Startups and Innovation

Students hear a lot of contradictory advice in life. On one hand, they may hear something like “Follow your dreams. Pursue your passion and the money will come!” On the other hand, they may hear something completely opposite, like “Most startups fail! It’s much safer to get a safe, steady job.” So which side is right? Given the massive changes to the economy and society, the skills of entrepreneurship are going to be critical in building a lasting career. The entrepreneurial mindset of searching for opportunities, creating value, and solving pain points will always be valuable. This mindset applies not just to starting a business, but in any organization that someone is a part of: school, established companies, or non-profits. In this course, students will explore how to use this mindset to create the next world-class startup.

Module 1: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Startups
Module 2: MVP and Product Market Fit
Module 3: Business Models
Module 4: Competition
Module 5: Disruptive Innovation
Module 6: Building a Team
Module 7: Marketing a Startup
Module 8: Writing a Pitch Deck
Module 9: Raising Capital
Module 10: Possibilities and Opportunities

Course Syllabus