SAB Innovation Champions

Day 5 Venture Building Sprint

Build the bold ventures SAB could create next.

Today is not about improving today's bank. It is a venture creation sprint. Each team moves from a future force to a customer problem, a bold standalone venture, a small MVP and a three-minute pitch.

10:00 - 3:008 teamsFull-day run sheetAI-enhanced
Start the sprint See the run sheet
The challenge
Challenge statement

How might we identify future forces capable of disrupting traditional banking models, and design bold standalone ventures that redefine the future of financial services?

We are imagining the bold standalone ventures SAB could build to shape the future of financial services.

Future forces→Opportunity→Venture→MVP→Pitch
Setup

Team roles and workshop rules

Each team appoints clear roles before Step 1 begins. Strong roles keep the sprint fast and focused.

Facilitator

Keeps the team focused and on track throughout.

Scribe

Captures all outputs and decisions clearly.

Timekeeper

Protects the clock and signals transitions.

Pitch Lead

Leads the final three-minute presentation.

AI Explorer (optional)

Uses AI to spark ideas and challenge assumptions.

Core workshop rules

  • Work silently before discussing.
  • One idea per post-it. Write large and clearly.
  • Quantity first, quality second.
  • No debating during brainstorming.
  • Cluster before judging. Vote before deciding.
  • Build on ideas rather than defending your own.
  • Use AI to inspire thinking, not replace it.
Run sheet

The day at a glance

A full-day flow from 10:00 to 3:00. Tap any block to jump to it.

10:00 - 10:15Introduction and challenge briefing 10:15 - 10:40Step 1: Explore future forces 10:40 - 11:10Step 2: Define the opportunity 11:10 - 11:40Step 3: Create the venture concept 11:40 - 12:00Step 4: Define the MVP
12:00 - 1:00Lunch break
1:00 - 1:30Step 5: Develop the MVP 1:30 - 2:00Prepare the pitch 2:00 - 3:00Venture showcase
Run the sprint

Step by step

i

Introduction and challenge briefing

10:00 - 10:15
Set the context, explain the challenge and prepare teams for the sprint.

Facilitator activities

  • Welcome participants and introduce the challenge statement.
  • Explain the purpose and the expected outputs for each team.
  • Walk the room through the sprint flow: Future Forces → Opportunity → Venture → MVP → Pitch.
  • Confirm team roles are assigned before Step 1 begins.
Set the tone
This is not an incremental improvement exercise, it is a venture creation sprint. Encourage boldness and remind teams that the MVP will keep ideas grounded.
1

Explore future forces

10:15 - 10:40
Identify one major trend that could disrupt banking.
1
Silent brainstorm7 min

Each person writes possible future forces on post-its. One idea per post-it.

  • What could disrupt traditional banking?
  • What new technologies are changing customer behaviour?
  • What startups or platforms could threaten banks?
  • What social, economic or regulatory changes could create new opportunities?
"Write first, discuss second."
2
Share and stick5 min

Each person reads out their post-its and places them on the wall. No discussion yet.

3
Cluster5 min

Group similar themes together and name each cluster.

"Cluster before you judge."
4
Dot vote5 min

Three votes per person. Place dots on the most compelling forces.

"Vote with your dots, not your voice."
5
Decide3 min
Complete: We believe that ____________ will significantly change banking over the next ten years.
"Choose the strongest opportunity, not the safest one."
AI Optional prompt
You are a futurist specialising in financial services. Identify 20 emerging trends that could fundamentally disrupt traditional banking over the next 10 years. Include technological, social, regulatory and economic shifts. For each trend, explain why it matters.
Output: One future force selected by each team.
2

Define the opportunity

10:40 - 11:10
Turn the future force into a customer problem worth solving.
1
Customer brainstorm5 min

Silently identify all customer groups affected by the future force. One group per post-it.

2
Problem brainstorm7 min

One problem per post-it.

  • What will customers struggle with?
  • What expectations will change?
  • What is not working well today?
"Write first, discuss second."
3
Cluster problems5 min

Group similar problems together and name each cluster.

"Cluster before you judge."
4
Dot vote5 min

Three votes per person on the most important, future-facing problem.

"Vote with your dots, not your voice."
5
Write the challenge statement8 min
How might we help ____________ to ____________ so that ____________?
AI Optional prompt
Imagine you are this customer segment in the year 2035. Describe the five biggest frustrations you experience when interacting with financial services. Be specific and future-focused.
Output: A clear How Might We challenge statement.
3

Create the venture concept

11:10 - 11:40
Turn the opportunity into a bold standalone venture.
1
Solution brainstorm7 min

One venture idea per post-it.

  • What could SAB build from scratch?
  • What would a startup do?
  • What would make this 10x better?
  • What could become a standalone business?
2
Share and cluster5 min

Share ideas aloud and group similar concepts together.

3
Dot vote5 min

Three votes each. Place dots on the boldest, most testable venture idea.

"Choose the strongest opportunity, not the safest one."
4
Complete the venture snapshot13 min

Capture the six elements on one page.

Venture name
Target customer
Problem
Solution
Differentiation
Strategic value to SAB
AI Generate venture concepts
Act as a venture capitalist specialising in fintech. Generate 10 bold venture concepts that address this challenge statement: [INSERT HMW]. Focus on ideas that could become standalone businesses rather than incremental improvements to existing banking products.
AI Stress-test the concept
Challenge this venture concept like an experienced banking executive. Identify the three biggest strengths, three biggest risks and three questions that need answering before investment.
Output: A clear, one-page venture concept.
4

Define the MVP

11:40 - 12:00
Identify the simplest version that could be tested quickly.
1
Assumption brainstorm5 min

One assumption per post-it.

  • What must be true for this to succeed?
  • What must customers believe?
  • What capabilities are required?
2
Sort assumptions5 min

Organise every assumption into one of three categories.

Desirability — do customers want it?
Viability — can we make money?
Feasibility — can we build it?
3
Dot vote on the riskiest assumption5 min

Two votes each. Vote for the assumption that would kill the idea if it proved false.

4
Define the MVP concept5 min

Design the smallest test for the riskiest assumption.

"Make the venture bold, but the MVP small."
Our MVP would ____________. It would test whether ____________.
Output: The smallest MVP that tests the riskiest assumption.
·

Lunch break

12:00 - 1:00
Rest and refuel. A full hour to let ideas settle before building the MVP.
5

Develop the MVP

1:00 - 1:30
Bring the MVP to life and define how it could be tested.
1
Sketch the MVP10 min

A simple visual of the experience: a landing page, clickable mock-up, concierge test, paper prototype or role play.

2
Customer journey / storyboard10 min

Show the customer's situation before, during and after using the service.

3
Define success measures5 min

Decide what a successful test looks like, and how you would know.

4
Identify the first 90-day tests5 min

List what you would test in the first 90 days to learn quickly and cheaply.

"What is the smallest test we could run in 90 days?"
AI Storyboard and experiments
Create a storyboard describing the customer experience of using this MVP for the first time. Show the customer's situation before, during and after using the service. Then suggest five low-cost experiments to test the idea within 90 days, with what each tests and what success looks like.
Output: A visual MVP and a simple testing plan.
★

Prepare the pitch

1:30 - 2:00
Develop a compelling three-minute venture pitch for senior banking leaders.
1
Build the pitch deck15 min

Prepare five slides using this structure.

1
Future force — What trend inspired your idea? Set the scene with urgency and relevance.
2
Opportunity — Who is the customer? What problem are they facing? Make it vivid and specific.
3
Venture — What is your proposed solution? Name it. Describe it simply. Explain why it is bold.
4
MVP — What would you test first? How would you learn quickly?
5
Future impact — If successful, how could this venture redefine financial services? End with ambition.
2
Assign speaking roles5 min

Decide who presents each part. One or two presenters is ideal.

3
Rehearse10 min
  • Practise once, end to end.
  • Time the run-through.
  • Simplify and refine key messages.
  • Confirm the pitch is under three minutes.
"Be clear before being clever."
AI Pitch coach
Act as an executive pitch coach. Rewrite this venture pitch to make it clearer, more persuasive and more memorable for senior banking leaders. Keep the pitch under three minutes and strengthen the opening and closing statements.
Output: A three-minute pitch, rehearsed and ready.
▶

Venture showcase

2:00 - 3:00
Each team presents their venture. No interruptions during a pitch. Questions follow each presentation.
3 min — presentation per team
2 min — Q&A per team
8 teams
40 min — team presentations
20 min — transitions & closing
Keep these handy

Facilitator prompts

Use these one-liners throughout the sprint to keep teams moving.

Say it often
  • One idea per post-it.
  • Write first, discuss second.
  • Cluster before you judge.
  • Vote with your dots, not your voice.
  • Choose the strongest opportunity, not the safest one.
  • What would a startup do?
  • What would make this 10x better?
  • Make the venture bold, but the MVP small.
  • What is the smallest test we could run in 90 days?
  • Be clear before being clever.
By the end of the day

Sprint outputs

Tick each output as your team completes it. Progress is saved on this device for the session.

0% complete
  • One future force
  • One challenge statement
  • One venture concept
  • One simple MVP
  • One proposed 90-day experiment
  • One three-minute venture pitch

Final reflection

Explore

Seek out emerging forces before they become obvious. The best ventures are built on signals others have missed.

Experiment

Make the venture bold, but the MVP small. Test assumptions rapidly and learn before committing at scale.

Create

Build ventures that stand alone. Redefine what financial services can become for the next generation of customers.

✓ Prompt copied