Entrepreneurship, Group C

This course aims to provide students an introduction into the topic of entrepreneurship. In this course, the students will receive fundamental insights into the core challenges that entrepreneurs face when founding a new business activity. They will also be exposed to the core frameworks and tools that entrepreneurs use to initiate, develop, and finance their business activity.

Module 1: Introduction + In-class workshop on problem identification

In this first module, we discuss the fundamentals of entrepreneurships and discuss why WHU has an extremely successful history of generating leading founders in different industries. In this first module, students all start working on their group assignment by engaging in an ideation session to identify relevant painpoints.

Obligatory material to prepare before module:

Video: Effectuation: An introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZYbuG3SbUM

Background material:

Podcast: Masters of scale: Episode 64 with Eric Ries
https://mastersofscale.com/eric-ries/

Module 2: Value proposition canvas + In-class workshop on designing your value proposition

In this module, students will start developing a value proposition to address their core customer painpoint.

Obligatory material to prepare before module:

Poscast: How I build this with Tobias Lütke of Shopify
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/02/747660923/shopify-tobias-l-tke
Podcast: How I build this with Joe Gebbia of AirBnB: https://www.npr.org/2017/10/19/543035808/airbnb-joe-gebbia

Module 3: Developing and pitching the business model canvas + In class workshop on designing your business model canvas

In this module, we discuss the different aspects of the business model canvas. We also provide an overview of essential topics when pitching the business model.

Obligatory material to prepare before module:

Video on VRIO framework: https://www.business-to-you.com/vrio-from-firm-resources-to-competitive-advantage/
Video on pitching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr1PKaoflLo

Background material:

Book: Osterwalder, A. and Y. Pigneur. 2010. Business Model Generation (E-book is available via the WHU Online Library)
Video on preparing a good powerpoint presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwpi1Lm6dFo&list=PLFuTFfEGAk0HMpTOfMXi8Nm9d6udBZz4M&index=10
Video on presentation skills:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0pxo-dS9Hc

Module 4: Online Speed dating

In this module, students will pitch their business model in front of several experienced WHU entrepreneurs in an online speed dating session.

Module 5: The data side of entrepreneurship

In this module, we discuss how to formulate and test hypotheses for your business model. We also discuss the metrics that startups can use to monitor and evaluate their startup.

Background material:

Video: Strategyzer Webinar: The Basics Of Testing Business Ideas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFjZkRbXhiA
Book: Croll & Yoskovitz (2013) Lean Analytics (E-book is available via the WHU Online Library)
Podcast: How I build this: Mailchimp
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/09/1014699766/mailchimp-ben-chestnut

Module 6: The human side of entrepreneurship

In this module, we discuss a broad set of dilemma’s that founders need to address when starting and developing novel business activities.

Obligatory material to prepare before module:

Podcast: Most Awesome Founder Podcast: Robert Ermich
https://mostawesomepodcast.com/ermich/
Podcast: Most Awesome Founder Podcast with Frey Oehle
https://mostawesomepodcast.com/partaker/

Background material:

Wasserman (2012) The founder’s dilemmas. (E-book is available via the WHU Online Library)
Raz, G (2020) How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success From the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs
Podcast: How I build this: Simple Mills: Katlin Smith
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/12/967337497/simple-mills-katlin-smith
Podcast: How I build this: Chicken Salad Chick: Stacy Brow
https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624713103/chicken-salad-chick-stacy-brown