Evaluation Criteria and Review Process

Your capstone will be evaluated on how effectively you've applied course concepts and how well you communicate your strategy. Both peers and instructors (depending on course setup) will review your work. Below is the grading rubric and the peer feedback framework to guide those reviews:

Grading Rubric

Your submission will be assessed on several dimensions. Use this rubric as a checklist before submitting to ensure you've covered everything. Each criterion will be rated on quality, typically on a scale (for example 1-5, where 5 = exceeds expectations). The main areas of focus include:

• Clarity of Communication: Is the growth plan presented in a clear, concise, and coherent manner? Reviewers will look for a logical structure (did you follow the requested outline?), easy-to-follow visuals or arguments, and an ability to distill complex ideas into clear takeaways. Tip: An exec should grasp your strategy quickly. Avoid jargon without explanation and ensure each section of your plan clearly answers "what are we doing and why".
• Strategic Logic & Depth: Are your recommendations well-reasoned and backed by frameworks, data, or logical assumptions? This covers the critical thinking aspect – e.g., did you use TAM data to justify focusing on a segment, or cite a conversion rate assumption from industry benchmarks? Are the tactics chosen likely to achieve the goals stated? Reviewers will check for alignment between problem and solution (e.g., if retention is the issue, did you allocate enough strategy toward customer marketing?), and whether you demonstrated understanding of best practices from the course (like balancing demand gen vs demand capture, using the right KPIs, etc.). Essentially, how strong is the why behind each part of your plan?
• Completeness & Alignment: Does the plan cover all seven required components comprehensively, and do those components align with each other? This is about the holistic nature of the strategy. The rubric will reward submissions that show consistency (for example, ICP, messaging, channels, and metrics all target the same strategic goal). Missing or underdeveloped sections will affect this score. Think of alignment also as connecting to the scenario: a great plan directly addresses the scenario's challenge and company context at every step, rather than just generic ideas.
• Creativity & Innovation: Does the plan demonstrate creativity in approach, and an ability to think beyond "cookie-cutter" solutions? We value original ideas – whether it's a clever campaign concept, an inventive way to leverage a channel, a novel experiment, or a unique positioning angle. Being creative also means tailoring known frameworks to your specific situation in an innovative way (not just copying examples from class). Surprise us with at least one memorable or well-differentiated idea that shows you thought deeply about how to make the strategy stand out. Note: Creativity should still be realistic – pie-in-the-sky ideas need solid justification – but don't be afraid to propose something new as long as it ties back to the strategy.
• Impact & Feasibility: (Secondary, but considered) Does the plan, if executed, seem likely to drive significant growth for the business? And is it realistic given the company's stage/resources (as described)? While we won't have actual outcomes, reviewers will judge if your goals are appropriately ambitious yet attainable and if the scope of work seems manageable. For example, a plan that promises 10x growth via a single channel with no clear execution plan might be marked down on feasibility, whereas a plan that targets, say, 50% growth with well-distributed efforts will seem more credible. This criterion ties together the forecasting with the strategy – showing you set smart goals.
• Presentation Quality: (for live or deck presentations) Is the final artifact professional and engaging? This includes slide design or document formatting, flow of the presentation, and how well key points are emphasized. Since this is a capstone on marketing, communication quality matters. Even if you aren't a designer, organization and consistency (fonts, colors, avoiding typos) will be noted. If doing a live presentation, factors would include delivery, timing, and how you handle Q&A (if applicable). For a submitted deck, it's more about the readability and visual clarity.

Each area can be scored, but more importantly, qualitative feedback will be given to help you understand strengths and areas to improve. The rubric's emphasis is roughly: Clarity & Logic (40%), Alignment & Completeness (30%), Creativity (20%), Professional Delivery (10%). (These percentages are guidelines – the idea is clarity of thought and sound strategy are the most important parts.)

Peer Feedback Guidelines

After submissions, you will exchange projects with peers for review (if applicable in this course format). Providing constructive feedback is a great way to solidify your own understanding and help your classmates. When reviewing a peer's capstone, use the rubric above and consider the following questions to structure your feedback:

• Clarity: Could you easily grasp the core strategy and recommendations? Note any sections that were confusing or lacked explanation. For instance, "The GTM strategy was clear, but the channel mix section felt a bit disconnected from the ICP – maybe adding a rationale for choosing those channels would help." Highlight where they communicated well too ("The funnel diagram on slide 5 made the lead flow very easy to follow.").
• Logic & Alignment: Do the recommendations make sense given the company's challenge? Check if each part of the plan reinforces the goal. If something seems off (e.g., they focused on acquisition but the challenge was retention), politely point that out. Also, mention if they leveraged course frameworks well: "Great use of the ICE framework to prioritize experiments – it showed why you'd tackle onboarding first." Or if something wasn't backed up: "Consider explaining why you set the revenue goal at $2M – is that based on TAM or a past trend?"
• Creativity: What stood out as an innovative idea? Acknowledge any unique tactics or insights ("I loved the idea of a customer advisory board as part of the retention strategy – very creative way to engage users!"). If the plan feels too generic, suggest one creative addition. Encourage them to take a bit more risk or think differently where appropriate.
• Strengths & Areas for Improvement: Summarize one or two areas you thought they did exceptionally well (e.g., "Your presentation was extremely well-structured and easy to read – the executive summary at the start set the stage nicely.") and one or two areas that could be improved ("Perhaps add a slide on potential risks and mitigation – an exec might ask about competition or budget constraints."). Always be respectful and supportive – the goal is to help your peer improve, not to find faults for the sake of it.
• Questions: If something important is unclear or you're curious about a choice they made, ask a question. This can prompt them to elaborate. For example, "How did you decide on focusing only on LinkedIn and not trying Google Ads? I was wondering if that was due to budget or past performance." Questions can be a gentle way to point out a gap (if they didn't address it, they'll realize it's a question to answer in their plan).

When giving feedback, frame it in a constructive way – use "I" statements and relate to your perspective (e.g., "As a reader, I found myself wanting more detail on X…"). Remember, you'll also be receiving feedback, so treat others how you want to be treated. We have provided a peer review form (on Notion or a separate sheet) with these criteria to fill out for each peer review you do.

Incorporating Feedback: After peer review, you'll have a chance to refine your project before final evaluation (if schedule permits). Pay attention especially to any common points raised by multiple reviewers. It's not mandatory to implement all feedback, but consider it seriously – part of stakeholder alignment is responding to feedback constructively. Even simply clarifying a point in your presentation notes can address a peer's comment.

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Conclusion & Next Steps

This capstone is designed to be both a learning exercise and a portfolio-worthy deliverable. On completion, you should have a thorough growth strategy that you could actually use in a real company scenario. More importantly, you will have practiced the art of combining analytical thinking with creative strategy and communicating it effectively – which is the hallmark of a great growth marketer.

Remember: The focus is on strategic thinking and clear communication. We are less concerned with whether your plan "makes the company millions overnight" and more interested in why you chose your path and how you articulate it using course concepts. Use this opportunity to flex your strategic muscles, be bold with ideas, and have fun applying what you've learned to a realistic challenge.

When you're ready, submit your final deck or document (export or share the Notion page as instructed) by the deadline. If doing a live presentation, ensure you sign up for a slot and have your materials ready to share. We look forward to seeing the creative growth plans you come up with!

Good luck, and let's grow! 🚀