)8/10
Team Passion10/10
Total Score: 27 / 30
Ranked #2
User Impact7/10
Feasibility (AI Tech)6/10
Team Passion7/10
Total Score: 20 / 30
Ranked #3
User Impact6/10
Feasibility (AI Tech)5/10
Team Passion6/10
Total Score: 17 / 30
Selected Champion Concept:
AI Homework Reminder & Gamified Streak App
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2. "5 Whys" Root Cause Analysis
⏱ 15 Mins

Symptom vs. Root Cause: A surface symptom (e.g., "Students turn in homework late") is just the tip of the iceberg! By asking "Why?" 5 times in a row, you uncover the true systemic or emotional root cause that your AI product must solve.

Interactive "5 Whys" Root Cause Chain

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3. Target Persona Canvas Studio
⏱ 20 Mins

Build a 3D-feeling human persona! Avoid generic descriptions like "Students who study." Give your persona a real name, specific habits, emotional pain points, and current workaround routines.

Persona Attributes Editor

Live Persona Card Preview

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Procrastinating Alex
13 Years Old · 7th Grade
Core Motivations
Wants to get good grades without sacrificing free time...
Pain Points
Gets overwhelmed when looking at 5 separate assignments...
Current Workaround
Writes dates on paper notes that get lost...
Tech Level
High (Uses TikTok, Discord, Roblox daily)
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4. 60-Second Peer Pitch Simulator
⏱ 15 Mins

Can you pitch your locked-in problem and persona in under 60 seconds? Practice using the structured script generator and countdown timer below!

Generated 60-Sec Pitch Script

Auto-assembled from your Funnel, 5-Whys, and Persona Canvas:

60-Second Peer Pitch Timer
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Peer Listener Rubric:
  • Did they state a SPECIFIC persona (not just "everyone")?
  • Did they explain the ROOT CAUSE (not just a surface symptom)?
  • Was it finished within 60 seconds?
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5. Output: Locked-In Problem Statement & Persona Card
⏱ 15 Mins

Meet the people your idea will help! Your summary brings together your startup idea, the real problem, and what your users need. Download it or share it with your teacher.

My idea & user summary

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6. Facilitator Guide & Workshop Schedule
⏱ Instructor Tools
Workshop Execution Timer 60:00

📋 Day 3 Workshop Breakdown

Time Block Module Title Facilitation Focus & Action Items
00:00 - 00:10 Idea Funnel Matrix Guide student pairs to evaluate their 3 candidate ideas and select 1 champion concept.
00:10 - 00:25 5 Whys Root-Cause Drill Demonstrate symptom vs. root cause. Challenge students to go beyond surface excuses.
00:25 - 00:45 Persona Canvas Studio Students build a vivid 3D persona (Goals, Pain Points, Workarounds) in the interactive studio.
00:45 - 01:00 60-Sec Peer Pitch & Lock-In Run peer pitch rounds using the 60-second timer and complete the teams’ work summaries.
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"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions." — Albert Einstein