After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

• Identify market potential
• select business ideas that solve a customer need
• develop a business plan based on a business idea
• perform validation studies to test hypotheses
• work on prototyping and developing a minimum viable product
• pitch their ideas to investors

In this highly interactive course students learn what it takes to start a successful business in a "real life" scenario.

After completing the course, students will know how to:

from a content perspective:

•  ..search, recognize & assess business opportunities
•  ..enrich business ideas by applying appropriate tools & techniques
•  ..discover customers & their needs
•  ..evaluate the ecosystem around business ideas
•  ..create profitable & sustainable business models
•  ..apply creativity techniques in an appropriate way
•  ..deal with high-tech

from a project management perspective:

• ..structure a fuzzy project & to tackle uncertainty
• ..break down complex tasks into manageable modules
• ..deal with several stakeholders at once
• ..manage different ways to target & to arrive at a decision
• ..nail down the relevant project outcomes in a business proposal

 from a team management perspective:

• ..learn how to effectively handle interdisciplinarity
• ..work in teams efficiently by incorporating the strenghts of each team member into the process
• ..cope with different work styles, opinions & perspectives

from a communication perspective:

•  ..engage in vivid discussions & interactive group sessions
•  ..present project outcomes in different environments & for different target groups (e.g. expert jury, team members, etc.)

• Kick-off lectures
• Workshops on various topics: finance, pitching, investing, prototyping
• Pitching and feedback
• Development of a written business plan
• Coaching sessions

Note that the effort necessary for this course certainly meets the awarded 5 ECTS!

Wed, 2023-03-08   09:00-17:00   TC.3.03 (Map) - Kickoff Day 1
Thu, 2023-03-09    09:00-15:00   D5.0.002 (Map) - Kickoff Day 2
Fri, 2023-03-17      10:00-12:30   D3.0.233 (Map) - Marketplace
Wed, 2023-03-22   16:00-18:00   EA.6.032 (Map) - Prototyping Workshop
Wed, 2023-03-29   16:00-18:00   Online - Coaching #1
Wed, 2023-04-19   16:00-18:00   Online - Coaching #2
Wed, 2023-04-26   16:00-18:00   External - Midterm Pitch
Wed, 2023-05-03   16:00-19:00   TC.5.05 (Map) - Finance Workshop
Wed, 2023-05-10   16:00-18:00   Online - Coaching #3
Wed, 2023-05-17   16:00-18:00   EA.6.032 (Map) - Investment Workshop
Wed, 2023-05-31   16:00-18:00   External - Dry Run Investor Pitch
Wed, 2023-06-07   14:30-18:00   EA.6.026 (Map) - Investor Pitch
Mon, 2023-06-12   18:00-21:00   External - Touchdown (participation voluntary)

• Motivation letter
• In-class attendance
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Pitches and presentations

In order to be admitted in this course, you need to (1) register in TISS and (2) send a motivation letter in which you state: 

• what is your reason for wanting to take the course

• what prior knowledge you have about business development models, idea generation techniques and other relevant knowledge (please include if you have done workshops, summer schools or similar on the subject)

• what prior practical experience you have had in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation (please list if you were a founder/co-founder of  other companies or you have worked in the start-up scene)

Please send your motivation letter by February 16th, 2023 5pm CET (in a short and concise form, maximum 1 page) via email to office@vasilescu.pro. 

Late submissions are not accepted. The notifications for acceptance or rejection will be e-mailed to the same e-mail addresses until February 20th.

If accepted, the motivation letter counts as a part of the final grade for the class.

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