Handbook

Successful new ventures, either in the form of a startup or an innovation from an existing business, are often based on identifying a valuable problem to solve. In this course, you will identify, analyse and propose a solution to a meaningful unsolved problem in the world for an identified market segment. Practical tools and protocols will be introduced for critically developing solution concepts, performing competitive analyses, building mindsets, skills, creativity and problem-solving, networking, designing experiments to validate concepts and rapid prototyping.  You will then learn pitching and visual and graphic design skills, learning how to communicate influentially. 

After this course, you will have: 

• a changed mindset, so that you can experience the world and your entire study program from an entrepreneur’s perspective; 
• sharpened skills in finding problems worth solving, mobilising people and resources to solve them, selling your ideas and skills and creating value; and 
• a smaller step to creating your own first start-up, with mentors, support structures and fellow UNSW students to bring your ideas and companies to life 

Week 1 Introduction to Entrepreneurship - Concepts and Founders videos, eg ‘pain points’  

Week 2 Problem Discovery and Validation- Examples, hypothesis generation  / Problem space 

Week 3 Ideation, Rapid Prototyping and Feedback - Problem statement (assessment 1 due) / Ideation Tool (Mashup) / Rapid Prototyping / Giving Effective Feedback 

Week 4 Customer Discovery (Gather Evidence) 

Week 5 Business Model Canvas / (Assessment 2 due) 

Week 6 Communicating and Influencing- Storytelling, pitching, communicating ideas and influencing others