Validation of the Business Concept – workshop susținut de Prof. Dr. Eileen Weisenbach Keller în cadrul UBB Student i-Lab

Between 18 and 21 May 2026, the UBB Student i-Lab program organized the workshop “Validation of the Business Concept,” delivered by Eileen Weisenbach Keller, Professor of Marketing at the Haile College of Business. The activity aimed to support students in validating and developing business concepts through incubator-style methods and an approach centered on experiential learning.

In her current teaching activity, Prof. Eileen Weisenbach Keller teaches both introductory and capstone courses in Marketing and promotes the direct application of theoretical concepts in real-world contexts. Through the Selling Skills course, students have the opportunity to experience real sales processes and interact directly with the market, turning learning into an active, results-oriented process.

The workshop was designed for students who already had a business concept—whether originating from their own initiative, a family business, or developed within incubator programs. Participants received structured feedback and used tools commonly applied in entrepreneurial settings to validate, refine, and prepare their concepts for competitions and pitch presentations. The focus was placed on market relevance, clarity of the problem and solution, as well as the teams’ ability to effectively communicate the value of their idea to users and evaluators.

On the first day, held on 18 May 2026 between 13:00 and 16:00 in Room 120, participants worked on identifying and profiling end users. Starting from the problem addressed by their proposed solution, students tested their hypotheses by comparing them with existing market alternatives and explored the customer discovery process. With the support of Prof. Keller, teams conducted structured conversations with real or potential users to validate the relevance of the problem, define the target segment, and assess the quality of the insights collected. User profiling was carried out using demographic, psychographic, geographic, and behavioral variables.

The second session, held on 19 May 2026 between 13:00 and 16:00 in Room 120, focused on the development of the value proposition and positioning. Building on the results obtained during the customer discovery phase, participants analyzed the benefits of their proposed solutions in relation to existing alternatives and identified the key differentiating elements relevant to both users and evaluators. The session resulted in the formulation of clear messages and value propositions that could be directly integrated into pitch presentations.

During the third session, held on 20 May 2026 between 13:00 and 16:00 in Room 120, the focus shifted to the relationship between the business concept and the end user. Participants were encouraged to go beyond the functional perspective of the solution and analyze the emotional, social, and belonging dimensions that influence user decision-making. Insights obtained from direct interviews were complemented by AI-based analysis and public data, contributing to the development of strategies for building trust and long-term engagement.

The final day of the workshop, held on 21 May 2026 between 13:00 and 16:00 in Room 120, was dedicated to building a media and integrated communication plan. Participants analyzed how the target audience could be attracted and engaged, following the AIDA framework and using creativity exercises supported by AI tools. The developed ideas were further refined to ensure they could be communicated clearly and effectively support the presentation of the concepts in entrepreneurial contexts.

At the end of the program, teams presented business concepts validated through customer discovery and supported by real market insights, prepared for the next stages of development, Demo Day, and participation in entrepreneurship competitions.