2020 → 2021: Reflecting on Thesis I

Onto Thesis II with learnings and a fresh mindset…

In a nutshell, the first instalment of my thesis project was tough every step of the way. It was hard to narrow down on a topic that I wanted to explore, communicate it in a way that translated my thoughts well, and define my audience and value props. All of which led to me exploring solution ideas that were a little superficial.

I hope that in this next instalment of Thesis II, I am able to bring more clarity to my project, to begin with — find the right way to talk about the topic and define constraints to my problem space so I can focus on building meaningful solutions.

Where I stand with my thesis project

🙂 Things I feel pretty good about (feeling 4–5/5)

• Topic: I feel good about my thesis topic overall. Well, not really, but I'm trying to remind myself that I chose this topic for a good reason. So yes, from today — I feel great about my topic. I’m tackling the problem of self-criticism or The Inner Critic and am helping people take a more proactive approach towards their wellbeing.
• Research: I think I’m in good shape with my self-criticism findings through some solid desk research, user interviews, and insights from a psychologist.

🤔 Things I need to rethink or rework on (feeling 2–3/5)

• Target audience: Based on the feedback from guest crits and other industry experts, I will be redefining my target audience by narrowing it down further. This will really help make my solution process easier.
• Project scope: Based on the feedback, this is another aspect I will be further scoping down. Bringing awareness to the inner critic, and changing one’s relationship with it are two big chunks that may be hard to do as part of the same solution.
• Value props: Based on the revised project scope, I might have to redefine/split up my value props.
• Competitors: Depending on which part I focus on as part of the scope (awareness or change), I might have to revisit competitors in that space.
• Solution medium: I don't want to limit myself to only thinking about the solution as a website or an app — I will be taking a fresh approach on the solution process to find a medium that fits well for the solution.

😐 Things I am yet to think about (feeling 1/5)

• Business model: Once I have reworked on the section above, I’ll be in a better place to start thinking about my business model.

A fresh mindset

One good thing about starting a new year is that I can trick my mind (hey hey we’re all feeling hungover from 2020) to feeling like it’s a new beginning, a fresh start. Here’s some advice I wrote for myself on how to approach this semester:

• Don’t look for perfection (the best solution, the most efficient process, etc), do the best in the time you have.
• Be prepared to fail, and for things to not go as expected. You’ll iterate, find a new way, and get a better direction each time.
• Don’t worry too much about how others react to your project, believe in what you’re doing, own it, and push forward with confidence. You chose this topic for a reason and know it has the power to resonate.

That’s all for now! Onto Thesis II, wish me luck!