DavidsonX: Building a Lean Startup

by Davidson College

About this Course

This engaging course is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs transform a business idea into a successful company. Led by a seasoned founder, this fast-paced and practical entrepreneurship course covers essential tools and strategies to develop a product-market fit and scale beyond. By the end of this course, participants will have mastered the Lean Startup methodology, enabling them to save costs and enhance their product effectively through iterative customer feedback.

What Students Will Learn

Develop an entrepreneurial mindset for business success.
How to identify and reshape problems into business opportunities.
Create and validate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Employ the Lean Startup methodology to optimize product fit through customer feedback.
Practical approach to build, measure, learn, and iterate based on actual customer data.
Effectively launch and scale your product in a competitive market.

Prerequisites or Skills Necessary

No prior experience is required. The course is designed to be accessible for all aspiring entrepreneurs, regardless of their educational background.

Course Coverage

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Mindset
Identifying Opportunities from Problems
Creating and Validating MVPs
Utilizing Lean Startup Methodology
Building Customer-Centric Products
Analyzing and Iterating Based on Feedback
Effective Strategies for Scaling and Market Penetration

Who This Course Is For

This course is specifically designed for individuals looking to start their own business or startup founders seeking to refine their approach to developing and launching products. It’s also ideal for anyone interested in understanding modern entrepreneurial practices.

Real-World Application of Skills

Skills acquired through this course can dramatically aid in reducing the time and capital required to determine product viability and market fit. Entrepreneurs can use these methodologies to launch customer-focused products and services, potentially leading to greater satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately, business success.

Course Syllabus

Week 1: Introducing Entrepreneurial Thought and Action.
Week 2: Problem Identification and Hypothesis Validation.
Week 3: MVP Development, Testing, and Iteration.
Week 4: Go-To-Market Strategy, Scaling, and Beyond.

Learner Testimonials

"I had a blast in this course - - I was able to learn while also working on my own entrepreneurial idea." - Olivia P.

"This course opened my eyes about how to, and how not to, build a successful business. I liked the real world examples and the variety of guest speakers." - Arjun D.

"Rebecca Weeks Watson’s course is an incredibly valuable resource. I finished the full course in less directly encouraging and applicable." - Kim M.

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