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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!

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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

Congratulations! Your team now has a locked-in problem statement and target persona ready for Lesson 4 solution prototyping. Download or copy your Markdown artifact below!

Venture Blueprint Artifact

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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 lock in final Markdown deliverables.
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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