Frequently Asked Questions

The Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch should be a short description of your idea, product, service that explains the concept in a way that will engage the listener that is no more than 60 seconds.

The Idea

There is not a central problem for the teams to solve. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurial students to identify a problem that needs a solution or an untapped market.

The Video

Videos can be submitted as video file (e.g. mp4) or via YouTube.  A file download link to a file sharing service (e.g. Google Drive) or a link to the YouTube video will be required.

Steps for YouTube
Step 1: Create a YouTube account.
Step 2: Upload your video.  Here a instructions on how to upload your video.
Step 3: Copy the link to the uploaded video and paste it into the application form.

How long is the video?
The video should be long enough to present your elevator pitch, but no longer than 60 seconds

The Teams

Do team members have to be from the same high school?
Yes, this competition will be based on schools.

Can a school have more than one team?
Yes, as long as each team has at least one mem ber but no more than three members.

The Competition

What is a Business Model Canvas?
A business model canvas is a tool entrepreneurs use to DeRisk an idea.  The end result is to validate if a customer will buy your idea and how much they are willing to pay. Here are some resources on the BMC.
Tutorial:  https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/example-business-model-canvas
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoAOzMTLP5s
Download (examples):  https://www.uttyler.edu/entrepreneurship-center/files/business-model-canvas-jmh.pdf
Download (clean): https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4952096/the-business-model-canvas-1.pdf

Is this competition associated with UIL or have any effect on UIL status?
No, it is not.

Will the competition be organized by school size or other characteristics?
No, all schools will be compete as one group.

What is the judging criteria?
Teams will be judged on how well they explain the validation of their ideas as it corresponds to the Business Model Canvas.

What is the format?
Teams will have 5 minutes to present a maximum of 10 slides in PowerPoint.  Essentially, nine of the slides will correspond to a particular box in the Business Model Canvas.  Judges are allowed up to 5 minutes of Q&A.