[BDC-2010] Executive summary and SWOT

[Dan Heller]

Everyone-- I had a short email exchange with someone about the Executive
Summary and SWOTs. I thought I'd forward this:

Think of the exec summary as a lawyer talking to the jury for the first time
when the trial begins: you state your premise, indicate that you will show
evidence to support your theory, and explain how you will connect the dots
to prove the case.

In other words, this is your "planning" document, listing the tasks and
methodologies that you will do to support your business idea. The "final"
document you ultimately produce is the trial where you show all the
evidence.

For now, you use the SWOT to create that planning document: determine what
kind of data you need to research. This begins by listing the items that
work for and against you, and each item has *tasks* associated with it.

That is, each of your "strengths/opportunities" need to be substantiated.
"You can't just say something is true."

Similarly, you need to articulate the tasks (or research) you need to do to
overcome the weaknesses/threats.

Like in a trial, your goal is to convince others that you aren't just
convincing yourself of your own theory--you want to show that there's broad,
objective data behind your idea. Observers will look at the sources of your
research as well: are they from credible entities? Was the research done
well? Is your analysis of this research sound? Hint:  your goal is to mine
information that exists somewhere: academic studies, case studies (existing
models), proposed studies (that you might do), and so on.
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