Start-up Launchpad - Business Plan Basics

This course is a hands-on entrepreneurship seminar where student teams develop their own tech-based startup projects. Moving beyond theory, this module guides participants through the entire early-stage entrepreneurial journey: from recognizing and validating opportunities to prototyping and testing solutions with a clear value proposition, designing a sustainable business model and presenting their work with a compelling story.

A key principle of this course is project ownership: all intellectual property (IP) remains with the student teams, empowering them to continue their ventures post-course.

The course is structured around practical milestones, supported by peer-to-peer sessions. We will facilitate a structured team building process at the beginning of the semester to ensure teams are well-matched and aligned.

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify & Validate Opportunities: Systematically analyze real-world problems and validate customer needs through structured field research and interviews.
• Ideate & Test Solutions: Develop value propositions and create prototypes to test core assumptions and gather user feedback.
• Design & Iterate Business Models: Apply modern business design tools to create and refine a viable and scalable business model.
• Communicate & Pitch: Compellingly communicate their venture's vision, progress, and potential.

The examination consists of the completion of a semester-long startup project as a team. It is designed to reflect the iterative and multi-faceted process of building a venture - step by step. Students will submit about 6 homework assignments throughout the semester that make up the final grade:

• Documentation of the project proposal and the team's internal working agreement
• Documentation of the user discovery process
• Documentation of the solution testing process
• Documentation of business model assumptions
• A final pitch document that tells the project story
• Documentation of peer feedback sessions

• Completion of an introductory course in entrepreneurship is recommended but not mandatory.
• A strong curiosity for technology and innovation, and a proactive, self-starter attitude.
• Participants need to apply as a team with a specific real-world problem they are passionate about solving.

• - International Resource Panel (2024): Global Resources Outlook. - Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2015): Growth Within: A circular economy vision for a competitive Europe. - Binder & Braun (2024): The Circular Business Revolution. - Breugst, N. (2023). Entrepreneurial teams. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management. Oxford University Press. - Joni, S.-n. A., & Beyer, D. (2009). How to pick a good fight. Harvard Business Review, 87(12), 48-57. - Read, S., Sarasvathy, S., Dew, N., Wiltbank, R., & Ohlsson, A.-V. (2011). Effectual entrepreneurship. New York: Routledge. - Wasserman, N. (2012). Founder's dilemmas: Anticipating and avoiding the pitfalls that can sink a startup. Princeton: Princeton University Press. - Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. Crown Business. - Blank, S. (2013). The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Startups that Win. K&S Ranch. - Moore, G. (2014). Crossing the Chasm (3rd edition). HarperCollins. - Maurya, A. (2012). Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works. O'Reilly Media. - Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y. (2010): Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. John Wiley & Sons. - Kawasaki, G. (2004). The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything. Portfolio. - Shepherd & Majchrzak (2022): Machines augmenting entrepreneurs: Opportunities (and threats) at the Nexus of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing

This module utilizes a blended, project-based learning approach that combines digital learning with intensive peer collaboration and exchange.

• Project-Based Learning: The course is centered around the teams' own venture projects. The majority of time is dedicated to hands-on work.
• Flipped Classroom: Foundational business design concepts are delivered via online materials, allowing class time to be used for peer exchange and applied learning.
• AI-Powered Support: To scale mentorship and provide instant support, students will have 24/7 access to an AI-powered coaching assistant. This tool handles foundational questions, provides process guidance, and helps structure analyses.
• Peer-to-Peer Community: Structured peer feedback sessions and community events foster a strong cohort identity, creating a supportive network of aspiring founders that lasts beyond the semester.
• Deep Dive Workshops (limited capacity): Sessions with seasoned entrepreneurs and functional experts provide actionable insights and strengthen bonds with the ecosystem.