Young Founders Camp

09:00 Category, category Warm-up, 15 min

A quick, energetic warm-up from the d.school's list of short 'stoke' activities, used to get a group thinking fast before design work.

1. Someone names a category, for example breakfast foods, things in a school bag or things that annoy people in traffic.
2. Go round quickly, each person naming one item in the category within 3 seconds.
3. If you hesitate or repeat an item, you start the next category.
4. Finish with the category 'small daily frustrations' and write every answer down. Keep the list.

Solo: Set a 2-minute timer for each of five categories and list as many items as you can. End with 'small daily frustrations in my home, school or area'.

Group: Sit in a circle of 6 to 10. The facilitator keeps it fast and light. Collect the 'frustrations' round on one sheet for later.

09:15 Design thinking in five modes Learn, 15 min

The Stanford d.school teaches a human-centred way of solving problems. This week follows its five modes.

1. Empathise: understand people by observing them, engaging with them in interviews and immersing yourself in their experience.
2. Define: narrow what you learned into a focused problem statement, called a point of view.
3. Ideate: go wide and generate many different possible solutions before choosing.
4. Prototype: make ideas physical so you can learn from them. The d.school's phrase is 'We build to think and learn.'
5. Test: put prototypes in front of people and use their reactions to improve both the solution and your understanding.
6. The d.school also lists mindsets such as a bias toward action, showing rather than telling, and focusing on human values.
7. Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, adds a warning: 'by far the most common mistake startups make is to solve problems no one has'.

Related lessons: Thinking like an entrepreneur: spotting problems worth solving (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/thinking-like-an-entrepreneur-spotting-problems-worth-solving/); What Critical Thinking Really Is (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/what-critical-thinking-really-is/)

09:30 Observation walk: What? How? Why? Activity, 35 min

You will watch people in an everyday setting and note what they actually do, using the d.school's What? How? Why? method.

1. Choose a setting: your home at breakfast time, the school canteen, a family gathering, or a supermarket queue or car park pick-up only with a parent or guardian present.
2. Spend 20 minutes observing quietly. Do not photograph people without permission.
3. Divide a page into three columns. What: the plain facts of what people do, without assumptions. How: how they do it, including effort, workarounds and feelings shown.
4. Why: only now make educated guesses about why. The d.school calls this stepping out on a limb of interpretation.
5. Circle every moment where someone waits, repeats, improvises, complains or gives up.
6. Produce: at least 10 observations and 3 circled 'friction moments'.

Solo: Observe your own household during a busy routine (mornings, grocery unpacking, getting ready for school), or go with a parent to a shop or mall.

Group: Teams of 3 observe different zones of the school or venue, always within supervised areas, then return and share their top 3 friction moments.

10:05 Break Break, 10 min

Stretch, drink water and step away from screens.

1. Rest for 10 minutes.
2. Glance at your observations and star the one you are most curious about.

10:15 Interviewing for empathy Learn, 15 min

Observation shows what people do. Interviews help you understand why. These tips come from the d.school's Bootcamp Bootleg.

1. Ask 'why' even when you think you know the answer.
2. Never say 'usually' in a question. Ask about a specific time instead: 'Tell me about the last time...'
3. Encourage stories, because stories show how people see the world.
4. Look for inconsistencies between what people say and what they do.
5. Watch body language, and do not rush to fill silences.
6. Keep a beginner's mindset: do not judge, question everything and lose your own agenda.
7. Safety: interview people you know or in supervised settings, tell a parent or guardian, and do not collect personal details you do not need.

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/); The art of conversation (lifereadysociety.com/etiquette/the-art-of-conversation/); Identity theft and protecting your personal data (lifereadysociety.com/scams/identity-theft-and-protecting-your-personal-data/)

10:30 Empathy interviews and an empathy map Activity, 35 min

You will interview real people about one friction moment and capture what you learn on an empathy map.

1. Pick one friction moment from the walk. Write five open questions, starting with 'Tell me about the last time...'
2. Run three interviews of about 7 minutes each. One person asks, one notes exact words.
3. After each interview, draw an empathy map: Say (exact quotes), Do (actions), Think and Feel (your inferences, since the d.school notes these cannot be observed directly).
4. Underline needs written as verbs (to feel ready, to save time), not nouns or products. The d.school says needs are verbs, not solutions.
5. Produce: three empathy maps and a list of at least five needs.

Solo: Interview three family members or friends by phone or in person, with a parent or guardian aware. Write quotes word for word.

Group: In teams, take turns as interviewer, note-taker and interviewee. Interviewees can be students from other teams or invited adults. Anyone may decline a question.

11:05 From findings to a point of view Challenge, 25 min

Now you narrow everything into one focused problem, using the d.school's point of view template.

1. Saturate and group: write each interesting finding on a sticky note, cover a wall or table, then cluster related notes.
2. Name each cluster in a short headline.
3. Write a point of view: '[User] needs to [need] because [surprising insight].' For example: 'Year 11 students who commute by bus need to revise in short bursts because their journeys are split into 10-minute chunks.'
4. Turn it into three 'How might we' questions, for example 'How might we make a 10-minute bus ride feel like useful revision?'
5. Score the problem 1 to 5 on frequency, pain, existing workarounds and whether you can reach these people (the method in lesson en-01).
6. Produce: one point of view, three How might we questions and a score.

Solo: Use sticky notes on a wall or door. Read your point of view aloud to someone and ask if it sounds like a real person.

Group: Each team posts its point of view; other teams add one question on a sticky note. Teams keep their best HMW for Day 2.

Related lessons: Thinking like an entrepreneur: spotting problems worth solving (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/thinking-like-an-entrepreneur-spotting-problems-worth-solving/)

11:30 Case: the canteen queue in Sharjah Case study, 15 min

A realistic scenario to practise telling a real problem from an assumed one.

1. Mariam, 16, notices a long canteen queue at her school in Sharjah. Her first idea is a pre-order app.
2. She interviews six students. Four say the queue is fine; what annoys them is that their favourite items sell out before break.
3. Two younger students say they skip lunch because they feel uncomfortable in the crowd.
4. Question 1: What problem did Mariam assume, and what problems did she find?
5. Question 2: Write a point of view for one of the real problems.
6. Question 3: Which interview tip helped her most, and why might an app still be the wrong first step?

Solo: Answer the three questions in your notebook in 10 minutes.

Group: Discuss in teams for 8 minutes, then two teams share their point of view.

11:45 What surprised you Reflect, 10 min

Founders learn most from surprises. Capture yours before they fade.

1. Write the most surprising thing someone said today.
2. Note one assumption you held this morning that turned out wrong.
3. Complete the journal prompts below.

Solo: Write for 10 minutes without stopping.

Group: Write alone for 6 minutes, then share one surprise in a quick round.

11:55 Day 1 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five quick questions on today's ideas.

1. Answer the questions below.
2. Check the explanations for any you missed.

09:00 Yes, let's Warm-up, 10 min

A d.school warm-up that trains you to build on ideas instead of blocking them. This version is seated and low-contact.

1. One person suggests an imaginary activity for a group, for example 'Let's open a juice stand on the moon.'
2. Everyone answers 'Yes, let's' and the next person adds a detail: 'Yes, let's, and serve it in floating cups.'
3. Keep going for 2 minutes per scenario, then start a new one.
4. Notice how quickly ideas grow when nobody says 'but'.

Solo: Write a chain of 10 'Yes, let's, and...' additions for two silly scenarios.

Group: Play in circles of 6 to 8, seated. Anyone can pass.

09:10 How to ideate well Learn, 15 min

The d.school treats ideation as going wide before going narrow. These are its key points.

1. Separate generating ideas from judging them. In a brainstorm, judgement does not come into the discussion.
2. Capture every idea, whatever you think of it.
3. Build on other people's ideas and listen to each other.
4. Go for volume: the Bootleg suggests shooting for 50 ideas in 20 minutes.
5. Start from a 'How might we' question, not from a product you already like.
6. Watch for bias: falling in love with your first idea is a form of anchoring (see the critical thinking lessons).

Related lessons: Cognitive Biases: Why Smart Brains Make Mistakes (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/cognitive-biases-why-smart-brains-make-mistakes/); Thinking like an entrepreneur: spotting problems worth solving (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/thinking-like-an-entrepreneur-spotting-problems-worth-solving/)

09:25 Fifty ideas in twenty minutes Activity, 30 min

A timed brainstorm on your best How might we question from Day 1.

1. Write your How might we question at the top of a large sheet.
2. Set a 20-minute timer. Write one idea per sticky note, with a short headline.
3. Every 5 minutes, push in a new direction: a free idea, a digital idea, a physical idea, a service done by hand, an idea for a much younger or older user.
4. Count your notes when the timer ends.
5. Spend the last 10 minutes grouping similar ideas.
6. Produce: at least 30 ideas, ideally 50, grouped into clusters.

Solo: Work alone with a timer, or invite one family member for the last 10 minutes to add ideas using 'Yes, and'.

Group: Teams stand or sit around one sheet. The facilitator (nicely) enforces the rules: no 'but', no judging, all ideas captured.

09:55 Choosing one idea Activity, 20 min

The d.school warns not to narrow too fast, then gives simple ways to choose.

1. Post-it voting: each person gets three votes and marks three ideas they are drawn to.
2. Sort the top ideas into the d.school's four categories: the rational choice, the most likely to delight, the darling and the long shot.
3. Discuss each in one sentence: who would use it, and what is the riskiest thing about it?
4. Pick one idea to test. You can keep a second one in reserve.
5. Produce: your chosen idea in one sentence, starting 'For [user] who [need]...'

Solo: Vote with three dots yourself, then ask one family member to vote too. Fill the four categories before choosing.

Group: Each team member votes privately first to avoid copying, then the team decides. Use the decision method from ct-07 if stuck.

Related lessons: Making Good Decisions (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/making-good-decisions/)

10:15 Break Break, 15 min

Rest, have a snack and prepare questions in your head for the next activity.

1. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Think of three people who might have the problem you chose.

10:30 Your idea is a set of guesses Learn, 15 min

Before building anything, list what must be true for the idea to work, then test the riskiest part first.

1. Write your assumptions as clear sentences: 'Students on long bus rides want to revise', 'They would use flashcards on their phone', 'They would pay something for it'.
2. Put the riskiest guess first. Usually it is whether people really have the problem, not whether you can build the product.
3. MIT's entrepreneurship centre quotes Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, defining a minimum viable product as the version that collects 'the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort'.
4. Ask about past behaviour, not future promises: 'What did you do last time?' beats 'Would you use this?'
5. Decide before testing what result would prove you wrong.

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/)

10:45 Customer conversations Activity, 35 min

Real conversations with people who have the problem. Your aim is to learn, not to sell.

1. Write a short opener: 'I am doing a project on how students revise on the bus. I am not selling anything. Can I ask you a few questions?'
2. Hold at least three conversations of 8 to 10 minutes, only with people you know or people introduced by a trusted adult, never strangers in public or online. Ask: 'How do you deal with this now?', 'What is the most annoying part?', 'Have you ever spent money or time on a fix?', 'Who else should I talk to?'
3. Only describe your idea in the last 2 minutes, and notice what people do, not just what they say.
4. Write down exact words people use. They become your marketing language on Day 4.
5. Record: for each person, their current workaround, how painful it is (1 to 5) and one quote.
6. Produce: notes from at least three conversations and a verdict on your riskiest assumption.

Solo: Talk to relatives, friends or classmates by phone or in person, with a parent or guardian aware. Aim for five conversations by tomorrow.

Group: Teams interview students from other teams (who answer honestly as themselves) or invited adults. A supervising adult stays in the room.

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/); Writing professional emails and messages (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/writing-professional-emails-and-messages/)

11:20 Design a no-money experiment Challenge, 25 min

Plan one small experiment that tests real interest without anyone paying you.

1. Choose one: an interest list (a simple form where people leave a first name to hear more), a manual version (do the service by hand for three people for free), or a 'fake door' poster that explains the offer and counts sign-ups.
2. Write the hypothesis: 'At least 5 out of 20 people who see this will sign up.'
3. Decide how you will measure it and for how long.
4. Check the safety and privacy rules: collect only what you need, keep it private and delete it after the camp.
5. No real money: if anyone wants to pay, note it as strong evidence but do not take payment. Real selling comes later, only with a guardian and within the law.
6. Produce: a one-paragraph experiment plan and the draft form, poster or message.

Solo: Run the experiment overnight within your family's network or class group chat, with permission from the group admin and your parent or guardian.

Group: Teams swap plans with another team for a 5-minute check: is it honest, safe and measurable?

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/); Identity theft and protecting your personal data (lifereadysociety.com/scams/identity-theft-and-protecting-your-personal-data/); How scammers think: the red flags behind every scam (lifereadysociety.com/scams/how-scammers-think-the-red-flags-behind-every-scam/)

11:45 Evidence or opinion? Reflect, 10 min

Sort what you heard today into evidence and opinion.

1. List three things people did (evidence) and three things they said they might do (opinion).
2. Decide whether your idea survives, changes or should be dropped.
3. Complete the journal prompts.

Solo: Write for 10 minutes.

Group: Write for 6 minutes, then each team says in one sentence whether it is keeping, changing or dropping its idea.

11:55 Day 2 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five quick questions on ideation and testing.

1. Answer the questions below.
2. Read the explanations.

09:00 Thirty-second sketches Warm-up, 10 min

Quick drawing loosens up perfectionism before you build.

1. Set a 30-second timer and sketch your idea as a picture, not words.
2. Repeat four times, each time from a different angle: the user's hands, a screen, the moment of use, the result.
3. Choose the sketch that best shows the experience.

Solo: Sketch alone, then show the four sketches to someone and ask which is clearest.

Group: Each team member sketches, then the team picks one together in 2 minutes.

09:10 Prototypes help you think Learn, 10 min

Prototypes are quick, cheap and meant to be changed.

1. The d.school says: 'We build to think and learn.' A prototype is a question you can hold, not a finished product.
2. Three kinds: physical (card, paper, packaging), digital (screens drawn on paper or a free slide app) and experience (acting out the service).
3. Show, don't tell: let people use it instead of explaining it.
4. The d.school's testing line: 'Prototype as if you know you're right, but test as if you know you're wrong.'
5. Comparing two versions usually produces more useful feedback than asking whether someone likes one.

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/)

09:20 Build two rough prototypes Activity, 40 min

Make two different versions of your idea, quickly and cheaply.

1. Choose your format: paper screens for an app, a card mock-up for a product, or a role-play script for a service.
2. Build version A in 15 minutes.
3. Build version B in 15 minutes, changing one important thing (layout, size, how it is delivered, what comes first).
4. Label each with what you want to learn, for example 'Can users find the revision timer within 10 seconds?'
5. Photograph both.
6. Produce: two prototypes and two learning questions.

Solo: Use paper, card, tape and items from your recycling. Keep everything safe: no hot glue guns or blades without an adult present.

Group: Split the team: two people build A, two build B. Swap for the last 5 minutes to improve each other's version.

10:00 Test with users Activity, 25 min

Watch real people use your prototypes, following the d.school's testing tips.

1. Give a tester a realistic task, for example 'You have 10 minutes on the bus and a chemistry test tomorrow.'
2. Let them use version A, then version B. Do not explain your thinking or correct what they do.
3. Note where they hesitate, smile, get confused or ask a question.
4. Ask: 'Which did you prefer, and why?' and 'What would you change?'
5. Test with at least three people.
6. Produce: a feedback grid with four boxes: what worked, what to change, questions raised, new ideas.

Solo: Test with three family members or friends, one at a time.

Group: Teams pair up and test each other's prototypes, then swap. Testers give honest, kind feedback.

Related lessons: Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/)

10:25 Break Break, 15 min

Rest before the numbers.

1. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Find a calculator and a clean page.

10:40 Price, costs, margin and break-even Learn, 15 min

A great product can still lose money on every sale. These formulas come from the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and work anywhere.

1. Variable costs rise with each unit you sell: materials, packaging, printing, delivery.
2. Fixed costs are incurred over a period and do not change with how many you sell: a stall fee, an app subscription.
3. The SBA defines contribution margin as 'the difference between the price of a product and what it costs to make that product'. As a percentage: (price minus variable cost) divided by price.
4. The SBA break-even formula: fixed costs divided by (price minus variable cost) gives the number of units you must sell to cover costs.
5. Margin is profit as a share of price; markup is profit as a share of cost. Do not mix them up.
6. Count your own time. Lesson ea-04 shows how to price your skills.

Related lessons: The numbers on one page: price, costs, margin and break-even (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/the-numbers-on-one-page-price-costs-margin-and-break-even/); Pricing your skills and getting paid (lifereadysociety.com/earning/pricing-your-skills-and-getting-paid/)

10:55 Worked example: bookmark packs at a school fair Case study, 20 min

Work through the numbers step by step. All prices are invented to show the method, not real market rates.

1. Omar plans to sell packs of illustrated bookmarks at a school fair. Price: AED 25 per pack. Variable cost per pack: card AED 4, printing AED 4, sleeve AED 2, so AED 10.
2. Contribution per pack = 25 minus 10 = AED 15. Contribution margin = 15 divided by 25 = 60 per cent. Markup on cost = 15 divided by 10 = 150 per cent.
3. Fixed costs: stall fee AED 100 and a design app for one month AED 50, so AED 150.
4. Break-even = 150 divided by 15 = 10 packs. Check: 10 packs bring in AED 250, minus variable costs of AED 100 and fixed costs of AED 150, leaves zero.
5. Question 1: Omar's friend suggests a price of AED 20. What is the new break-even? (Answer: 150 divided by 10 = 15 packs.)
6. Question 2: If making each pack takes 15 minutes, how many hours does break-even take, and is the project worth it as a business or as a learning project?

Solo: Work through the questions in your notebook, showing every step.

Group: Teams solve it, then one team explains on the board. The facilitator checks the difference between margin and markup.

Related lessons: The numbers on one page: price, costs, margin and break-even (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/the-numbers-on-one-page-price-costs-margin-and-break-even/)

11:15 Your numbers on one page Challenge, 30 min

Apply the formulas to your own idea, with every assumption labelled.

1. List every variable cost per unit. Find realistic prices online or ask an adult, and mark each as 'checked' or 'guess'.
2. List monthly or one-off fixed costs.
3. Set a price based on what your customer conversations suggest people value, then calculate contribution per unit and margin.
4. Calculate break-even in units. Then recalculate with a 20 per cent discount.
5. Add hours: how long does one unit take you?
6. Produce: a one-page table you will use in your Day 5 plan. For a free service or social project, calculate what it would cost to run and who could cover that.

Solo: Ask a parent or guardian to check your sums. Do not buy any materials yet.

Group: Teams swap numbers with another team, who recalculate break-even independently. Differences are discussed, not graded.

Related lessons: The numbers on one page: price, costs, margin and break-even (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/the-numbers-on-one-page-price-costs-margin-and-break-even/); Pricing your skills and getting paid (lifereadysociety.com/earning/pricing-your-skills-and-getting-paid/); Selling things and running a small online business (lifereadysociety.com/earning/selling-things-and-running-a-small-online-business/)

11:45 Did the numbers change your mind? Reflect, 10 min

A pause to connect what users said with what the numbers say.

1. Write one change you made to your prototype because of feedback.
2. Write whether the break-even number feels achievable and why.
3. Complete the journal prompts.

Solo: Write for 10 minutes.

Group: Write for 6 minutes, then share one 'the numbers surprised us' moment per team.

11:55 Day 3 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five questions on prototypes and numbers.

1. Answer the questions below.
2. Redo any calculation you got wrong.

09:00 Three words Warm-up, 10 min

Brands are the feelings people connect with a name. This warm-up shows how quickly those feelings form.

1. Someone names a well-known café, airline or shop.
2. Everyone writes three words they associate with it, without talking.
3. Compare: how many words overlap?
4. Ask: what did the company do to earn those words?

Solo: Do it for five brands you know, then ask a family member to do the same and compare.

Group: Play three rounds in teams. The facilitator notes how often words like 'reliable' or 'friendly' appear.

09:10 Honest marketing basics Learn, 15 min

Small ventures win customers through clarity and trust, not big budgets.

1. Describe your first customer in one sentence: 'My first customers are [who] who struggle with [problem] and currently [workaround].'
2. Use your customers' own words from Days 1 and 2.
3. Choose one or two places where those people already gather, and do them well.
4. Only make claims you can back up. Do not say 'best in Dubai', 'organic' or 'halal certified' unless you can prove it.
5. Show the full price up front. UAE consumer protection law, as summarised on u.ae, gives consumers the right to correct information and to buy at the declared price.
6. Never write fake reviews or ask friends to review things they have not used.

Related lessons: Marketing on a shoestring, honestly (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/marketing-on-a-shoestring-honestly/); Content creation, influencing and brand deals (lifereadysociety.com/earning/content-creation-influencing-and-brand-deals/)

09:25 Name, promise and look Activity, 35 min

Create a simple, honest brand for your idea.

1. Brainstorm 15 possible names in 5 minutes, then shortlist three.
2. Check each: search online and on social platforms to see if someone already uses it. Never copy another brand's name, logo, characters or music.
3. Write a one-line promise that you can keep, for example 'Ten-minute revision packs that fit your bus ride.'
4. Choose two colours, one font style and a simple logo sketch.
5. Draft one honest social post or poster using a customer's exact words, and list the evidence behind every claim.
6. Produce: name, promise, simple visual identity and one draft post.

Solo: Show your three names to two people and ask which one tells them what you do.

Group: Teams create their brand, then pin it up for a 5-minute gallery walk where others leave one sticky note: 'I trust it because...' or 'I'm not sure because...'

Related lessons: Doing it properly: business structures, licences and visa rules (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/doing-it-properly-business-structures-licences-and-visa-rules/)

10:00 Ads must look like ads Learn, 15 min

Promotions that hide what they are break trust and can break the rules.

1. The US Federal Trade Commission tells influencers to disclose any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand, including free or discounted products.
2. The FTC says to use clear words such as 'ad', 'advertisement' or 'sponsored', place the disclosure where it is hard to miss, and not rely on a profile page. In videos, the disclosure should be in the video itself.
3. The FTC also says not to talk about a product you have not tried and not to call a product great if you think it is bad.
4. In the UAE, The National reported in July 2025 that the UAE Media Council introduced an Advertiser Permit for people posting promotional content, paid or not. The report lists exemptions, including promoting your own product or service, or one from a company you own, on a personal account, and under-18s doing educational, athletic, cultural or awareness activities. Other reports give a minimum age of 18 with limited exceptions (see ea-06).
5. Rules can change, so check the UAE Media Council's official website with a parent or guardian before posting any promotion.
6. Lessons ea-06 and en-06 cover this in more depth.

Related lessons: Content creation, influencing and brand deals (lifereadysociety.com/earning/content-creation-influencing-and-brand-deals/); Marketing on a shoestring, honestly (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/marketing-on-a-shoestring-honestly/); Gaming, social media and giveaway scams (lifereadysociety.com/scams/gaming-social-media-and-giveaway-scams/)

10:15 Break Break, 15 min

Rest and reset.

1. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Think about a time an advert made you feel tricked.

10:30 Case: three tempting shortcuts Case study, 20 min

Realistic situations where the easy choice is not the honest one.

1. Scenario A: Layla, 17, in Abu Dhabi, sells hand-decorated phone cases. A friend offers to post ten five-star reviews from different accounts. What should she say, and why?
2. Scenario B: Karim's cousin has 20,000 followers and offers to post about Karim's study planners in return for a free set, with no label. What does honest disclosure look like here?
3. Scenario C: Sara, in London for the summer, wants to write 'the healthiest snack in the UAE' on her energy-ball labels. What claim could she make instead that she can prove?
4. For each, write: the shortcut, who could be harmed, and the honest alternative.
5. Bonus: which customer data would each of them need to protect?

Solo: Answer in your notebook, then explain one scenario aloud to a family member.

Group: Each team takes one scenario for 10 minutes, then presents its honest alternative in 1 minute.

Related lessons: How scammers think: the red flags behind every scam (lifereadysociety.com/scams/how-scammers-think-the-red-flags-behind-every-scam/); Claims, Evidence and Weak Arguments (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/claims-evidence-and-weak-arguments/)

10:50 Legal basics, in general terms Learn, 15 min

This is general education, not legal advice. The aim is to know which questions to ask before anyone sells anything.

1. A one-off school charity sale or selling your own old things is different from selling regularly for profit. Regular selling is a business, and businesses have rules.
2. u.ae says that to sell products or services online on the UAE mainland you need a commercial licence that includes eCommerce activity, and that all eCommerce licences need TDRA approval. Free zones have their own rules.
3. u.ae's summary of consumer protection law says suppliers must give a dated invoice in Arabic (other languages can be added), avoid misleading prices and false claims, and protect customers' data.
4. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must be involved in any licence, bank account, contract, payment or real sale.
5. Food, cosmetics and anything for children carry extra safety rules. Check them first.
6. Lessons en-05, ea-02, ea-03 and ea-05 explain UAE licensing, working as a teenager and selling online in more detail.

Related lessons: Doing it properly: business structures, licences and visa rules (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/doing-it-properly-business-structures-licences-and-visa-rules/); Working as a teenager in the UAE and abroad (lifereadysociety.com/earning/working-as-a-teenager-in-the-uae-and-abroad/); Contracts, payslips and your rights (lifereadysociety.com/earning/contracts-payslips-and-your-rights/); Selling things and running a small online business (lifereadysociety.com/earning/selling-things-and-running-a-small-online-business/)

11:05 How to structure a 3-minute pitch Learn, 10 min

A simple structure keeps you clear and on time. This is practical guidance built on what you have done this week.

1. Hook (15 seconds): a real moment or quote from a customer.
2. Problem (30 seconds): your point of view and who has it.
3. Evidence (30 seconds): what you observed, heard and measured.
4. Solution (40 seconds): show your prototype and what changed after testing.
5. Numbers (30 seconds): price, cost per unit, break-even.
6. Honesty and next steps (35 seconds): rules you will check, how you will market honestly, your next three steps and what help you need.

Related lessons: Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/); Getting support: university incubators, competitions and UAE programmes (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/getting-support-university-incubators-competitions-and-uae-programmes/)

11:15 Draft and first run-through Challenge, 30 min

Write your pitch and say it out loud for the first time.

1. Write your pitch as bullet points on six small cards, one per section, not a full script.
2. Prepare one or two simple visuals: your prototype photo and your numbers table.
3. Do a timed run-through. Note where you went over time.
4. Cut anything that does not support the problem, evidence or numbers.
5. Do a second run-through and aim for 2 minutes 50 seconds.
6. Produce: six pitch cards, visuals and a timed recording or notes.

Solo: Record yourself on your phone, watch it back once and note one thing to improve.

Group: Teams decide who presents which section, then run through for another team, who give one strength and one improvement.

Related lessons: Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/); Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/)

11:45 The founder you want to be Reflect, 10 min

Values decide what you do when nobody is checking.

1. Write three promises you will keep to customers.
2. Write one line you will never cross, even if it would make money.
3. Complete the journal prompts.

Solo: Write for 10 minutes.

Group: Write for 6 minutes, then share one promise per team.

11:55 Day 4 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five questions on honest marketing and the rules.

1. Answer the questions below.
2. Check any explanation you are unsure of.

09:00 Voice and presence Warm-up, 10 min

A calm body and a clear voice help any pitch.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and shoulders relaxed.
2. Breathe in for four counts and out for six, three times.
3. Say your opening line three times: quietly, too loudly, then just right.
4. Smile, pause and say your venture's name as if you are proud of it.

Solo: Do it in front of a mirror.

Group: Do it together in a circle, then each person says their opening line once. Anyone may pass.

Related lessons: Standing and walking with presence (lifereadysociety.com/etiquette/standing-and-walking-with-presence/); Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

09:10 What the judges look for Learn, 10 min

Read the rubric together so there are no surprises.

1. Problem and evidence: a real problem backed by what people said and did.
2. Customer: a specific first group you can reach.
3. Solution and prototype: tested, and improved after feedback.
4. Numbers: correct break-even, with assumptions labelled.
5. Honesty and responsibility: provable claims, clear disclosure and the rules to check named.
6. Delivery: on time, clear and calm under questions. Judges reward learning, including ideas that changed or were dropped.

Related lessons: Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

09:20 Finish your one-page plan Capstone, 35 min

Pull your week onto a single page that someone could understand without you there.

1. Use these headings: customer, problem (point of view), evidence, solution and prototype, price and costs, break-even, marketing approach, rules to check, next three steps.
2. Keep every section to one to three lines.
3. Mark assumptions with 'guess' and evidence with 'checked'.
4. Under 'rules to check', list licence, guardian involvement, consumer protection and any advertising rules that would apply before real selling.
5. Add your prototype photo.
6. Produce: the finished one-page plan.

Solo: Write it neatly or type it, then read it aloud to check it makes sense.

Group: Each team member drafts two sections, then the team edits together. One person checks the numbers again.

Related lessons: The numbers on one page: price, costs, margin and break-even (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/the-numbers-on-one-page-price-costs-margin-and-break-even/); Doing it properly: business structures, licences and visa rules (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/doing-it-properly-business-structures-licences-and-visa-rules/)

09:55 Rehearsal rounds Capstone, 30 min

Two rehearsals with feedback make a big difference.

1. Round 1: pitch to a partner or small audience with a strict 3-minute timer.
2. Listeners give feedback using the rubric: one strength and one improvement, specific and kind.
3. Fix the single most important thing.
4. Round 2: pitch again and practise answering two likely questions, such as 'How do you know people want this?' and 'What would you do with AED 500 of support?'
5. Produce: a final pitch under 3 minutes and answers to two questions.

Solo: Record two takes and compare them. Ask a family member for one strength and one improvement.

Group: Pairs of teams rehearse for each other. The facilitator floats and times.

Related lessons: Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/)

10:25 Break Break, 15 min

Rest, drink water and get your visuals ready.

1. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Set up your prototype and one-page plan where you will present.

10:40 Pitch day Capstone, 45 min

The main event. Present, listen to others and learn from every pitch.

1. Each pitch: 3 minutes, then up to 2 minutes of questions.
2. Judges score each criterion from 1 to 4 and write one sentence of feedback.
3. Audience members write one thing they learned from each pitch.
4. After all pitches, judges share general strengths and one common improvement.
5. Recognise more than one winner: best evidence, most honest, best prototype, best numbers, most improved idea.
6. Produce: your delivered pitch and your rubric scores.

Solo: Record your final pitch as a video and play it to your family at a set time. Give each person the rubric to score you, then hold a 2-minute question time.

Group: With more than eight teams, run parallel rooms, each with an adult judge and a timekeeper. Judges should know the rubric in advance. Recording is optional and only with everyone's consent.

11:25 Self-review against the rubric Reflect, 15 min

Honest self-review is how founders improve.

1. Score yourself on each rubric criterion before reading the judges' scores.
2. Compare your scores with theirs. Where do they differ, and why?
3. Write the most important thing you learned this week about people, not about your product.
4. Complete the journal prompts.

Solo: Write your self-review, then compare it with your family's scores.

Group: Write alone for 10 minutes, then share one learning per person in a quick round.

Related lessons: Failure, learning and keeping going (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/failure-learning-and-keeping-going/)

11:40 Your next 30 days Activity, 15 min

Decide what happens to your idea after the camp, safely and realistically.

1. Choose a path: keep testing, pause and keep notes, join a club or competition, or drop it and start a new problem diary.
2. Write three small next steps with dates.
3. If you want to sell for real one day: write down who your guardian contact is and which rules you will check first (licensing, consumer protection, advertising).
4. Note one support option to explore, such as a school enterprise club or a programme from lesson en-04.
5. Produce: a 30-day plan signed by you and, if you are under 18, seen by a parent or guardian.

Solo: Share your plan with a parent or guardian and agree a check-in date.

Group: Teams decide whether to continue together; if so, they use the agreement checklist in en-07. The facilitator closes the camp by thanking everyone.

Related lessons: Getting support: university incubators, competitions and UAE programmes (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/getting-support-university-incubators-competitions-and-uae-programmes/); Starting with friends: partners, roles and agreements in writing (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/starting-with-friends-partners-roles-and-agreements-in-writing/); Failure, learning and keeping going (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/failure-learning-and-keeping-going/)

11:55 Day 5 quiz Quiz, 5 min

A final check across the whole camp.

1. Answer the questions below.
2. Revisit any day where you dropped a mark.