Business Role Play – User’s Guide

Step into the role of a deep-tech founder and experience real business scenarios in a safe, structured, and educational way. These role plays simulate technology transfer and investor conversations and are designed to help participants:

• Understand expectations in the deep-tech ecosystem
• Improve pitching, decision-making, and strategic thinking
• Identify strengths and areas needing improvement

Roles:

• Participant: student, researcher, or founder presenting an idea or early startup
• Mentor / Expert: entrepreneur, investor, or technology transfer officer providing guidance, feedback, and evaluation

These role plays are designed to be flexible and accessible. While the games can be played with real entrepreneurs, investors, or technology transfer experts, this is not a requirement.

Participants can also:

• play the games in pairs,
• switch roles during the session,
• or repeat the game by changing perspectives (founder ↔ mentor).

The educational value lies in stepping into different roles, understanding how decisions are made, and experiencing how expectations change depending on perspective — not in having access to a formal mentor.

This approach allows the games to be used:

• in workshops and classrooms,
• in peer-to-peer learning,
• in self-organised team sessions,
• or in expert-led mentoring formats.

Levels:

• Idea Stage: concept-level thinking
• Early Startup Stage: prototype or spin-off

1. Your Role Description

1. 1. Student/Reasercher.

You play the role of a deep-tech founder presenting your idea or startup in a realistic business situation.
This is not a test and not a traditional pitch competition.

What Is Expected from You

• Explain your idea or startup clearly and honestly
• Respond to questions as you would in a real conversation
• Accept critical feedback as part of the learning process

What You Will Gain

• A better understanding of business expectations in deep-tech
• Insight into how experts think and decide
• Clear signals on what to improve next

How to Prepare

• Know your problem and who it affects
• Be ready to explain why it matters
• You do not need a perfect pitch — realism is valued more than polish

Participant Quick Tips

• Focus on clarity and logic, not flashy presentation
• Be honest about uncertainties and risks
• Accept feedback as a tool for learning, not judgment
• Use the reflection session to note next steps and improvements

1.2. Mentor.

You act as a real decision-maker, not as a lecturer or trainer.

Your task is to simulate:

• a technology transfer conversation
• or an investor discussion

as it would happen in real life.

Do:
✔ Ask realistic, challenging questions
✔ Focus on logic, value, and credibility
✔ Provide honest, constructive feedback

Do Not:
✘ Lecture or teach theory
✘ Solve problems for the participant
✘ “Save” weak ideas
✘ Reward hype or overconfidence

Feedback Format:

• 2–3 strengths
• 2–3 key improvement areas
• 1 concrete next step

2.  How the Game Works

Each game follows the same structured flow:

1. Pitch / Presentation – 4–5 minutes
2. Mentor / Expert Questions & Discussion – 7–8 minutes
3. Outcome / Feedback – 3 minutes
4. Reflection – 5 minutes

At the end of the game, the participant will see which areas are strong and which need improvement, based on mentor evaluation.

2.1. Timing Reference

2.2. Role Responsibilities

3.  Game Descriptions

GAME 1: Lab to Market – Reality Check

Goal: Translate deep-tech research into clear value propositions and assess market potential.

Version A – Idea Stage

Scenario: You have a promising research idea. No company exists yet. A mentor evaluates whether it has commercial potential.

Participant Challenge:

• Explain the problem and why it matters outside academia
• Show potential value without technical jargon
• Receive feedback openly

Mentor Focus:

• Clarity of the problem
• Early value identification
• Entrepreneurial mindset

Version B – Early Startup Stage

Scenario: You have a startup or spin-off with a prototype. A mentor evaluates whether you’re ready for structured market validation or need a pivot.

Participant Challenge:

• Define a clear customer and realistic use case
• Justify commercial focus
• Respond to critical questions professionally

Mentor Focus:

• Customer–problem fit
• Use-case prioritization
• Commercial logic

GAME 2: The First Yes or No – Investor Reality Game

Goal: Understand investor expectations, credibility, and risk awareness in deep-tech.

Version A – Idea Stage

Scenario: You have a concept and want to explore its investment potential. An investor evaluates if it could ever become fundable.

Participant Challenge:

• Present a compelling long-term vision
• Discuss uncertainty honestly
• Respond to challenging questions

Mentor Focus:

• Vision clarity
• Realistic risk assessment
• Strategic thinking

Version B – Early Startup Stage

Scenario: You are seeking early-stage funding. An investor decides whether your startup deserves a second meeting.

Participant Challenge:

• Balance ambition with realism
• Explain risks clearly
• Show the team understands investment logic

Mentor Focus:

• Risk awareness
• Business logic
• Team credibility

4. Evaluation & Scoring

Scale: 1–5 (1 = very weak, 5 = excellent)

4.1. Evaluation Criteria by Game & Stage

Lab to Market – Reality Check

The First Yes or No – Investor Reality Game

4.2. Quick Scoring Guide for Participants

1–2:

Focus on understanding the basics — revisit your idea, problem statement, or pitch logic.

3:

You are on the right track — practice refining clarity and addressing gaps.

4–5:

Strengths are solid — reflect on fine-tuning details and applying skills to real interactions.

4.3. How This Applies to Each Game

Lab to Market – Reality Check

• Problem clarity: Are you clearly defining the customer problem, not just the technology?
• Value beyond research: Can you explain why this idea matters outside the lab?
• Communication without jargon: Is your explanation accessible to non-technical stakeholders?
• Openness to feedback: Do you accept suggestions without defensiveness?
• Entrepreneurial mindset: Are you thinking like a founder, not only a researcher?

The First Yes or No – Investor Reality Game

• Vision coherence: Is your long-term vision logical and compelling?
• Understanding of uncertainty: Do you recognize and address risks realistically?
• Credibility: Do you inspire confidence in your knowledge and decision-making?
• Quality of answers: Are responses clear, concise, and evidence-based?
• Communication under pressure: Can you maintain composure while answering challenging questions?

5. After the Game

1. As a Mentor, reflect on how to strengthen your ability to:

• analyse early-stage ideas critically but constructively
• prioritise feedback instead of overwhelming with suggestions
• communicate clearly, empathetically, and in a solution-oriented way

Develop a mentor mindset that is directly transferable to:

• peer mentoring
• team leadership
• project supervision
• investor, jury, or evaluator roles

2. As a Student/Researcher, reflect on the feedback received and identify:

• which elements are already solid
• which areas need improvement before the next iteration
• Decide what to improve first and why.

3. Role-switching for deeper learning (recommended):

• Replay the game by switching roles to experience both perspectives.
• Optionally replay the game at a higher maturity level, applying lessons learned.

This repetition helps users better understand:

• how ideas are assessed
• how feedback is formulated
• how expectations change as maturity increases

The game is not about finding a “perfect” mentor or idea, but about learning how to think, assess, and communicate from both sides of the entrepreneurial process.