About this course: Integrate the tools and concepts from the specialization courses to develop a comprehensive business plan. Choose to enhance new venture concepts previously explored in specialization courses, or develop a new concept for this capstone project. Develop a comprehensive, customer-validated business model and create an investor pitch for the concept. With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu.
Created by: University of Maryland, College Park
Taught by: Dr. James V. Green, Director of Entrepreneurship Education
Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute
| Basic Info | Course 4 of 4 in the Entrepreneurship: Launching an Innovative Business Specialization |
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 4-6 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Defining the Opportunity
Value innovation, your solution, and your initial business model canvas
11 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Welcome to the Entrepreneurship Capstone
- Reading: Introduction to the course
- Reading: Meet Dr. James V. Green
- Reading: Connect with your classmates
- Video: Preview of the Master of Professional Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship
- Video: Guest Lecture with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker - What Advice Do You Have For Aspiring Entrepreneurs?
- Reading: "Value Innovation: The Strategic Logic of High Growth" by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. Harvard Business Review.
- Video: Does your solution create value for your stakeholders?
- Video: What is value innovation?
- Video: Is the problem real?
- Reading: "Every Company Is Up For Disruption, So Keep Your Products Simple" by Victor Belfor. TechCrunch.
- Video: Is your advantage superior and sustainable?
- Video: Can you build the right team at the right time?
- Reading: "How to Convince People to Join Your Startup" by Alison Johnston. Mashable.
- Video: Will your business model work?
- Video: Crafting the business model canvas: Part 1
- Video: Crafting the business model canvas: Part 2
- Reading: Lecture Slides
Graded: Initial Business Model Canvas
WEEK 2
Discovering the Customer
Discovering the customer and interviewing customers
6 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Customer segments, value propositions, and product features
- Video: Customer types
- Video: Customer segments and business models
- Video: Customer archetypes
- Video: Minimum viable product
- Reading: Talking to Humans" by Giff Constable. Available as a free PDF.
- Reading: "Customer Development Interviews How-to: Finding People" by Cindy Alvarez
- Reading: "95 Ways to Find Your First Customers for Customer Development" by Jason Evanish
- Reading: "How do I set up customer interviews?" by Jeff Lash
- Video: How to interview customers
- Reading: Lecture Slides
Graded: Customer Interviews and Analysis: Part 1 of 2
WEEK 3
Understanding Customers
Analyzing customers
3 readings
- Reading: Sizing the Opportunity (2:50)
- Reading: Finding Patterns (1:50)
- Reading: Looking for Insights (0:58)
Graded: Customer Interviews and Analysis: Part 2 of 2
WEEK 4
Creating the Marketing and Sales Strategy
Marketing mix, sales forecasting, and managing the sales pipeline
5 videos, 6 readings
- Reading: Marketing mix
- Video: Developing the marketing mix: Part 1
- Video: Developing the marketing mix: Part 2
- Reading: Product strategies
- Reading: Pricing strategies
- Video: Pricing
- Reading: Place strategies
- Reading: Promotion strategies
- Video: Sales forecasting
- Video: Managing the sales pipeline
- Reading: Lecture Slides
Graded: Marketing and Sales Strategy
WEEK 5
Refining the Solution
Product fit, validation, and scaling.
5 videos, 1 reading
- Video: Guest Lecture with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker - What Decisions Did You Make to Get Your Business Off the Ground?
- Video: Product fit
- Video: Building the right revenue model
- Video: Scaling sales
- Video: Building the company
- Reading: Lecture Slides
Graded: Final Business Model Canvas
WEEK 6
Crafting the Business Plan
Creating a business plan
3 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Defining the business plan
- Video: Authoring the business plan
- Reading: Lecture Slides
- Video: Information Session
- Reading: Learn More
Graded: Business Plan
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Certificates
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Creators
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 47 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
A very good process to validate your idea for a new business. 2 optional resources that were introduced in an earlier course of the same program - Business Model Generation (Osterwalder, Pigneur) and Blue Ocean Strategy (Kim, Maubongne) - proved indispensable for this program finale. I continue to turn to these books to tool my new businesses. The Capstone, and the program in general, became the turning point in my entrepreneurial development.
Awesome course. I was enjoying every minute in it.
I am so grateful ....thank you
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AWESOME! SUPERB!!