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Planning and Pitching your own Venture

This course is as close as it gets to founding your own company. You will work out an idea for a company. You will analyze the market. You will think about your financials, your operations, your marketing and sales approach, your team, etc. All in all, you will think about everything you need to think about when starting a business from scratch. At the last day of class, you will pitch your company to us. When grading you, we will pretend to be business angels/ VCs wanting to invest in new companies. In addition, there will be actual business angels/ VCs in the audience, who might be willing to invest into your company right after the course. For some students, the endeavor of founding their own company ends with their final presentation in our course. Others might want to continue working on their idea and actually found their company right after WHU. Either way, this course is a great way to get a feeling of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Over the years, several successful companies have come out of this course, including "Evopark" and "Movinga". Course objective: -- Help students evaluate whether or not founding a company is what they want to do -- Prepare students to found their own company Course outline: 1. Kick-off lecture and introduction to entrepreneurial thinking 2. Individual coaching session 3. Individual coaching session 4. Individual coaching session 5. Final presentation
Course code
EAI609
Course type
MSc Course
Weekly Hours
2,5
ECTS
5
Term
FS 2020
Language
Englisch
Lecturers
Prof. Dr. Malte Brettel
Please note that exchange students obtain a higher number of credits in the BSc-program at WHU than listed here. For further information please contact directly the International Relations Office.

This course is as close as it gets to founding your own company!

Based on the lean startup methodology, you will work out an idea for a company and try it out in the market. You will think about your financials, your operations, your sales approach, etc. Overall, you will think about everything you should think about when starting a business from scratch. WHU Incubator, experienced entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and business angels will support you during (bi-)weekly individual coaching sessions. The course focuses strongly on work outside of the classroom and insights gained from real customers. These insights and the coaching sessions help you to constantly improve your idea over time and tremendously increase your chances of success.

The class culminates in the final demo day. On the demo day, you will pitch your company to us. In addition to chair representatives, there will be actual business angels/ VCs in the audience, who might be willing to invest into your company.

For some students, the endeavor of founding their own company ends with their final presentation in this course. Others might want to continue working on their idea and actually found their company right after WHU. Either way, this course is a great way to get a feeling of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Over the years, many startups such as Barzahlen or Evopark have started in this course.

Date Time
Friday, 17.01.2020 13:45 - 17:00
Thursday, 23.01.2020 15:30 - 18:45
Thursday, 23.01.2020 15:30 - 18:45
Thursday, 23.01.2020 15:30 - 18:45
Friday, 31.01.2020 13:45 - 15:15
Monday, 03.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Monday, 03.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Monday, 03.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Tuesday, 04.02.2020 19:00 - 20:30
Monday, 10.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Monday, 10.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Monday, 10.02.2020 11:00 - 15:15
Thursday, 20.02.2020 09:00 - 20:00
Reading the following books is optional: -- Timmons, J. and Spinelli, S., New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century, 7th Edition (New York: McGraw Hill, 2007) -- Kuratko, D. F. and R. M. Hodgetts, Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice, 7th Edition. (Mason; Thomson, 2007) -- In German: Grichnik. D., Brettel, M. Koropp, C. und Mauer, R.: Entrepreneurship: Unternehmerisches Denken, Entscheiden und Handeln in innovativen und technologieorientierten Unternehmungen (Schäffer-Poeschel 2010)
- Kick-off lecture
- Individual group coaching sessions (with WHU Incubator & experienced entrepreneurs & investors)
- Group work outside of class based on lean startup methodology

- Final business idea pitch in front of jury

Pitch Deck: 40%

o 1-page executive summary (PDF)

o 5-to-15-slide presentation (PowerPoint)

o Appendix (PowerPoint and/ or Excel) for supporting materials, e.g., calculations and assumptions

o Optional: website, app mockup, video, etc. - your choice

Final Presentation: 40%

o Oral

o max. 10 minutes for your pitch (for matters of fairness, timing will be strictly enforced)

o ~10 minutes Q&A with jury

Participation/ Other: 20%

o Show up well prepared to your coaching sessions, make constant progress, implement feedback

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