Pear VC's Sourcing Programs
A UX evaluation of one of Pear VC’s core college sourcing programs
Skills: UX design
👩💻 Type: Internship
⏰ Timeline: July - Sept 2024
Project Overview
Pear Garage aims to source and build relationships with top undergraduate builders while elevating Pear’s brand at colleges. The program's reputation is influenced by student experience and word-of-mouth.
Problem:
Garage was in a transitional phase, with partners seeking a higher-impact structure. Engagement had been lower than ideal, and alumni feedback highlighted unclear structure, low expectations, and weak community bonding.
Research Goals:
Identify what Garage does well and areas for improvement.
Compare Garage with similar programs to extract best practices.
Provide actionable recommendations for improving engagement, structure, and outcomes.
Research Process
Methods:
Surveys: Collected google form responses from 23 Garage alumni (out of 146 contacted).
User Interviews: Conducted 17 in-depth interviews with past Garage participants.
Competitive Analysis: Evaluated 4 competing programs (e.g., NEO, Unusual Academy, Mayfield) to understand best practices.
Key Findings
What Garage is Doing Well:
✅ Pear is well-known and respected, especially at Stanford.
✅ Students appreciate the friendly and supportive culture.
✅ Some students form strong relationships with Pear investors.
✅ The program provides exposure to VC and startups.
✅ Pear is well-known and respected, especially at Stanford.
✅ Students appreciate the friendly and supportive culture.
✅ Some students form strong relationships with Pear investors.
✅ The program provides exposure to VC and startups.
Challenges Identified:
🚨 Low-touch engagement: Students felt that the program lacked structure and expectations.
🚨 Weak community bonding: Alumni didn’t form strong relationships with their cohort.
🚨 Event redundancy: Many events felt similar to other VC networking dinners.
🚨 Unclear program structure: Alumni were unsure what to expect or what they were supposed to achieve.
🚨 Low-touch engagement: Students felt that the program lacked structure and expectations.
🚨 Weak community bonding: Alumni didn’t form strong relationships with their cohort.
🚨 Event redundancy: Many events felt similar to other VC networking dinners.
🚨 Unclear program structure: Alumni were unsure what to expect or what they were supposed to achieve.
User Insights & Quotes
Low Engagement & Expectations:
“Pear Garage didn’t feel like a serious commitment. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to get out of it.”
“There should be an expectation that you actually build something.”
Weak Community:
“I barely got to know my cohort. The best programs are the ones where you become real friends.”
“Retreats and shared experiences build stronger communities than just a series of dinners.”
Program Differentiation:
“Speaker events were nice, but they weren’t unique. Hackathons and hands-on sessions would be way more valuable.”
“I would have liked structured mentorship and clearer milestones.”
Competitive Analysis & Takeaways
Best Practices from Other Programs:
📌 Unusual Academy: High expectations, structured learning, and a culminating Demo Day.
📌 NEO & Mayfield: Strong alumni networks formed through retreats and hands-on experiences.
📌 Floodgate: Builder Salons that create an active and engaged founder community.
📌 Unusual Academy: High expectations, structured learning, and a culminating Demo Day.
📌 NEO & Mayfield: Strong alumni networks formed through retreats and hands-on experiences.
📌 Floodgate: Builder Salons that create an active and engaged founder community.
Key Takeaways for Garage:
🔹 Implement tangible deliverables (e.g., internal Demo Day).
🔹 Strengthen community bonding with retreats or hands-on projects.
🔹 Offer more structured guidance through mentorship and milestone tracking.
🔹 Implement tangible deliverables (e.g., internal Demo Day).
🔹 Strengthen community bonding with retreats or hands-on projects.
🔹 Offer more structured guidance through mentorship and milestone tracking.
Recommendations & Proposed Solutions
💡 Increase Program Expectations & Structure
Introduce a Demo Day to encourage students to build something.
Require participation in Builder Salons for peer feedback and networking.
Provide students with a clear roadmap of the program.
💡 Improve Community & Engagement
Organize a Kickoff Retreat or bonding event.
Implement small cohort groups to facilitate deeper connections.
Keep alumni engaged through exclusive networking opportunities.
💡 Differentiate Events & Learning Opportunities
Prioritize workshops & hackathons over speaker dinners.
Invite recent PearX founders for practical, hands-on sessions.
Structure events around actionable topics (e.g., How to Pitch Investors).
Impact & Next Steps
Expected Outcomes:
✔️ Stronger cohort bonding → Increased engagement & long-term alumni relationships.
✔️ Clear program structure & expectations → More student commitment & better Pear brand perception.
✔️ More tangible outcomes → Students leave with a project or startup idea.
✔️ Stronger cohort bonding → Increased engagement & long-term alumni relationships.
✔️ Clear program structure & expectations → More student commitment & better Pear brand perception.
✔️ More tangible outcomes → Students leave with a project or startup idea.
Implementation Timeline:
📅 Short-Term (Next 6 Months):
📅 Short-Term (Next 6 Months):
Announce new structured programming and expectations.
Pilot Builder Salons and internal Demo Day.
📅 Long-Term (Next Year+):
Evaluate engagement and iterate based on student feedback.
Consider reducing cohort size for more high-touch mentorship.
Explore funding for higher-budget retreats & networking opportunities.