Venture validation
Use market intelligence, business model validation, and unit economics to turn assumptions into evidence.
Domain 01 / Capabilities 001–012
Venture Strategy
Turn opportunities into evidence-based venture strategies, business models, market plans, and investment decisions.
Explore the capabilities
Twelve capabilities. Four connected areas.
Understand the opportunity. Decide how to enter the market. Determine whether it is working. Prepare it for outside support and capital.
Capability Area 01
Opportunity & Intelligence
001Competitive & Market Intelligence
Research, structure, and interpret market, competitor, and ecosystem information to identify opportunities, threats, positioning gaps, and strategic implications.
Typical Work Units
- Define intelligence question and research scope
- Establish market boundaries
- Identify relevant competitors
- Build competitor profiles
Typical evidence
Competitive matrix · Market map · Competitor profiles · Research brief · Strategic recommendations
002Business Model Design & Validation
Design, document, test, and refine how a venture creates, delivers, and captures value.
Typical Work Units
- Define customer problem
- Articulate value proposition
- Identify customer segments
- Map channels and relationships
Typical evidence
Business Model Canvas · Assumption register · Validation findings · Revised business model · Decision memo
003Revenue Model & Unit Economics
Design and evaluate how a venture generates revenue and determine whether its underlying customer and transaction economics can support sustainable growth.
Typical Work Units
- Identify potential revenue streams
- Compare monetization models
- Establish pricing assumptions
- Calculate customer acquisition cost
Typical evidence
Revenue model · Unit economics model · Pricing scenarios · Break-even analysis · Financial assumptions
Capability Area 02
Market Strategy
004Customer Segmentation & Ideal Customer Profile
Identify, prioritize, and profile the customer groups most likely to experience, value, purchase, or influence a venture's offering.
Typical Work Units
- Define potential customer universe
- Establish segmentation variables
- Analyze customer needs
- Develop customer segments
Typical evidence
Segmentation model · ICP · Persona/profile · Needs analysis · Customer priority matrix
005Go-to-Market Strategy
Design how a venture will reach, acquire, convert, serve, and expand customers within a defined market.
Typical Work Units
- Define launch objective
- Select target segments
- Establish positioning
- Determine channel strategy
Typical evidence
GTM strategy · Launch plan · Channel strategy · Market-entry roadmap · GTM assumptions
006Strategic Partnership Development
Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and develop partnerships that provide distribution, capability, credibility, market access, resources, or strategic advantage.
Typical Work Units
- Define partnership objective
- Identify partner categories
- Build target partner list
- Research potential partners
Typical evidence
Partner landscape · Target list · Partner profiles · Partnership proposition · Pipeline · Draft agreement/MOU
Capability Area 03
Venture Performance
007Venture Performance Management
Define, monitor, and interpret the performance indicators required to understand venture health, progress, and strategic execution.
Typical Work Units
- Define objectives
- Identify key performance indicators
- Establish KPI definitions
- Determine data sources
Typical evidence
KPI framework · Venture scorecard · Dashboard · Monthly performance review · Corrective-action recommendations
008Portfolio Performance Analysis
Evaluate and communicate performance across multiple ventures, projects, or investments to support portfolio-level resource allocation and strategic decisions.
Typical Work Units
- Define portfolio reporting framework
- Collect venture performance data
- Normalize metrics
- Compare actuals against objectives
Typical evidence
Portfolio report · Comparative dashboard · Performance narrative · Executive briefing · Priority recommendations
009Strategic Risk & Scenario Planning
Identify material strategic risks, assess their likelihood and impact, and develop scenarios and responses that improve venture resilience and decision-making.
Typical Work Units
- Identify risk categories
- Document specific risks
- Assess probability
- Assess impact
Typical evidence
Risk register · Scenario model · Mitigation plan · Contingency plan · Strategic risk briefing
Capability Area 04
Investment & Acceleration
010Investment & Accelerator Readiness
Assess and prepare a venture's strategy, evidence, documentation, narrative, and operating readiness for external investment, acceleration, or structured venture support.
Typical Work Units
- Conduct readiness assessment
- Identify evidence gaps
- Organize traction evidence
- Review business model
Typical evidence
Readiness assessment · Data room · Application package · Traction summary · Investor FAQ · Readiness roadmap
011Venture Selection & Cohort Design
Design and operate structured processes for sourcing, evaluating, selecting, and organizing ventures or participants for accelerators, programs, and venture-building initiatives.
Typical Work Units
- Define program objectives
- Establish eligibility criteria
- Define selection criteria
- Create scoring rubric
Typical evidence
Selection framework · Application · Scoring rubric · Candidate evaluations · Cohort roster · Selection report
012Investment Narrative & Pitch Development
Translate a venture's problem, solution, market, business model, traction, team, financial logic, and funding requirements into a coherent investment narrative.
Typical Work Units
- Define investment thesis
- Clarify problem
- Articulate solution
- Establish market opportunity
Typical evidence
Investment narrative · Pitch deck · Executive summary · Investor one-pager · Financial story · Investor Q&A
Application pathways
Applied in venture and project work
Japan market entry
Combine customer segmentation, go-to-market strategy, and partnerships around a defined market.
Venture performance
Use performance indicators and scenario planning to inform the next decision.
Opportunities
Put your strategy capabilities to work.
Explore project-linked participation enquiries. A specific Venture Strategy vacancy or assignment will depend on confirmed project needs.
PARTICIPATION ENQUIRY
Tokyo Voices
Discuss your capabilities, interests, and the work this project currently needs.
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Personal University
Discuss your capabilities, interests, and the work this project currently needs.
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Step Up Japan
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Explore participation →Related Domains
DOMAIN 02
Growth & Brand
Build positioning, demand, acquisition, commercial pipelines, and sustainable growth.
View Domain overview →DOMAIN 06
Finance & Business Operations
Create financial control, insight, planning, and commercial decision support.
View Domain overview →DOMAIN 08
Data & AI
Turn information into intelligence and apply AI where it improves the work.
View Domain overview →