At the end of the course, students will develop skills in:
Understanding the entrepreneurial process.
Identify, develop, evaluate, and explain new ideas.
Develop awareness about the possibilities and limitations of different business models.
Understand how lean start-up and customer development methodologies are used to analyse business ideas.
Boost sensitivity and skills when discussing the financial needs of a new business project.
Customer discovery and validation: test the hypotheses of the initial business model to reach your first pivot.
Below are the content descriptors contained in the syllabus of the subject:
Innovation, what, why and when.
Organizing innovation and entrepreneurship.
Creating innovation from any point of departure.
New products and services development.
Creation and sharing of knowledge, intellectual property.
Discontinuous innovation.
Social entrepreneurship and innovation.
Innovation for growth and sustainability.
Innovation, globalization and development.
How to perform the steps, get to the action.
The subject bases the learning in the following teaching methodologies:
D1. Theoretical classes: Exhibition of theoretical concepts by the teacher in order to obtain the knowledge of the student. The teacher can provide materials and the student can take notes and/or complete support materials. The student can intervene either to resolve doubts and/or to answer the questions asked by the teacher.
D2. Classes of problems and exercises: Resolution of problems and/or decision making using the knowledge learned. The teacher can invite the student to participate in class in order to assess the acquisition and/or interpretation of the exposed concepts.
More specifically:
A. Reading assignments: read text assignments prior to class and be prepared to discuss the text material, answering instructor questions orally with well-organized thoughts and ideas.
B. Class attendance: you are expected to attend each class period, be on time and stay the full class period or be counted absent. You are responsible for all course material missed due to absence. The instructor does not provide class notes for classes missed.
C. The main project we will work on throughout the course is generating ideas for a new technology start-up, developing the business model for the start-up, and collecting information from potential stakeholders to improve and change the business model based on this feedback. Each team of 3-5 students will have the backing of your tutor who will provide guidance in the development and iteration of the Business Model. You will submit 4 assignments and make informal presentations throughout the course to demonstrate your progress
D. You will deliver two oral presentations, one at the middle of the semester and the oter one at the end of the semester.
The final grade of the subject is calculated according to the expression:
NFinal = 0.50*Project + 0.40*Presentations + 0.10*Attendance&Participaction
In order to be able to apply this average, Nproject and Npresentations must be equal to or greater than 5. Otherwise the average is not calculated and the subject is not passed. The individual calculation is as follows:
If the grade of the oral presentations (Npresentations) is not passed in ordinary call (end of 2nd semester), then in July there is a recovery oral presentation.
If the project grade (Nproject) is not passed in ordinary call (end of 2nd semester), then in July there is the option to present the project in order to recover the grade. It should be considered that the maximum grade that can be obtained in extraordinary call is reduced.
1. Osterwalder, A and Pigneur, Y (2010) Business Model Generation, John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-0470- 87641-1.
2. Blank, S (2005) The Four Steps to The Epiphany, Cafepress.com. ISBN: 978-0976470700.
3. Mullins, R. and Komisar, R. (2009) Getting to Plan B, Harvard Business Press. ISBN: 978-1-4221-2669-1.