Sprint2Berlin

In this course we apply the Google-Sprint Format to class and to the process of developing a novel business idea.

We build teams and business models within the run of the course.

Following the five-day sprint logic, we train the following skills:

1) analyze problems and challenges

2) get an overview of the industry and competitors and start developing the value proposition as well as the customer segment

3) build the business model and the prototype

4) collect customer feedback

5) report and pitch about all components

The result is a real business idea and model that has undergone its first test via customer feedback using a real physical or electronic prototype.

Students will have expert knowledge in the exploration phase of developing a business model, involving the aspects of: industry trends, competitive landscape, important customer segments and related pain points as well as identification of customer jobs.

Relating to MiE objective 1.2. Students will be capable of developing promising novel business ideas and business models:

Students will have expert knowledge of current tools and methods in identifying and developing business ideas and models.

Relating to MiE objective 1.3. Students will master the process of evidence-based entrepreneurship (i.e.: defining business hypotheses and empirically validating/rejecting them):

Students can master the process of developing business hypotheses, choosing test settings and validating/rejecting them.

Relating to MiE objective 1.4. Students will be experts in scaling new business (i.e. mastering the operative setup of new business):

Students will have an expert knowledge of important business model metrics related to specific types of business models as well as growth/scaling stages.

Relating to MiE objective 1.5. Students will be experienced in building and maintaining strong teams and partnerships:

Students will have expertise in building a strong startup team and in setting up contacts to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of their respective country of operation.

Class discussions (discussion of current tools and applications of tools)

In class speakers from the startup industry (6-8 speakers)

Group case work (working on a sprint to develop business ideas)

Group examination (50%):

Presentation of business idea at the chair (individual group presentation, not in plenum).

Grading criteria:

• Relevance and impact of the business idea
• Concreteness and potential implementation of the business idea
• Quality of the content (all important parts considered?)
• Analytic quality (use of hypotheses, metrics, measures, real data, etc.)
• Quality/use of prototype
• Use of current tools and methods
• Use of hypotheses

Hand in of pitch deck.

Individual contribution (50%):

Contribution for each phase of the sprint

For each phase of the sprint, you will present the progress of your team.

You will report orally but also hand in documents.

The topics/phases are:

• Problem/relevance identification
• Solution/business model identification
• Prototype/feedback
• The final pitch summarizes your parts

Hand in is due when you report your progress.

As the course progresses, individual team members will take over roles for the pitch of their team.

The teams can decide:

• whether they want to attribute the individual contribution to individual assignments or
• whether they want to be graded in total, all together with the same grade.

The overall goal is to learn and apply structured tools and approaches to deliver a great pitch that presents and successfully lands a business idea.

For your pitch deck:

• Relevance and impact of the business idea
• Concreteness and potential implementation of the business idea
• Quality of the content (all important parts considered?)
• Analytic quality (use of hypotheses, metrics, measures, real data, etc.)
• Quality/use of prototype
• Use of current tools and methods
• Use of hypotheses

For your individual parts:

The quality of your individual part as contributing to the overall team performance.

Hand in of pitch deck.

Hand in of individual reporting at each meeting.

5,9% (5/85 ECTS-credits)