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Lesson 2 of 6Designing and Refining an Idea
Unit 2 · Lesson 2 of 6

Evaluating and Choosing an Idea

Choose between ideas by building criteria from your goals and research, scoring each idea in a table (weighted if some criteria matter more), and then describing the winner in one clear pitch sentence.

5 min read9 practice questionsInteractiveAsk AI about this →

Key things to remember

  1. 1Criteria are the standards you use to judge ideas. Build them from your goals, interests, research and what businesses need.
  2. 2Rate every criterion so that a higher number is always better (a cheap idea scores high on cost to start).
  3. 3Simple score: add the ratings. Weighted score: multiply each rating by its weight as a decimal, then add.
  4. 4Weights are percents that must add to 100%. A weighted score with 1 to 5 ratings is out of 5.
  5. 5Pitch sentence pattern: 'For ___ who ___, our ___ is a ___ that ___.' Make it accurate, concise and compelling.

After brainstorming, Priya and Sam had 24 ideas. They could not do all of them. How do you choose without just picking your favourite? You use criteria. A criterion (one criterion, many criteria) is a standard you use to judge something. When you buy shoes, your criteria might be price, comfort and style. Choosing a business idea works the same way, but you write the criteria down and score each idea fairly.

Building your criteria

Good criteria come from four places: your goals (Do you want to earn money, help people, or learn?), your interests (What do you enjoy?), your research (What do customers say they want?), and what you know about entrepreneurship (businesses need demand, money to start, and time). Most student ventures can use these six criteria.

CriterionThe question it asksWhat a 5 means
DemandWill enough people want to buy it?Lots of people asked for it
Cost to startHow much money do I need before my first sale?Very cheap to start
SkillsDo I already have the skills it needs?I can do it well now
TimeDoes it fit around school, homework and sports?Fits my schedule easily
Fun and interestWill I enjoy it enough to keep going?I would love doing it
ImpactDoes it help people or the planet?A big positive impact
Score every criterion so that a higher number is always better, even for cost.
Make high always mean good
For cost to start, a cheap idea should get a 5, not a 1. If some criteria use 5 for good and others use 5 for bad, the totals stop making sense.
Decision-making model1Define the problem2List the alternatives3Set criteria + weights4Evaluate each option5Choose the best one6Act on the decision7Review the resultExample: which summer venture?Criterion(weight)DogwalkingTutoringCustomT-shirtsLow start-up costweight × 35 × 3 = 155 × 3 = 152 × 3 = 6Profit potentialweight × 23 × 2 = 64 × 2 = 84 × 2 = 8Fits my skillsweight × 14 × 1 = 45 × 1 = 53 × 1 = 3Weighted total252817Score each option from 1 (poor) to 5 (great) on eachcriterion, multiply by the weight, then add. Tutoring winswith 28.
Fig 1The decision-making model: define the problem, list choices, set criteria and weights, evaluate, choose, act and review.

A simple scoring table

In a scoring table (also called a decision matrix), each idea gets a rating from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on each criterion. Then you add each idea's ratings. The idea with the highest total wins. Priya and Sam scored their top three ideas.

CriterionStick With It stickersStudy snack boxesDog walking
Demand453
Cost to start435
Skills533
Time423
Fun and interest534
Impact332
Total (out of 30)251920
Simple scoring table. Each rating is 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

A weighted scoring table

A simple table treats every criterion as equally important. Usually that is not true. Priya and Sam decided demand matters most, because no customers means no business. A weight is a percent that shows how much a criterion matters. The weights must add to 100%. To find a weighted score, multiply each rating by its weight written as a decimal, then add. The total is a score out of 5.

CriterionWeightStickersSnack boxesDog walking
Demand30%0.30 × 4 = 1.200.30 × 5 = 1.500.30 × 3 = 0.90
Cost to start20%0.20 × 4 = 0.800.20 × 3 = 0.600.20 × 5 = 1.00
Skills15%0.15 × 5 = 0.750.15 × 3 = 0.450.15 × 3 = 0.45
Time15%0.15 × 4 = 0.600.15 × 2 = 0.300.15 × 3 = 0.45
Fun and interest10%0.10 × 5 = 0.500.10 × 3 = 0.300.10 × 4 = 0.40
Impact10%0.10 × 3 = 0.300.10 × 3 = 0.300.10 × 2 = 0.20
Weighted score (out of 5)100%4.153.453.40
Weighted scoring table. Weights add to 100 percent, and each cell is weight times rating.
Loading interactive…
Rate three ideas, then change the weights and watch whether the winner flips.
VideoThe video builds a simple decision matrix and then a weighted one, the same two kinds of scoring table this lesson uses to compare ideas.Watch on YouTube

Describing the chosen idea in one sentence

Once you choose, you need to explain your idea quickly. A good description is accurate (it is true and you can deliver it), concise (short, no extra words) and compelling (it makes people want it). A handy pattern is: 'For ___ who ___, our ___ is a ___ that ___.' The blanks are: the customer, their problem, your business name, what kind of product or service it is, and the main benefit.

The Stick With It pitch sentence
For students who carry reusable water bottles and keep mixing them up, our Stick With It shop is a sticker business that sells waterproof, original-design stickers that make every bottle easy to spot and fun to show off.
DesigningRefiningPitchingrepeat asyou learn1. DesigningGenerate ideasResearch their potentialSelect an ideaCreate a prototype2. RefiningAnalyze impactsProduce a budgetProblem solve3. PitchingIdentify how to securesupportDevelop a pitchPresent the pitchFeedback from a pitch often sends you back to designing.
Fig 2Selecting and describing an idea ends the designing stage and leads into refining.

Worked examples

Reveal one step at a time and try to beat it to the next line.

Example 1
Find the weighted score for Stick With It. Ratings: demand 4, cost to start 4, skills 5, time 4, fun 5, impact 3. Weights: 30%, 20%, 15%, 15%, 10%, 10%.
Example 2
In the simple table, dog walking (20) beats study snack boxes (19). Use the weighted table to show that weighting can change the winner between these two.
Example 3
Write an accurate, concise and compelling pitch sentence for the study snack box idea.

Where marks get lost

  • Scoring cost to start so that 5 means expensive, which makes the cheapest idea look the worst.
  • Using weights that do not add to 100%, so the weighted score is not out of 5.
  • Multiplying by the weight as a whole number (30 × 4 = 120) instead of a decimal (0.30 × 4 = 1.20).
  • Picking criteria after you already know which idea you want, so the table just confirms your favourite.
  • Writing a pitch that overpromises ('the best stickers in the world'). Compelling is good, but it must also be accurate.

Flashcards 6

Criterion (plural: criteria)
Scoring table (decision matrix)
Weight
Weighted score
+ 2 more

Practice

1
An idea is rated demand 3, cost to start 5, skills 4. Using a simple scoring table, what is its total?
2
Criteria weights are demand 50%, cost 30%, skills 20%. An idea scores demand 4, cost 2, skills 5. What is its weighted score out of 5? Give your answer to one decimal place.
3
Idea A is very cheap to start. On the criterion 'cost to start', what rating should it get?
4
A team uses four criteria. Three weights are 40%, 25% and 20%. What must the fourth weight be, in percent?
5
Why might the winner change when you switch from a simple table to a weighted table?
6
Match each part of the pitch pattern to the Stick With It sentence.
For ___
who ___
our ___
that ___
7
Sort these ideas from highest to lowest weighted score: dog walking (3.40), Stick With It (4.15), study snack boxes (3.45).
  1. 1Study snack boxes
  2. 2Stick With It
  3. 3Dog walking
8
Name one source you can use to build your criteria (for example, your goals).
9
Which pitch sentence is the most accurate, concise and compelling?

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