Startup Entrepreneurship

Startup Entrepreneurship

Course Description

This course provides a fast-paced, hands-on introduction to the core principles of building a scalable business from the ground up. Meeting 4 hours per week, the course guides students through the full entrepreneurial journey: from recognizing opportunities and generating original ideas to building a cohesive team, conducting customer development, and pitching to investors.

Throughout the term, students will develop their own startup idea, refine a pitch through elevator speech training, and design an actionable Business Model Canvas. Practical learning is reinforced through an intensive team hackathon, key legal and intellectual property modules, and real-world fundraising strategies. By the end of the semester, teams will present a fully validated business model and launch-ready pitch to a panel.

Key Information & Notes

  • Workload & Hours: 4 contact hours per week (comprising interactive lectures, practical exercises, and team seminars) alongside independent student work.
  • Core Deliverables:

    • Individual/Team Startup Idea & Validation
    • Elevator Pitch Development
    • Completed Business Model Canvas (BMC) & Customer Development hypotheses
    • Live Team Pitch Presentation
  • Special Event (Hackathon): A practical team project and hackathon setting where students rapidly collaborate, iterate on their concepts, and test customer development hypotheses.
  • Progress Tracking & Social Media: Student teams are required to maintain a digital project log (blog or social media presence) throughout the semester to document and communicate their progress.
  • Peer Assessment: Includes peer evaluations to grade teamwork, innovation, and active contribution within startup teams.