Instructors
Moneer Azzam
Amir Alexander Hasson
Tina Weber
Description
Overview
There is no better way to understand how to create, plan and run a business than to learn how to start one. In this course we will introduce the core mindset and skillset behind new venture creation. Students will learn how to systematically explore their own passions and desire for impact to find problems worth solving, team up with other students with similar industry or sector interests, and learn how to build a new, standalone venture by building and pitching one during the semester. Students will learn tools and frameworks from practicing entrepreneurs. The mindset and skillset you will learn will form a strong foundation for you to further explore additional topics in innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Learning Outcomes
Entrepreneurial Mindset Outcomes
- Expand self-awareness and discover your personal purpose
- Develop a bias to take action and solve problems with innovative thinking
- Redefine success as the speed to learn through iterations and failing fast
- Develop greater self confidence and self reliance in getting things done
- Know how to listen well, ask good questions, and being constructive in a team setting
- Develop your own authentic and empathetic leadership style
Entrepreneurial Skillset Outcomes
- Know how to analyze and define problems worth solving
- Understand how to engage stakeholders, conduct interviews, and adapt based on feedback
- Know how to assess market opportunities from a size and impact standpoint
- Know how to develop MVPs and test with customers to enable the build-measure-learn feedback loop
- Understand how to raise awareness and drive adoption through marketing and sales techniques
- Understand how to capture value with a viable business model and go to market strategy
- Know how to use financial dashboards to drive strategic decision making
- Understand the fundamentals of venture creation, management, and funding options
- Develop pitching skills in all forms for various audiences
Course topics and objectives
- Guide the exploration process for problems worth solving and high-impact solutions.
- Explain core principles of innovation and new-venture creation.
- Introduce a nimble, agile, iterative mindset and the concept of “fail fast.”
- Build knowledge about the market and the customer through primary and secondary market research through 1×1 customer interviews and other techniques, find and define customer problems
- Develop a differentiated solution that solves these problems and develop a mockup or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test problem-solution fit
- Understand basic principles of marketing and sales
- Explore go-to-market strategy and business model
- Acquire the financial skillset to forecast revenue and expenses and to use financial dashboards to help drive strategic decisions
- Learn to build, contribute to, and lead an effective, resilient venture team
- Provide exposure to operational “nuts & bolts” of business start-up, including risk assessment and opportunity spotting.
Develop effective presentation and pitching skills
What people say
“This course has taught me to always ask questions and ask others questions to learn more about a problem. It taught me that my WHY and purpose and passion in doing anything is so so so important to success and persistence. It taught me about team dynamics and how important it is to not do things alone. It has helped me learn more about myself and what I can do/contribute as a person in a society rather than a student just trying to get a good grade.”
– An ENT101 Student
“Starting my own venture and building it class by class really allowed me to understand the process of starting a business. It showed me how difficult it is to handle the start–up phase and the importance of considering the many different aspects of the business. Being able to work with a team helped tremendously as it allowed different people to combine ideas and skills to build a successful venture.”
– An ENT101 Student