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SPS Product Launch

May 02, 2023

SPS Class Presentations: Students Showcase Innovative Product Strategies with Marketing and Sales Focus

CMU-SV students present innovative software product strategies in their final projects for the Software Product Strategy class

By Utkarsh Khandelwal

The Software Product Strategy (SPS) class at CMU Silicon Valley, recently concluded with students presenting their final projects. These projects were a continuation of the Product Definition and Validation (PDV) class, where students created a customer-validated product
definition with a development roadmap identifying the features and functions of their product. They also completed a market study, which included a preliminary competitive analysis against other products in the market.

In the SPS, students continued their projects focusing primarily on marketing and sales issues. This involved identifying potential partners to assist with engineering, financial services, marketing, sales, and support. They also analyzed the technical feasibility and potential challenges of building the defined product, refined the product roadmap based on engineering estimates, positioned the product in the market, identified target customer groups, created a marketing plan, identified sales channels, and described revenue models.

During the final presentations, the students showcased their hard work and innovative ideas. Here are some of the projects presented by the teams:

Explore student projects below:

Contentify 

Creating a marketplace for musicians and artists to share talent and get hired.

Contentify is a digital platform that enables musicians and artists to showcase their skills and connect with potential clients. By offering a marketplace for creative services, Contentify streamlines the hiring process for both parties involved. Whether you're looking for a musician for a gig or an artist for a commission, Contentify has you covered.

Contentify Headshots
Contentify: Arya Mihir Singh, Bhavya Paliwal, Shikha Charadva, Meihui Jin

Bhavya Paliwal shares, "Our platform aims to connect musicians and artists with opportunities to showcase their talent and get monetised. We provide a platform for artists to upload their portfolios and for businesses and individuals to hire them for events or projects."

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Commute Buddy

A ridesharing app to help college-going students in their daily commute.

Commute Buddy is a ridesharing app specifically designed for college students, aimed at making their daily commute to and from campus much more convenient. With features like real-time ride tracking, safety alerts, and a user-friendly interface, Commute Buddy ensures a stress-free and reliable transportation experience. Say goodbye to the hassle of navigating public transport or dealing with the high costs of solo ridesharing - Commute Buddy has got you covered!

Commute Buddy Headshots
Commute Buddy: Rahul Goyal, Maneesh Sharma, Aastha Kedia, Sarvesh Agrawal

Aastha Kedia shares, "Our app aims to provide a safe and affordable mode of transportation for college students. We partner with universities and student organizations to provide a reliable and secure platform for students to share rides."

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OptiHawk

Using Generative AI to solve challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the digital advertising space.

Optihawk is a cutting-edge solution that harnesses the power of Generative AI to address the challenges encountered by entrepreneurs in the digital advertising realm. By leveraging advanced algorithms, Optihawk helps businesses optimize their ad campaigns, increase their ROI, and enhance their marketing efforts. With Optihawk, entrepreneurs can unlock new levels of success and drive growth in their businesses.

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Optihawk: Anmol Jain, Anoop Shanmugan, Niharika Sunkara,
Tejaswi Gattupali, Utkarsh Khandelwal

Tejaswi Gattupali shares, "Our product aims to provide personalized, targeted advertising for small businesses at an affordable price point. With integrated generative AI to create unique ad content, and automated ad optimization it can maximize the results for marketing dollars spent."

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STEM Mentor

An online learning platform for women who want to transition into the software industry.

A one-stop solution for women who want to transition into the software industry. Our product is an online learning and mentorship platform with end-to-end and personalized recommendations and mentorship from the most relatable experience mentors and experts in the career’s goal through an AI matchmaking system.

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STEM Mentor: Ann (Thitiporn) Rojsurakitti, Sherrie (Yixin) Cao,
Faraz Raman, Gulden Zhukibayeva, Julia (Yi-Husan) Wang

Thitiporn Rojsurakitti shares, "Participating in the SPS has allowed us to gain practical experience in the product development process. The STEM Mentor project idea is particularly exciting because it addresses the important issue of increasing the number of women in the software industry, knowing that the project could make a real difference in the lives of women who want to transition to a software technology career."

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The Software Product Strategy (SPS) class at CMU Silicon Valley led by Professor Tony Wasserman proved to be an enriching experience for the students. The class gave students the opportunity to take their product ideas to the next level and address marketing and sales challenges in addition to product development. Through the final presentations, the students demonstrated their creativity, technical skills, and ability to think strategically about business issues. The projects presented, such as Contentify, Commute Buddy, Optihawk, and STEM Mentor, showcased the breadth and diversity of ideas that the students brought to the class. Overall, the SPS class was a valuable experience for students looking to further develop their skills in product management, marketing, and sales.



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