What I-Corps Taught Me: The POV as a Student and Faculty

Written by Hiba Fayoumi
​
​In the fall of 2018, I joined the mathematics and statistics department at the University of Toledo as a Visiting Assistant Professor. After a long break from research, I quickly reacquainted myself with my academic discipline. Weekends transformed into extensions of my workweek as I explored and reviewed past material and developed new ideas. Then, one day in November, a promising interdisciplinary grant opportunity caught my attention, courtesy of the university's research office. With a background spanning in pure mathematics, cryptography, and network security, I quickly gathered two colleagues from the math department and Dr. Weiqing Sun, the director of the cybersecurity master's program from the engineering college, forming our initial team.

Upon submitting our Letter of Intent, we received an invitation in January to submit a grant proposal. During this time, the Office of Research and Technology approached us regarding the potential patentability of our collaborative efforts between the Department of Mathematics and that of Computer Science. Subsequently, we were introduced to Dr. Norman Rapino, the Executive Director of the Center for Rocket Innovation, who oversaw the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program at our university. Dr. Rapino explained the program's purpose, emphasizing its support for our idea's development and its role in making us eligible for NSF grants and other funding sources.
​
As a newly formed team, we opted not to immediately dive into a startup venture. Instead, my colleagues and I continued our research efforts while enlisting the help of a graduate student in Dr. Sun’s cybersecurity master’s program, to refine our idea further. Despite our initial hesitance, reminders from Dr. Rapino about the upcoming I-Corps cohorts and application deadlines persisted in our inbox. In the fall of 2019, I became a permanent member of the math department. Then in February 2020, I attempted to venture into the Spring 2020 cohort solo and was accepted as a single-person team. However, the necessity of other team members quickly became evident as I started the program, which was further intensified by the onset of the pandemic in March, hence I backed out of the I-Corps cohort.
​

---

In the proceeding months, significant progress was made. My pivotal paper was published, forming the backbone of our security system solution, while Dr. Sun’s graduate student successfully transformed its application into code for his master’s thesis. Consequently, a joint paper was presented at the 8th  International Conference on Information Systems Security and Privacy in 2022. In the spring of 2023, a new team comprised of myself, Dr. Weiqing Sun, and two other graduate students applied once more to the summer I-Corps program and were accepted. Our focus shifted to providing a secure VPN solution for remote workers capable of withstanding the challenges of security in a post-quantum world. 
​Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is the development of cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to attacks from quantum computers. It is also known as quantum-proof, quantum-safe, or quantum-resistant cryptography. The goal of PQC is to develop secure systems that can operate with existing communication and network protocols and are protected against both quantum and classical computers. For more information on PQC, please refer to its Wikipedia page. 

Through our participation in the 7-week customer discovery program, we collected deep insights that reshaped our understanding of our target market and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Initially, we assumed that our primary clients would be end-users seeking secure communication solutions. Nevertheless, as we conducted interviews and market research, a paradigm shift occurred.

• The program compelled us to reevaluate our assumptions and delve deeper into understanding the needs and preferences of potential customers. Contrary to our initial beliefs, we discovered that our true customers were the intermediaries—those responsible for providing secure communication solutions to end-users. This realization was crucial in guiding our planned direction and refining our value proposition.

 

• By engaging in extensive interviews with various stakeholders, we identified key decision makers and influencers within our target market. Understanding their roles and perspectives enabled us to tailor our messaging and solutions to address their specific pain points and needs.

 

• The customer discovery program introduced us to the concept of business hypotheses—a foundational element in the entrepreneurial journey. We learned the importance of formulating and testing hypotheses to validate our assumptions about market demand, customer behavior, and product-market fit. Through iterative experimentation and feedback loops, we refined our hypotheses and iteratively validated our business model.

 

• In addition to identifying our target customers, the program provided us with invaluable insights into market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and emerging trends. These insights informed our go-to-market strategy, pricing decisions, and product differentiation efforts, empowering us to position our contribution effectively within the market ecosystem.

 

• Perhaps the most significant lesson collected from the customer discovery program was the importance of responsiveness and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. We embraced a mindset of continuous learning, leveraging each interaction and feedback session as an opportunity to iterate, pivot, and evolve our business model. This adaptive approach enabled us to stay alert to market dynamics and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

In summary, the I-Corps 7-week customer discovery program was transformative, arming us with the knowledge, insights, and mindset necessary to navigate the complex area of entrepreneurship effectively. It reinforced the importance of customer-centric, hypothesis-driven experimentation, and relentless iteration—pillars that continue to guide our entrepreneurial journey toward success.

---