The easiest way to get started is to pick up a piece of paper and make a list of everything on your campus that annoys you, frustrates you or makes you uncomfortable. Don't edit while you write, just keep going till you feel everything is written down.

Once you have done this exercise, spend some time reflecting on which category of problems, or which specific problem statement speaks the loudest to you. Which of these is more closely associated with your life and lived reality? Which of these do you think needs to be addressed the most urgently?

If you are comfortable, you could speak to some of your fellow students post this exercise, and compare your list of problems to theirs, or ask them if a given problem affects them. If you are not ready to ask around yet, you can move on to the next step and we will speak about validation later.

What problem or category of problems have you chosen to solve? Let us know here

Now speak to at least 5-10 people who you think are affected by this problem - figure out if the problem affects them as much as you think it does. Ask them what the biggest pain point due to this problem is.

If the people you speak to tell you that they indeed face this problem, dig deeper and ask them the other questions you already answered and determine whether their responses fit with your initial assumptions.

Now that you know what the problem is, who it affects, and what the consequences of this problem are, you can start brainstorming potential solutions.

Take 25-30 minutes and jot down every possible way you can think of to solve this problem - don’t worry about the feasibility or any other factor, have fun cooking up these solutions. Once you are done with brainstorming, take a break of 10-15 minutes (or more if you want) and come back to these solutions.

Now start ranking them based on feasibility and impact (your personal assessment of these, don’t worry about getting it right the first time). Now identify the top 3 solutions from your list and take it to your target users (i.e. the 5-10 people you spoke to in step 2, and maybe more). Ask them what they think of the solution - be open to radically honest feedback, you will be surprised by their perspectives.

If you feel that none of the 3 solutions would work after speaking to users, go back to brainstorming and come up with new solutions, and bounce them off your users again.

If your users believe that at least one of the solutions would work, that’s great! Now iterate these solutions based on their feedback and work it out in a bit more detail - figure out what the easiest way is to test your solution with a small group of people. What are the resources you need (a room, a laptop to build an app, lots of chairs - it could be anything)? Make a list and figure out how to procure them. Minimize expenses as much as possible, don’t buy something if you can borrow it from your friend.

A. Building a Team: Driving reform is extremely difficult, without the support of a team- people who might hold varying experiences but feel equally deeply about the issue concerned. Once you have a basic outline of the project and possible steps to proceed further with you, it is recommended that you start building such a team. Taking the first step can be as simple as talking to your friends and classmates and gauging interest. It is important to begin the process.

Looking for the right people to work with can be a task that demands effort. All the members of a team should agree to work towards a common goal. The coming together of a team can happen through as simple a process as having conversations. Put yourself out there, connect with people. The motive is to enjoy yourself while working on something you are passionate about, and forming bonds and friendships is an important part of the same.

However, be wary of choosing people who only hold similar thought or come from similar backgrounds- such a team often misses out on constructive feedback that is crucial for the holistic development of a project.

Answer these questions for your own understanding, but don’t let them limit you. If you find someone who doesn’t meet your criteria but you still feel would be a good fit, go ahead and welcome them.

You can start having conversations/ talk about your project on campus/ put up flyers/ send out google forms to invite interest. How the initial team comes together is important, as the decisions made in this phase would set the stage for your future progress. However, it is also essential to have an open mind as social impact spaces are very dynamic and it is likely that you will witness a lot of people come and go over the course of the project. What matters is valuing each person’s contribution to the project, and continuing to move forward.

B. Identifying Stakeholders: Identify who are the stakeholders you need to enable you to test this solution - this could be anyone (and any number of people) ranging from your classmates, to professors, administrative staff, an NGO, a local elected representative and your family members. Start reaching out to them and sharing your ideas with them. Some of them may be skeptical about the idea, and that’s totally fine - that doesn’t invalidate your idea or the work you have done so far. If none of them have tested out the same solution before, then go ahead and test it out - it will be a good learning experience even if your hypothesis fails.

After creating the framework of your project, it is very important to go for beta testing before attempting to implement it on a larger scale. This basically entails inviting small groups of volunteers to test out your intervention. A lot of crucial feedback comes in during this phase, as different people would have different experiences with the project based on how they are placed. We recommend carrying out the testing in a phased manner- implement the feedback from one round of testing before moving on to the next round, with a different set of volunteers.

It is not necessary to implement each and every feedback received, but it is necessary to consider it and consider its implications for the project. Also, implementation of the feedback should be a team decision, taken unanimously, or through voting. Even when the intervention is implemented on a larger scale, it is important to always have space for feedback, so that the project can keep evolving, moving forward.