MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

1.  Introduction and overview
2.  What is a startup? What is technology entrepreneurship?
3.  Developing products and value propositions that matter
4.  Designing an effective business model
5.  Lean startup: identifying business hypotheses
6.  Lean startup: testing business hypotheses
7.  Attracting funding for your startup
8.  Developing a competitive advantage
9.  Strategies for sustained growth
10. The great elevator pitch session
 

 

BMAN71721 Programme Req: BMAN71721 is only available as a core unit to students on MSc IME

This IME course unit will deal with the challenge of creating a technology venture. This unit will help students to learn and apply different ways to launch and grow a technology startup. In the lectures, the students will learn about how entrepreneurs can recognize attractive market opportunities and address these opportunities through novel products and value propositions. They will learn how to systematically test and validate an initial business idea and transform it into an effective business model. In the seminars, the students will apply the insights gained in the lectures by developing a business plan for a technology startup of their choice. The students will work in groups and will face the challenge to not only come up with an exciting new idea for a new venture, but also to gather 'real-world' feedback from potential customers. Students will present their business idea in a pitch competition in the final session.
 

 

On completion of this unit successful students will:

•  Become familiar with the main characteristics of successful technology startups
•  Understand and be able to apply a systematic method to effectively develop a new startup
•  Develop the skills to think and act entrepreneurially

 

 

Group Project 40%
Written Examination 60%

 

•  Informal advice and discussion during lectures and seminars
•  Response to student e-mails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum
•  Specific course related feedback sessions
•  Written and/or verbal comments on assessed and non-assessed coursework Written and/or verbal comments after students have given a group or individual presentation

 

 

· Ries, E. (2011). The lean startup: How today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses (1st ed.). New York, NY: Crown Business.
· Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Bernarda, G., Smith, A., & Papadakos, T. 2014. Value proposition design: How to create products and services customers want ; get started with. Hoboken NJ u.a.: Wiley.

Each weak will provide you with selected materials – including articles and videos – to support your understanding of the week’s topic.
 

Informal contact methods

• Contact before and after contact sessions
• Meetings by appointment