Top 5 Lessons Learned from Participating in NSF I-Corps

Rachel Erbe2025-03-26T11:31:13-07:00 By Cristy Salanga, Patent Manager, and I-Corps Program Director Northern Arizona University  Embarking on the NSF I-Corps journey is an eye-opening experience for researchers and entrepreneurs alike. The program pushes participants to step out of their comfort zones, engage with real customers, and rethink how they approach innovation. Here are five key lessons learned from participating in NSF I-Corps: 1. Customers Are Your Compass One of the biggest takeaways from I-Corps is that your customers—not your assumptions—should guide your decisions. You may start a course thinking you know what your customers need, but many times, this assumption is off base from their true problems and needs. Through customer discovery interviews, you’ll learn what your target customer truly values, helping you align your product with their needs. 2. Be Ready to Pivot Innovation rarely follows a straight line. Many participants enter the course with a clear idea of their product’s purpose, only to discover that their initial assumptions of who would buy in to their solution were off target. I-Corps teaches you to embrace feedback and pivot toward better opportunities. 3. Feeling Uncomfortable Means You’re Doing It Right Customer discovery is a rewarding and insightful process, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy journey! Reaching out to initiate conversations and talking to strangers can be daunting, and fortunately, it gets easier the more you do it! If you are feeling uncomfortable, you’re doing it right and getting out of your comfort zone. The program instills a mindset of constant learning and iteration, encouraging participants to remain curious, adaptive, and customer-focused...

Triton Alumni Shine on 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Rachel Erbe2025-03-13T11:33:04-07:00 UC San Diego alumnus Sai Zhou is pushing the boundaries of med tech innovation. A former I-Corps participant and founder of CircuCare Inc., Zhou is revolutionizing patient care with a hands-free, wearable ultrasound device for continuous cardiovascular imaging. His entrepreneurial journey, shaped by UC San Diego’s Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, has earned him a spot on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list. Read more about how Zhou is transforming research into real-world impact. Read full article

Customer Discovery: The Core of NSF I-Corps

Rachel Erbe2025-02-17T12:06:10-07:00 Cristy Salanga, Patent Manager, and I-Corps Program Director Northern Arizona University  Entrepreneurs and innovators often fall into a common trap: assuming they know what their customers want. While passion and conviction are essential, they can sometimes blind us to the realities of the market. That’s where customer discovery comes in. Whether you're thinking about developing a new technology or launching a niche product, customer discovery can mean the difference between success and failure. Here, we’ll explore what customer discovery is, why it’s crucial, and how NSF I-Corps helps teams master this critical skill. What is Customer Discovery? At its heart, customer discovery is a process of validating your assumptions about the market, your customers, and their problems. It involves directly engaging with potential customers to understand their needs, pain points, and decision-making processes in the use and adoption of new products (or services). Rather than building a product based on your own assumptions, customer discovery ensures you’re solving a real problem for a specific customer. The process is rooted in the lean startup methodology, which emphasizes iterating based on feedback rather than following a plan based on just what you think. Why is Customer Discovery Important? Avoid Wasting Resources: Building a product or service without validating your assumptions about the problem, the scope and scale of the problem you purport to solve and for whom, and market realities can be expensive and time-consuming. Customer discovery helps you refine your idea before committing significant resources. Understand Customer Needs: Talking to potential customers reveals their true problems and priorities, often uncovering...

Charge your vehicle with BreatheEV

Rachel Erbe2025-02-17T12:14:20-07:00 Max Bregman, founder of BreatheEV, took his venture through the I-Corps program, using customer discovery to refine his vision for sustainable EV charging solutions. Now, his work is making an impact at ASU and beyond! Read full article

10 years of I-Corps: NSF entrepreneurship training program impacts the economy and shapes careers

Rachel Erbe2025-01-15T14:10:00-07:00 NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan shares his personal experience as an I-Corps participant. Read full article

NSF names three new I-Corps Hubs expanding the National Innovation Network across the U.S.

Rachel Erbe2025-01-15T14:25:09-07:00 NSF I-Corps Hubs now include 128 colleges and universities across the country  Read full article

Exploring the Future of Innovation in San Diego

Rachel Erbe2025-01-17T11:41:09-07:00 Former I-Corps participant Lu Yin credits the NSF I-Corps program and MedTech Accelerator for helping him transition from engineer to entrepreneur. With UC San Diego's support, Persperion Diagnostics has licensed its technology and used the ACTRI Device Acceleration Center for testing, preparing for greater independence. Read full article

U of A had record number of inventions in FY24

Rachel Erbe2025-01-17T11:44:28-07:00 Doug Hockstad is a Project Director, NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region and Associate Vice President, Tech Launch Arizona. Doug was featured in this article expressing continued success of the NSF I-Corps program within the University of Arizona and the Desert and Pacific Region. In 2024 the University of Arizona hosted a successful I-Corps cohort dedicated to social innovation. Read full article