Rev-Up

Explore revenue generating opportunities to take control of the trajectory of your software solution through Rev-Up!

Teams participating in Rev-Up receive one-on-one time with sustainability experts and may be eligible to receive development support from skilled engineers and makers.

Rev-Up is a program designed for teams that are:

  • Interested in generating revenue for their project
  • Open to and recognize the need for support to apply sustainability strategies
  • Eager and enthusiastic community builders
  • Willing to pivot to new opportunities as they arise

 

On-Ramp: Learn about controlling the destiny of your projects with alternate revenue models

When: May 3-6, 2022 | 9 am - 3 pm PDT
Where: San Diego Supercomputer Center

Have you:

  • ever wanted to set your own agenda without applying for a research grant? 
  • wondered how to stabilize your team in the face of unpredictable funding? 
  • desired to have the results of your research provide value to a larger audience?
  • been confused about how to price a service or product you are considering creating?

All of the above questions relate to sustainability. On-Ramp will help you develop answers!

On-Ramp is a short but intense course that will drive your team to evaluate revenue generation with a view toward parallel or replacement funding streams. Through this workshop, teams will complete exercises and discussions with an end goal to articulate the expectations and aspirations you have for your products, services, or other revenue-generating models. On-Ramp is like a startup incubator, but  takes into account the often difficult issues around revenue generation in an academic, mission-based setting. 

On-Ramp is open for all leaders and team members of San Diego Supercomputer Center projects. Brought to you by the Rev-Up program, you will learn from sustainability experts with over 20 years of experience working with academic projects on revenue-generation strategies. On-Ramp is the entry point to working more intensively with the Rev-Up program. Following the program, some teams may be eligible to receive additional support in the form of consulting and/or possible future investment.

Interested in attending the May 3-6, 2022 session? Email us at revup@sdsc.edu before April 29th!



On-Ramp Stages

Participants will move through these stages in the program.

Pre-work:

  • Reading assignments will include short case studies and reports that help the group to start off with a common set of reference points for discussion.
  • A brief survey will encourage participants to share with the instructors some current information about the status of and aspirations for their project (this may require some internal data gathering and/or discussion)
  • Napkin Drawing Exercise. Teams will be asked to undertake a “napkin drawing” following a simple set of instructions, and to submit the drawing to us before the start of the course


Day One: Defining the Product/Service | 9 am - 3 pm PDT
Topics and exercises on this day are designed to help participants articulate the core value of their work, with a focus on how it does - or could - provide value to customers (or other paying users, members, etc..), by defining the problem it is intended to solve.

Day Two: Maximizing the Value of the Product/Service (Audience/Environment) | 9 am - 3 pm PDT
Sessions on Day Two encourage project teams to zero in on how their product or service provides unique value to a specific group (or groups) of users. More important, these sessions encourage both some creative, aspirational work, to identify how you hope to position your product/service in the larger marketplace; and then some honest stock-taking about your current position in the landscape, how much you know about your potential users, and what you still need to learn about them for your product/service to be a success.

Day Three: Converting Value to Revenue | 9 am - 3 pm PDT
On Day Three, we explore a range of revenue models and start making some educated guesses (“projections”) about the potential revenue they might be able to generate. A key element of this day will include identifying the factors that “must be true” in order for the chosen revenue path to be a success. This will help your team in the work you will do following the course, to test these ideas, and determine if the effort necessary to undertake the revenue-generating activity will be worth it.

Day Four: Pitch Your Plan! | 9 am - 12 pm PDT
On the final day, we ask all teams to present their best “pitch” to the group, your vision for what you see as the most likely, most profitable path for revenue generation, given what you know now. Your pitch will highlight the potential revenue-generating strategy, the people it will depend upon for its success, and the best-case financial scenario, if all goes to plan! It will be somewhat aspirational at this point but will include as much evidence as possible, pointing out areas you may need to understand better before undertaking the work to implement this model.

 


Interested in learning more?

Watch this example of interactive sessions to learn more about the Rev-Up program and On-Ramp.