Use this checklist to make sure you’re ready to apply to the Innovation Pathway. The acceptance criteria for the program is a validated opportunity.

• [ ] Well-articulated problem/opportunity - I can clearly explain the stakeholder, an action or goal the stakeholder is trying to achieve, a pain point or hinderance to accomplishing it, the cause, and the ramifications. I have my own innovative insight to illustrate how I’m personally connected to the opportunity and why I’m excited to explore it.
• [ ] Initial Alternatives Assessment - I have initial understanding of how stakeholders attempt to solve the problem today, and why those approaches aren't sufficient to help the stakeholders achieve the outcome they desire.
• [ ] Opportunity Size Hypothesis - I’ve developed a hypothesis of the potential size of the opportunity. I have an estimate for how many people (or organizations) experience the problem, how frequently it's experienced, how severe the problem is, and whether they’re actively seeking better solutions. I can explain how I arrived at these estimates, citing sources used.
• [ ] Evidence of Demand - I have directly interacted with stakeholders to assess their needs. This is typically in the form of discovery interviews and problem validation interviews. I have had enough first-hand interactions that produced sufficient evidence to be not merely anecdotal. I have documentation on the discovery I have done (e.g. customer interview logs) showing how many people I’ve spoken to, for how long, and what I learned from each.

Once you can check all of these items, create a presentation that you can deliver in ten minutes or less that clearly and thoroughly communicates all the information. You’ll need to upload the presentation with your application (though you’re free to keep refining it before the actual pitch).