During my time with the Consulting Group at Virginia Tech (CGVT), I had the unique opportunity to provide strategic advising to early-stage ventures, where my role as a project manager frequently intersected with key aspects of product development. This allowed me to apply strategic thinking to help these businesses scale their operations.
My first engagement involved working with VTThrift, where the core challenge was helping them transition into the digital marketplace. My team and I adopted a customer-centric approach from the outset. We spearheaded comprehensive market research and competitor analysis, diving deep into consumer behaviors and online thrift trends. This wasn't just about data collection; it was about truly understanding the potential online customer's needs and pain points. We then translated these insights into actionable recommendations, iterating through Agile sprints to refine our strategies. Our findings and proposed solutions were regularly communicated through clear presentations to VT Thrift's leadership, which directly informed and enabled them to successfully establish their e-commerce presence, significantly broadening their reach and operational scale.
The following semester, I led a new CGVT team to advise Odyssey Notebooks on launching a product line. Here, my focus was squarely on understanding product-market fit through the lens of the customer. Through dedicated research, we mapped out market gaps and consumer needs, which provided the strategic foundation for their new notebook line. This involved understanding their target audience's preferences and ensuring the new products were positioned for success through user/customer focus groups. Across both ventures, a crucial part of our strategy also involved exploring and implementing scalable solutions, including advising on 3PL (third-party logistics) and broader e-commerce strategies to ensure these businesses could grow sustainably.
