Gate 2: Who is the Customer? 

Find Your First Fans 

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Gate 2: Who is the Customer?

Let’s dive into finding your customers

Okay, you’ve got an idea and a team – now, who exactly are you building this for?Gate 2 is all about figuring out your first group of users or customers. We’ll show you how to break the big market into smaller segments, talk to real people to understand their needs, and zero in on your ideal audience (your ‘beachhead’ market). By the end, you’ll know who your true fans are and how to reach them.

Gate Structure

The Gate is divided into several Keys ( Themes), each focusing on a specific aspect of entrepreneurship. Each Key includes readings, discussions, practical assignments, and business-related deliverables.

Themes You’ll Cover

  • Key 1 : Market Segmentation

  • Key 2: Market Research

  • Key 3: Identify Beach Head Market

  • Key 4 : Build End User Profile and Persona

  • Key 5 : Beachhead Market Size

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Applications and Assessments 

The programme emphasises the practical application of each concept through various exercises to be performed both independently and in groups. These activities provide students with opportunities to grasp the concepts and develop their skills.

What you will get from the Gate

  • Learn how to split a broad audience into specific groups so you don’t try to serve ‘everyone’ at once.

  • Get real-world experience interviewing people to test your idea – find out what your potential users actually need or want

  • Figure out your beachhead market – the perfect starting group of customers most likely to love your product.

  • Create a simple customer persona (a mini profile of your ideal user) so you can design your product for a real person, not a faceless crowd

  • Estimate how big your initial market could be – no complicated math, just a clear picture of how many people might be out there waiting for your solution

Certificate and Badges

Students are awarded a certificate upon completion of the gates. They also receive badges upon completing an application related to a specific skill set. 

Badge 1: Customer Detective – for conducting insightful market and end-user research

Badge 2: Market Mapper – for effectively segmenting, evaluating, and selecting a beachhead market

What is required from you

The Gate is divided into several sections, each focusing on a specific aspect of entrepreneurship. Each module includes readings, discussions, practical assignments, and assessments. 

How we support you

We will provide support throughout your learning experience. Your learning Success manager will be available to support you if you have any questions or need any help. You can also schedule one session with a mentor to discuss entrepreneurship questions related to this gate. 

Delivery system

  • Concept Notes

  • Applications Exercises of each Theme

  • Videos Explaining Each Concept by Experts and Entrepreneurs

  • Webinars to discuss the themes with students

  • Thematic Interactive Discussion with the Learners

  • Peer Evaluation

  • Mentorship Session

  • Virtual Class

  • Assessments

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Badges and Skills

Skills

Market segmentation

Primary market research (PMR)

Beachhead market selection

Customer persona building

End user profiling

Market size estimation (TAM)

Interviewing and empathy skills

Hypothesis testing

Bias identification (e.g., confirmation, selection bias)

Ecosystem navigation

Use Case

Identifying and comparing customer groups for targeted outreach

Interviewing users, gathering real-world data, and validating assumptions

Choosing a focused starting market to launch your idea effectively

Creating human-centred representations of target users

Understanding detailed user motivations, behaviours, and demographics

Evaluating the business potential of a chosen market

Connecting deeply with users to uncover true needs

Making decisions based on data, not guesses

Improving decision-making in business and research

Identifying watering holes, partners, and economic buyers

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Real World Applications

  • Building and launching a startup with a clear customer focus

  • Conducting interviews or market validation for school or uni projects

  • Designing marketing or go-to-market plans

  • Applying for internships in product, UX, or market research roles

  • Applying for innovation competitions or incubator programs