SHARE: RECIPE #5 - Food For Good Club

RESEARCH AND PROBLEM DEFINITION

INGREDIENTS

Presentation (Slides 41- 53)
Problem Tree Template
Process Sheet
Video platform link (if online)

Purpose/Goal

To guide participants through researching and defining a problem

Desired Outcomes

Participants develop a clear understanding of primary and secondary research and apply these methods to define their problem in detail.

Serving size:

one group of 2 to 5 people

Preparation time:

10 minutes

Cooking time:

50 min workshop & 30 min teamwork (optional)

INSTURCTIONS

STEP 1: FORMING TEAMS & SETTING IDEAS (5 MIN)

Before starting teamwork, participants need to form teams and choose an idea based on the challenges in the hackathon invitation. Participants will stay in the same groups from now until the end of the hackathon. Some may already have a team and project idea, while others might join alone, either with an idea or just looking to be part of a team.

Here’s how teams can be formed:

Idea Pitches: Participants can share their ideas, and others can join the ones they like.
Skill-Based Matching: Group people based on their skills and interests.
Random Teams: Mix participants randomly to encourage diverse collaboration.

By this stage, everyone should be in a team (or working solo) and have a clear idea of what they’ll develop. It doesn’t have to be perfect—just enough to move forward!

STEP 2: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP (5 MIN)

Begin by explaining the importance of research in entrepreneurship.

Research is a key part of being a successful entrepreneur. Before starting a business or project, you need to understand the problem you’re solving. The better you define the problem, the better your solutions will be!

When you take time to research, you learn more about your customers, the market, and what makes a great product or service. This helps you come up with better and more creative ideas, avoid common mistakes, and make smarter decisions.

So, if you want to improve your project and make it stand out, start by asking questions, gathering information, and thinking deeply about the problem you want to solve. Research makes everything easier and helps you turn your ideas into something real and successful!

Introduce types of research:

Desk Research: Gathering existing information from sources like the internet, books, or media.
Field Research: Collecting new information directly, usually by asking questions through interviews or surveys.

STEP 3: PROBLEM TREE ANALYSIS- MAPPING THE PROBLEM (15 MIN)

Introduce the Problem Tree Template:

Trunk: Basic information about the problem (e.g., scope, who is affected, and the extent of its impact).
Roots: Causes of the problem (underlying factors or contributing issues).
Branches: Consequences of the problem (effects and who suffers from them).

Ask participants to start with desk research by browsing online resources. They should find facts, figures, and relevant data, filling in the Problem Tree template.

STEP 4: FIELD RESEARCH (5 MIN)

Ask participants to create 4 questions that they could use for the field research and invite them to continue their research after the session by interviewing people in their local community or creating a social media survey to gather firsthand insights. They can add this new information to the Problem Tree Template.

STEP 5: PROBLEM STATEMENT (10 MIN)

Once participants have mapped out the problem and explored possible solutions, ask them to create a one-sentence problem statement that clearly defines the issue based on their research.

Template: (User/user characteristics) NEEDS (User Need) SO THAT (User deeper desire)

Example: People who care about sustainable food need a shop where they can buy locally sourced, eco-friendly food products, so they can support the planet while nourishing themselves and their families.

STEP 6: THINKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS (10 MIN)

After mapping out the problem, it’s time to focus on possible solutions. Most teams already came with the idea or have an idea in mind, but through research and discussion, that idea may evolve. Some teams might refine their original concept, while others might pivot entirely after realizing their initial idea won’t work. It’s important to encourage flexibility, allowing teams to adjust and improve their solutions as they gather more insights into the problem.

For teams that are struggling to define their idea or have realized their initial idea isn’t viable, you can guide them by encouraging inspiration. One way to do this is by exploring existing solutions within the same industry or related fields. Looking at how similar problems have been tackled can provide valuable insights and spark new ideas. They can do desk research on existing solutions, finding out who else has addressed this problem, how their solutions work, and how effective these solutions have been.

Teams should also understand that their solution doesn’t need to solve 100% of the problem. Instead, they can focus on a specific aspect, whether that’s addressing a cause, a consequence, or a particular part of the issue. The key is to stay open to change and let the idea develop naturally based on research, feedback, and real-world constraints.

STEP 7: TEAMWORK (30+ MIN)

If time, conditions and structure of your event allow, give your participants time for teamwork to continue working on the field research. For example participants can work on field research and refine their problem statement based on real-world insights.

Suggested Activities

Create Research Questions: Teams brainstorm key questions to better understand the problem and user needs.
Talk to People: Conduct interviews with community members, professionals, or potential users. If in-person isn’t possible, use phone or video calls.
Run a Survey: Design a simple online or paper-based survey to collect broader feedback.
Check Assumptions: Compare initial ideas with research findings to confirm or adjust them.
Refine the Problem Statement: Update the problem statement based on insights gathered.

This process helps teams build stronger, user-focused solutions based on real data.