Skip to main content
In this exercise, the AI agent acts as an interviewer assessing the student’s ability to identify a business opportunity and develop it into a business model. The agent presents economic data, guides the student through analysis, and challenges their reasoning throughout.

​
The exercise

The agent will guide the student through two tasks:
  1. Data analysis and opportunity identification: Analyze the graphic presented by the agent. Identify key trends, patterns, or anomalies, and propose one business idea grounded in the data. Be prepared to explain what problem it solves, who the target customer is, and why it qualifies as an opportunity — not just a good idea.
  2. Business model canvas: Sketch out your business model using the Business Model Canvas. Show how the nine building blocks connect and reinforce each other.

​
Recreate this example

You can use the following prompt to configure your own startup ideation agent in Claire Labs. Simply copy and paste these instructions into the agent builder.
Download all files needed to recreate this exercise on https://links.clairelabs.ai/files.
# Role: 
Interviewer for an oral assessment on opportunity identification and business model design. Be direct and challenging. Surface reasoning, don't teach.

# Conduct:
- Tell the student to think out loud throughout. Reinforce if they give bare answers.
- One question at a time. Push back on vague or unsupported reasoning.

## Task 1: Data analysis and opportunity identification

1. Present {{Graphic}}. Ask the student to identify key trends, patterns, or anomalies and explain their market implications.
2. Then ask for one business idea grounded in the analysis. Probe: What problem? For whom? Why is this an opportunity, not just a good idea? What data supports it?

## Task 2: Business model canvas

1. Direct the student to sketch their model on {{Whiteboard}}.
2. Probe coherence across blocks — how they connect, not just what they are. Challenge at least one underdeveloped block.

# Closing: 
Conclude after both tasks. No feedback, scores, or performance hints. The transcript is the assessment record.

**Assessment type:** Oral interview (agent-led)
**Discipline:** Entrepreneurship

# Your Role

You are an entrepreneur scanning for opportunity. The agent will show you a graphic containing economic data. You must analyze it in real time, identify a business opportunity, and develop it into a business model.

## Part 1 — Analyze Data and Identify a Business Opportunity

Analyze the graphic: identify key trends, patterns, or anomalies and explain what they reveal about the market.

Then propose **1 business idea** grounded in what you see. Be prepared to explain:

- What the idea is and who the target customer is
- What problem it solves
- Why the data supports it as a real opportunity

## Part 2 — Sketch a Business Model

Using the Business Model Canvas, outline your idea across all nine building blocks. Show how they connect — not just what they are.

### What We Expect

- Ground your idea in the data, not generic assumptions
- Distinguish between a good idea and a real opportunity
- Use course frameworks accurately
- Show coherence across the Business Model Canvas
- Acknowledge weaknesses in your own reasoning

# How the Interview Works

The agent will present the data, then guide you through both parts. Expect to be challenged on your reasoning, assumptions, and feasibility. Defend your choices with logic, concede minor points when appropriate, and reason through gaps in real time.

The full transcript becomes part of your assessment.

# Grading Rubric

| Criterion | Weight | Excellent (A) | Good (B) | Adequate (C) | Weak (D/F) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Data analysis and interpretation | 20% | Reads the graphic with precision. Identifies the most significant trends, patterns, or anomalies and explains their market implications clearly. Demonstrates strong analytical instinct — sees what matters and articulates why. | Identifies relevant trends and offers reasonable interpretation, but may miss a key insight or stay at a descriptive level without fully explaining market implications. | Describes the data at a surface level. May list observations without connecting them to market dynamics or miss important patterns. | Cannot meaningfully interpret the data. Offers vague or incorrect observations with no connection to market context. |
| Opportunity identification | 20% | Proposes a specific, compelling business idea that flows directly from the data analysis. Clearly articulates the problem, target customer, and why this is a genuine opportunity — not just a good idea. Distinguishes opportunity from trend. | Proposes a reasonable idea linked to the data, but the connection may be loose or the problem definition lacks specificity. Shows awareness of the idea-vs-opportunity distinction without fully demonstrating it. | Idea is generic or only loosely connected to the data. Problem and customer are vaguely defined. Little evidence of analytical grounding. | No clear idea, or the idea has no discernible link to the data presented. Unable to articulate a problem or customer segment. |
| Business Model Canvas coherence | 25% | Covers all nine building blocks with clarity and shows how they reinforce each other. The model tells a coherent story of how value is created, delivered, and captured. Demonstrates systems thinking — not just a list of boxes. | Covers most building blocks correctly and shows some connections between them. May have one or two blocks that are underdeveloped or disconnected from the rest of the model. | Lists the building blocks but treats them in isolation. Little evidence of understanding how the canvas functions as an integrated system. Several blocks are superficial. | Incomplete or incoherent canvas. Major blocks are missing or filled with generic content that could apply to any business. |
| Ability to respond to challenges | 20% | Engages directly with the agent's challenges. Offers substantive responses that advance or sharpen the argument rather than merely restating it. Thinks on their feet and adapts reasoning in real time. | Responds to most challenges with relevant points, but may sidestep harder questions or default to repeating earlier claims. | Struggles under pressure. Tends to restate the original position without developing new reasoning. May acknowledge a challenge without addressing it. | Cannot engage with challenges. Ignores questions, deflects, or responds with irrelevant material. |
| Use of entrepreneurial frameworks and terminology | 15% | Uses course concepts (e.g., JTBD, ICP, value proposition, revenue model) accurately and naturally. Terminology serves the argument rather than decorating it. Demonstrates fluency with the conceptual vocabulary of the discipline. | Generally correct use of entrepreneurial terminology, with occasional imprecision. Concepts are applied appropriately but without full fluency or range. | Limited or forced use of frameworks. May name concepts without applying them, or use them imprecisely in ways that weaken the argument. | No use of entrepreneurial vocabulary or frameworks. Arguments are expressed entirely in everyday language with no engagement with course material. |

## Grading Scale

**A (Excellent)** — Demonstrates mastery across all criteria. Analysis is sharp, the opportunity is well-grounded, and the business model is coherent and defensible.
**B (Good)** — Solid performance with clear reasoning and adequate depth. Minor gaps in analysis, model coherence, or responsiveness.
**C (Adequate)** — Meets minimum expectations. Data is read but not deeply interpreted. Business model is present but underdeveloped.
**D (Weak)** — Significant gaps in analysis, opportunity logic, or model coherence. Struggles to maintain a defensible position.
**F (Fail)** — No meaningful engagement with the task. Unable to analyze data, identify an opportunity, or articulate a business model.
This agent requires you to add media and a whiteboard. In the agents’ instructions, replace both placeholders on the highlighted lines accordingly. For the whiteboard, we recommend drawing a simple business model canvas students can use as template.
Looking for more details?
  • To learn how to create your own agents from scratch, see AI agents.
  • To see how to add your agent to a new assessment, see Assessments.