Engineering entrepreneurship

The goal of this unit is to impart an evidence-based methodology for building scalable startups that you can use for the rest of their careers, whether they are starting a new business or working in established organisations. For a new business, the goal is acquiring investor funding. In a corporate environment, the methodology will help the organisation start new businesses and allocate their internal resources (time, technology, and talent) more efficiently. The unit will be taught in a hands-on way that engages student teams by requiring them to develop hypotheses and then test those hypotheses outside the classroom. Throughout the semester, teams will modify their business models based on feedback from potential customers, and can then decide if there is a worthwhile business to be built. The unit does not include the execution of the business models; if student teams continue with their companies, they will assemble the appropriate operating plans, but only after they have attained a high degree of confidence that a viable business model exists.