Generating

opportunities
These evidence-based worksheets aim to help you generate an idea
that you can develop during the semester. Fill out each box with as
many items as you can think of. Think about multiple domains in your
life and different experiences, not just work or education. Be specific
and provide as many alternatives, ideas, and approaches as possible
in each category. Share everything. At this stage there are no useless
or stupid ideas and pieces of information. Don’t be shy. And accept
that this is an iterative process and you may have to return to some of
the stages. That is OK. This is the nature of entrepreneurship.

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 Personal means: Who are you?
This section will help you to identify a problem worth solving
Dreams Values
What do you wish existed to make your life easier/more What matters to you in life?
productive/more enjoyable/more fun/less stressful?

Frustrations Interests
What could be better to make your life easier/more What are you curious about?
productive/more enjoyable/more fun/less stressful?

Grand societal challenges Meaning

What are the big issues in our lives and society that you care What makes you feel like you are making a difference?
about?

Complaints Legacy
What do the people in your life regularly complain about? What would you like to leave behind for future generations?

Problem statement: How do you want to make a difference?

This section aims to help you narrow the problem.
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 Problem statement: How do you want to make a difference?
Wicked problems
Considering everything you’ve shared so far, such as your dream, frustrations, attention to grand societal challenges, what
are the problems you are all passionate to solve? Which issues came up most often? Keep a list of as many meaningful
problems as possible. When you start to refine and research your idea, you may discover that the problem you initially
identified is not a real problem or you may not have a solution. You can come back to this list to select a new problem, thus
saving you some time and effort.

The problem
Considering the above problems, choose the one problem that ignites and inspires you to change the world (in a small or
grand way). For example, while the climate crisis may be a grand societal challenge, this is not a challenge that a single
person can address. But you can contribute to addressing this challenge by being specific and narrowing on a smaller
problem. For example, making active transport more accessible. Be specific and finish the sentence in relation to the problem
you care about:

I want to change how ________________________________________________________________.

Users
Who is this a problem for? Who will benefit the most from a solution to this problem? Who will care most about the problem
or a potential solution? Be specific.

This section will help you to develop different solutions to the problem.
Now, that you have a clearly defined problem with specific users in mind, let’s start to generate some possible solutions. Use the next 3
pages to generate at least three different solutions to the problem you identified on the previous page. The solutions need to be distinct
from each other. For example, if you want to make active transport more accessible and one of your solutions is an app, the other two
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solutions have to be something other than an app. Different solutions will allow you to see the problem from different perspectives and to
test different solutions. You may even find yourself combining some solutions. At this stage, you need to remain open to the possibilities.

Name of solution #1:_______________________________________________

to problem: ______________________________________________________
Solution description Users
Consider your resources and enablers to develop a solution Who will use this solution?
for the problem you identified earlier. How does the solution
work?

Solution sketch Resources

Quickly sketch your solution. Don’t be shy. What do you need to implement this solution?

Method Challenges
How exactly does this solution address the problem? What potential challenges or barriers might you face in
implementing this solution?

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Name of solution #2:_______________________________________________
to problem: ______________________________________________________
Solution description Users
Consider your resources and enablers to develop a different Who will use this solution?
solution for the problem you identified earlier. How does this
solution work?

Solution sketch Resources

Quickly sketch your solution. What do you need to implement this solution?

Method Challenges
How exactly does this solution address the problem? What potential challenges or barriers might you face in
implementing this solution?

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Name of solution #3:______________________________________________
to problem:______________________________________________________
Solution description Users
Consider your resources and enablers to develop a different Who will use this solution?
solution for the problem you identified earlier. How does this
solution work?

Solution sketch Resources

Quickly sketch your solution. What do you need to implement this solution?

Method Challenges
How exactly does this solution address the problem? What potential challenges or barriers might you face in
implementing this solution?

This section will help you to map out your resources.

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To execute any of the solutions developed above in a way that is financially and technologically sustainable, you have to start thinking
about resources very early on. In this section of the workbook you will outline all of the resources you have. This includes intangible
resources, such as skills, as well as tangible resources, such as money, equipment, office space, etc.

Intangible resources: What can help you to create a solution?

Skills Strengths
What skills do you have? What can you do? What comes easily to you?

Knowledge Hobbies
What are your areas of expertise? How do you spend your free time? What skills and knowledge
have you developed through your hobbies?

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 Tangible resources: What do you have or can access?
Taken for granted Given
What resources do you use on a daily basis? What resources can you comfortably ask for from your social
circles?

Forgotten Available
What resources do you rarely use? What resources do you What resources are freely available in your community? What
keep safe? resources do you have access to?

Discarded Afford to lose

What resources do you throw away or are about to throw If you launch a new project/venture at the moment, what can
away? What resources are thrown away by those in your life? you afford to lose?