Academies

Semester One

The first semester starts with ideation techniques--seeing the world through the eyes of an entrepreneur--and wraps up with each team presenting its minimum viable product for testing. Each session is built around one or more 'deliverables' (knowledge and skill sets entrepreneurs must use). Many deliverables are expected to take more than one session to complete. Teams move at their own pace; progress is measured by satisfactory completion of deliverables by semester's end.

The approach to learning is learner-centered, facilitated by knowledgeable coaches trained in entrepreneurial thinking. Activities are as real as possible, simulating startup work where necessary, e.g., through game-based learning. Teams interested in developing their ideas into real businesses complete all the deliverables to get them to that point, including team formation, incorporation, IP protection, market research and validation, term sheets, networking and much more. The approach may be game-based, but we're not playing around.

Deliverable 1: Networking Skills

Networking Deliverables

Introduce yourself and your idea to strangers who may be able to help you
Learn how to work a room
Provide a written or oral summary of networking conversations, including information pertaining to business insights and/or actionable steps (e.g., applying what was said, working together, new awareness, follow-up meeting, etc.)

Deliverable 2: Startup Stories (research)

Startup Stories Deliverables

Research a startup founder
Present a one-page paper that answers these questions about a real startup founder: name, company, founder’s background, the company’s main value proposition, how they came up with their idea and a recent challenge or accomplishment associated with the company.

Deliverable 3: Ideation techniques (Game: Founder to Fortune)

Ideation Deliverables

Develop and pitch new business ideas by combining randomly generated keywords
Invest in ideas that have the most potential for winning

Deliverable 4: Ideation and Pitching

Ideation and Pitching Deliverables

Using selected keywords, develop a A 60-second pitch to elicit feedback from an investor about a new business idea
Pitch a new business idea to get feedback

Deliverable 5: Developing Value Propositions

Value Proposition Deliverables

Choose a company: study their marketing statements
Evaluate how the company attempts to appeal to customers
Report on the company's value propositions

Deliverable 6: Value Propostions and Empathy (Game: Sticky Props)

Value Propostions and Empathy Deliverables

Play STICKY PROPS: make strategic decisions to maximize perceived value for sample demographics
Empathize with diverse types of consumers--interpret values from others' perspectives

Deliverable 7: Market Research (digital information fluency)

Market Research Deliverables

Research and list the characteristics of distint customer segments
Research and identify competitors by using browsing, queries and specialized databases
Fact check and evaluate findings

Deliverable 8: Researching Customer Segments

Customer Research Deliverables

Compile a list of characteristics that describe a specific customer segment
Use research to determine what a specific customer segment values and what motivates them
Report on the findings

Deliverable 9: Introduction to Business Modeling (Business Model Canvas)

Business Model Canvas Deliverables

Fill in a Business Model Canvas (BMC) with information about a company’s value proposition and customer segments
Research to discover additional information for the two categories (e.g., competitors' value propositions and customer segment specifics)

Deliverable 10: BOSI and balanced teams (Game: Hire Power)

BOSI Deliverables

Become conversant in Builder (B), Opportunist (O), Specialist (S) and Innovator (I) definitions
Complete a BOSI survey and identify your primary and secondary roles

Deliverable 11: Team formation

Team Formation Deliverables

Become a member of a BOSI startup team
Builders: conduct interviews to recruit team members
All others: complete a resume and participate in interviews with Builders to join a team

Deliverable 12: Team building

Team building Deliverables

Collaborate as a team to solve three 'impossible' problem scenarios
Challenge contextual assumptions, exploit loopholes in rules

Deliverable 13: Teamwork (Game: Scrum)

Teamwork Deliverables

Complete an array of work tasks efficiently as a team
As a team, complete work under challenging time constraints
As a team, discuss what worked and what didn't and how to improve performance

Deliverable 14: Team Ideation

Team Ideation Deliverables

As a team, collaborate to compile a list of potential ideas to develop into products or services
Use the United Nations Sustainability Goals to help foster new ideas for products or services

Deliverable 15: Idea Sniff Test

Idea Sniff Test Deliverables

Submit potential business ideas to "stress test" questions (including Sustainability Goals)
Determine the strengths and weaknesses of each idea
As a team, select the 'best' idea to develop into a product or service

Deliverable 16: Team Incorporation

Team Incorporation Deliverables

Present an Incorporation Plan for registering your company as a business entity
As a team, select and report on the most suitable type of business entity for your company (LLC, LLP, C-Corp, S-Corp, B-Corp, non-Profit)

Deliverable 17: Initial Market Validation

Initial Market Validation Deliverables

Compile and present a market report that connects your proposed values with customer segments
As a team, develop and deliver an elevator pitch describing your validated idea

Deliverable 18: Build an MVP Prototype

MVP Prototype Deliverables

Explore different types of prototypes and select the best type for your idea
As a team, create a prototype that can be used as the basis for a Minimal Viable Product (MVP)

Deliverable 19: Test the MVP Prototype

MVP Prototype Test Deliverables

Collaborate to develop a plan for prototype testing, including desired outcomes
Produce a testing protocol

Deliverable 20: Build updated MVP

Updated MVP Deliverables

As a team, complete an MVP ready for market testing

Semester Two

The second semester commences with planning MVP tests and concludes with investor pitches.

Deliverable 21: MVP: Test Strategy and Statistics

MVP Test Strategy Deliverables

As a team, compile a set of questions to be answered by MVP testing
Select appropriate statistical methods for analyzing the results of testing (mean, frequency distribution, t-test, chi-square test, correlation, bar, line, pie charts)

Deliverable 22: MVP: Test (with end users)

MVP Test Deliverables

Follow a protocol for testing and interpreting results from MVP testing
Collect and save MVP Test results

Deliverable 23: MVP: Learn (evaluation)

MVP Learn Deliverables

Group discussion of testing analysis and results
Written description of results supported by appropriate data displays (e.g., bar, line, pie charts)
Presentation of findings

Deliverable 24: MVP to Beta Launch

Beta Launch Deliverables

Finalization and development of Beta version
Beta release of the product or service

Deliverable 25: IP Protection Planning

IP Protection Planning Deliverables

As a team, develop a list of necessary legal to-dos with target dates for completion
These may include a company-specific Intellectual Property protection strategy, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Returns/Refunds Policies, Product Warranties, Human Resources Policies (e.g., personnel contracts, equity shares), Term sheets, investor contracts

Deliverable 26: Soft Launch

Soft Launch Deliverables

A soft launch party held to announce the Beta release of the product or service.
As a team, draft plans for monitoring the live product
Create a rubric to evaluate when the Beta release is ready to move to full release

Deliverable 27: Market Projections

Market Projection Deliverables

Spreadsheet showing customer segment statistics and reasonable, estimated sales projections
Market information transferred to the BMC

Deliverable 28: Production Costs (Game: Survivor Island)

:Production Costs Deliverables

As a team, research costs to make your product or deliver your service
Produce a spreadsheet detailing manufacturing costs, development costs, hosting costs, shipping costs
High-level cost numbers transferred to the BMC

Deliverable 29: Distribution Costs

Distribution Costs Deliverables

As a team, research and estimate costs to move the team’s product or service through all the necessary channels from the producer to the consumer
Produce a spreadsheet detailing distribution costs
Transfer bottom-line information on channels and costs to the BMC

Deliverable 30: Marketing Strategies (Game: CMO Target Rounds)

Marketing Strategies Deliverables

As a team, select Marketing Strategies best-suited to reach your specific customer segment
Evaluate the effectiveness and estimated costs of Paid Ads, Guerrilla Tactics, Proximity Marketing, Event Experiences, Face-to-Face, and other strategies, as relevant
Provide samples of Marketing Media to be used in campaigns

Deliverable 31: Marketing Costs

Marketing Costs Deliverables

As a team, create and defend a Market Calendar that displays marketing strategies with information about when, how often, who is responsible and estimated costs.

Deliverable 32: Marketing Demo Day

Marketing Demo Day Deliverables

Demonstrate Marketing Media to be used in campaigns
Document feedback received and plans for using it

Deliverable 33: Customer Loyalty Planning

Customer Loyalty Planning Deliverables

As a team, create a plan that includes policies for maintaining good customer relationships (e.g., privacy policy, warranties, complaint handling, etc.)
Refine marketing strategy plans to keep customers coming back for more

Deliverable 34: Total Estimated Costs

Total Estimated Costs Deliverables

As a team, create a spreadsheet that itemizes all the known and estimated costs of running a startup (including incorporation, personnel, production, distribution, marketing, sales, legal, taxes and more, as needed)

Deliverable 35: Revenue Streams

Revenue Streams Deliverables

Building on the Total Costs spreadsheet, develop a pricing model that includes all selected revenue streams
As a team, project Lifetime Value for the first year of sales
As a team, agree upon Quarterly Sales Quotas--how many units need to be sold, at what price, to make a profit

Deliverable 36: Business Valuation

Business Valuation Deliverables

As a team, determine the potential value of your company using (pre-revenue) sales models and market information

Deliverable 37: Elevator Pitch

Elevator Pitch Deliverables

Every member of the team practices and delivers a 30-second elevator pitch that includes these elements: attention-getting hook, who you are, what your product does, its main value proposition(s), its market appeal, your ‘ask’ (your purpose)

Deliverable 38: (Show) and Tell

(Show) and Tell Deliverables

As a team, determine the elements (content) and order for your investor pitch

Deliverable 39: Show (and Tell)

Show (and Tell) Deliverables

As a team, select and adapt marketing materials that support the purpose of your pitch
Possibilities include graphics, audio, video, product samples and experiences

Deliverable 40: Pitch Decks

Pitch Decks Deliverables

As a team, complete a pitch deck with 10 slides or so that helps tell your story
Slides should not distract from the message but at the same time should attempt to make it unforgettable

Deliverable 41: Managing Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers Deliverables

Teams develop strategies for answering expected and unexpected questions in preparation for the investor pitch

Deliverable 42: Pitch Practice

Pitch Practice Deliverables

Teams deliver a pitch using a pitch deck and take questions from an audience

Deliverable 43: Term Sheets

Term Sheet Deliverables

Teams play a simulation game, negotiating acceptable terms with an investor for a seed round of funding
Mock terms are recorded on a Term Sheet

Deliverable 44: Investor Pitch

Investor Pitch Deliverables

Teams pitch their product or service to one or more investors, seeking an ask

Deliverable 45: Next Steps

Next Steps Deliverables

Teams decide whether to dissolve or move ahead, signing an agreement that defines their next steps

Startup Academy Year One

Semester One

Semester Two