It was an absolute honor to visit Islamic International University Islamabad (IIUI) and conduct the workshop titled “FYP Ideation Workshop: From Concepts to Success.” The energy, curiosity, and talent of the students made this an incredibly rewarding experience. I hope they found the session to be practical and valuable for shaping their Final Year Project (FYP) ideas into impactful solutions.

What made this visit extra special was reconnecting with Shakir Rasheed Khan Khattak, now part of the faculty, and a former colleague from my software house days. Additionally, meeting Dr. Imran Saeed, the esteemed teacher of my own teacher and mentor Dr. Rabeeh Ayaz Abbasi, was a memorable highlight of the day. The deep-rooted connections made this event personally significant.

A heartfelt thanks to the Computer Science Society (CSS), Microsoft Learn Students Club-IIUI, and BlackBox AI – IIUI for organizing this amazing event and for their warm hospitality. The collaborative efforts of these groups set the stage for an inspiring workshop.

Workshop Overview

The workshop delved into the golden circle framework—why, how, and what—to illustrate how two similar products, separated by a decade, succeeded or failed based on their clarity of purpose. The session offered students practical insights into moving from ideation to execution.

Here’s how we broke it down step by step:

Step 1: Starting with IKIGAI

We began by exploring the concept of IKIGAI—a Japanese philosophy that helps align one’s passions and skills with what the world needs.

The students, grouped into teams of 4-6 members, answered these four fundamental questions:

1. What do you love?
2. What are you good at?
3. What does the world need?
4. What can you be paid for?

Teams identified overlaps among these answers to brainstorm ideas aligned with their IKIGAI. For example:

• You love teaching.
• You are good at communication.
• The world needs better education.
• You could earn as a tutor.

This exercise encouraged students to connect their passions with potential solutions.

Step 2: Refining Ideas Using the Lean Canvas

Once teams had their rough ideas, we used the Lean Canvas framework to refine them. This structured approach helped students focus on critical aspects of their ideas, such as:

• Problem Statement
• Customer Segments
• Unique Value Proposition
• Revenue Streams
• Key Metrics

By mapping out these elements, the students gained clarity on how to turn their concepts into actionable projects.

Step 3: Crafting the Elevator Pitch

The next step was creating a compelling elevator pitch for their ideas, using this format:

• For [target audience]
• Who [specific need or problem]
• The [product name]
• Is a [type of solution]
• That [unique feature or value]
• Unlike [competitor/alternative],
• Our product [key differentiator].

For example:

• Healthcare Monitoring System
  • For elderly individuals and their caregivers
  • Who need continuous health monitoring
  • The wearable health monitor
  • Is a real-time tracking device
  • That sends alerts for abnormal vital signs
  • Unlike traditional periodic check-ups
  • Our product offers 24/7 monitoring and immediate alerts, improving healthcare response times.

Each team presented their pitch, allowing others to learn from their approach and perspectives.

Step 4: Storyboarding and Task Breakdown

To bring their refined ideas to life, students identified the core modules, outlined their capabilities, and broke them down into manageable tasks using storyboards. This visual process helped the teams plan their projects effectively and prioritize key deliverables.

Step 5: Applying Scrum to FYP Execution

We concluded with a practical discussion on using the Scrum framework to manage their FYPs. The students decided to assign their supervisors the role of Product Owner, while one team member would act as the Scrum Master.

We explored how they could structure their workflow:

• Weekly meetings with supervisors could serve as Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives.
• Sprint Planning meetings would help define tasks for the next sprint.
• This iterative approach would ensure continuous progress and alignment.

Final Thoughts

It was rewarding to see the students engage actively, refine their ideas, and apply these tools during the workshop. The practical frameworks, from IKIGAI to Scrum, gave them actionable steps to start their FYP journey with confidence. I’m optimistic that these budding minds will polish their skills further and emerge as innovators in their careers.

A huge thanks once again to the IIUI organizers and their hospitality for making this event such a success. Here’s to turning ideas into impactful solutions! 💡