New Tech Ventures from Coursera

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Syllabus

Module 1: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Innovation, and Ethics

Welcome to New Technology Ventures! This course is structured to provide students with an opportunity to practice the process of starting a venture, and learn to grow, and sustain innovative businesses. It begins with cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and progresses through design thinking, customer discovery, and strategic financial planning. Each module is designed to build on the previous, incorporating elements like global market positioning and ethical business practices. Students will conclude the course by learning to effectively communicate their business ideas through compelling pitches aimed at securing funding and driving business growth. All students will form teams of 3-4 students and undertake a project intended to become a real business. This module introduces students to the foundational concepts of innovation, focusing on the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking. Learners will explore real-world examples to examine how ethics and innovation are linked in business success.

Module 2: Team Building, Company Values, and Cofounder Relationships

Learn to build high-performance teams and establish company values that reflect the startup’s mission and market strategy. This module also addresses the nuances of cofounder relationships, providing strategies for conflict resolution and collaborative success.

Module 3: Idea Generation and Design Thinking

Students apply design thinking and AI tools to generate, develop, and refine innovative business ideas. This module emphasizes practical applications while seeking to solve real-world problems.

Module 4: Market Research, Competition, and Positioning with a Global Perspective

This module equips students with the skills to perform thorough market research and develop strategies for entering competitive global markets. It covers practical tools for analyzing competitors, understanding market dynamics, and consumer behavior.

Module 5: Business Models and Value Propositions with Regulatory and Legal Frameworks

This module focuses on developing innovative business models with consideration of legal and regulatory requirements, preparing students to craft business models that address real customer needs. Lessons include practical applications using the Lean Canvas and strategies for intellectual property protection.

Module 6: Customer Discovery and Prototyping

This module equips students with the skills to engage deeply with potential customers through interviews and prototype engagement. Students will learn how to conduct iterative cycles of customer feedback, applying insights to refine their solutions, thereby achieving problem-solution fit.

Module 7: Financial Planning and Modelling

Students will learn to develop financial plans and models that illustrate potential growth and scalability for startup ventures. This module covers various strategies for securing startup funding, including venture capital, angel investment, and crowdfunding.

Module 8: Pitching, Storytelling and Sales Basics

Students will demonstrate the ability to craft and deliver compelling pitches, utilizing storytelling to effectively communicate business value, generate sales, and secure investment.

Summative Course Assessment

This module contains the summative course assessment that has been designed to evaluate your understanding of the course material and assess your ability to apply the knowledge you have acquired throughout the course.

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Know what's good

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Provides an opportunity to practice the process of starting a venture, which is valuable for those looking to launch their own businesses

Incorporates design thinking, customer discovery, and strategic financial planning, which are essential skills for creating successful products and services

Teaches how to effectively communicate business ideas through compelling pitches, which is crucial for securing funding and driving business growth

Incorporates elements like global market positioning and ethical business practices, which are important considerations for businesses operating internationally

Begins with cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and progresses through key business concepts, which builds a strong foundation for beginners

Applies AI tools to generate, develop, and refine innovative business ideas, which is useful for those who want to stay ahead of the curve

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in New Tech Ventures with these activities:

Review Design Thinking Principles

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Reviewing design thinking principles will provide a solid foundation for idea generation and customer discovery, which are crucial in the early modules of the course.

Browse courses on Design Thinking

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Read articles on design thinking methodologies.
Watch videos explaining the design thinking process.
Practice applying design thinking to everyday problems.

Review 'The Lean Startup'

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Reading 'The Lean Startup' will provide a practical framework for validating business ideas and iterating based on customer feedback, directly supporting the course's modules on customer discovery and business model development.

View The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use... on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
Identify how the Lean Startup principles apply to your team's project.
Discuss the book's concepts with your team.

Develop a Business Model Canvas

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Creating a Business Model Canvas for a hypothetical or real business will reinforce understanding of key business components and their interrelationships, directly applicable to modules on business models and value propositions.

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Choose a business idea to model.
Fill out each section of the Business Model Canvas.
Refine the canvas based on research and feedback.

Four other activities

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Attend Startup Meetups

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Attending startup meetups will provide opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences, and potentially find mentors or collaborators, enhancing the learning experience beyond the course materials.

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Research local startup events.
Prepare an elevator pitch about your team's project.
Attend the event and network with attendees.
Follow up with interesting contacts after the event.

Review 'Zero to One'

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Reading 'Zero to One' will challenge assumptions about competition and innovation, encouraging students to think critically about their business ideas and long-term value creation.

View Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build... on Amazon

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Read the book and highlight key arguments.
Compare Thiel's ideas with the course's teachings.
Discuss the book's implications with your team.

Create a Pitch Deck

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Developing a pitch deck will hone skills in storytelling and persuasive communication, essential for securing funding and driving business growth, as covered in the pitching module.

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Define the target audience for the pitch.
Craft a compelling narrative about the business.
Design visually appealing slides.
Practice delivering the pitch.

Mentor Junior Students

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Mentoring junior students on entrepreneurship concepts will solidify your understanding of the course material and develop your communication and leadership skills.

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Volunteer to mentor students in introductory business courses.
Prepare materials to explain key concepts.
Provide guidance and feedback to mentees.

Career center

Learners who complete New Tech Ventures will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Startup Founder

A startup founder is responsible for the initial vision, strategy, and execution of a new business. This course is perfectly aligned with the role, as it covers a complete lifecycle, from cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset to securing funding through compelling pitches. The course's emphasis on the practical application of design thinking, market research, and financial planning helps build a foundation for starting a business. The project-based nature of the course, requiring students to form teams and build real business concepts, directly mirrors the challenges a startup founder faces. This course will help an aspiring founder to understand business model development, customer discovery, sales fundamentals, and the nuances of team building and cofounder relationships.

See salaries and explore the career path for Startup Founder

Business Development Manager

A business development manager identifies and pursues new opportunities for growth, which requires a strong understanding of business models, market dynamics, and customer needs. This course gives a strong overview of these elements and can help a business development manager explore new markets and generate value. The module focusing on market research and global positioning is particularly relevant, providing insights into competitive analysis and global market entry. Additionally, the course teaches effective communication for sales and securing funding, vital skills for a business development manager. The course's emphasis on financial planning and modeling can be useful when evaluating potential business ventures.

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Product Manager

A product manager guides the development and launch of new products. This course covers a range of essential topics for this role, including design thinking, customer discovery, and business model creation. The course's approach to idea generation and problem-solving is invaluable. Furthermore, the course project closely mimics the real-world process of launching a new product or service. As the role of a product manager is to understand market needs and guide a product team, this course may help in that endeavor. The course also covers practical tools for analyzing consumers and competitive landscape, which are all skills useful to a product manager.

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Innovation Consultant

An innovation consultant helps organizations develop strategies for growth and improvement. This course is structured to introduce students to the core concepts of innovation, emphasizing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical business practices. The focus on design thinking and problem-solving methods allows for an understanding of the consulting role and its approach to helping a myriad of clients. The course also provides modules on market research and global market positioning, which are all relevant to innovation consulting. A person embarking on a career as an innovation consultant can benefit from the strategic financial planning module in analyzing the feasibility of innovation projects.

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Venture Capital Analyst

A venture capital analyst evaluates investment opportunities in startups, requiring a deep understanding of business models, market analysis, and financial projections. This course can familiarize a venture capital analyst with the elements needed for a good investment opportunity. The financial planning and modeling module provides the tools to assess the viability and growth potential of startup ventures. The course's focus on pitch development and storytelling equips a venture capital analyst with an understanding of what makes a pitch compelling. Finally, the entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking principles will help the analyst evaluate the ideas that they receive.

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Market Research Analyst

A market research analyst studies consumer behavior and market trends to inform business decisions. This course gives a good foundation in market research methodologies, covering competitive analysis and global market entry strategies. The module on customer discovery provides tools to deeply engage with potential consumers, a crucial skill for a market research analyst. The course also covers design thinking, which allows the analyst to approach customer problems with creative solutions. Also, the study of business models and value propositions may prove helpful in their work.

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Business Analyst

A business analyst identifies problems and recommends solutions in business settings. This course introduces the basic concepts behind business models that could prove helpful for a business analyst. The modules on market research and value propositions can help provide a business analyst with the skill to study and evaluate the current business climate. The coursework further emphasizes skills in financial planning, which helps a business analyst fully analyze a problem and its possible solutions. The course modules in customer discovery and prototyping may help a business analyst to better understand the end users of the business.

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Sales Representative

A sales representative is responsible for selling products or services. This course is aligned to the role, and may help a prospective sales person learn to effectively communicate value and generate sales. The modules on pitching and storytelling will help a sales professional craft and deliver compelling presentations to both clients and potential investors. The course's emphasis on customer discovery will enable a sales representative to better understand customer needs. The course's project-based nature, specifically that which studies the customer with their business idea, may provide particular insight to a sales representative.

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Management Consultant

A management consultant advises organizations on improving their operations and strategy. This course provides an overview of strategic planning, business models, and financial analysis, all of which are relevant to work in management consulting. The entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking modules may prove helpful in learning to approach problems with innovative solutions. Additionally, the modules on team building and cofounder relationships can provide insight into how teams best function. This course may be helpful in understanding the key elements of a successful new business.

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Project Manager

A project manager oversees and coordinates projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget. This course will likely be helpful, as it provides some insight into the components of new projects. The course goes through all the necessary considerations when starting a business, such as team building, values, and financial analysis. The experience of forming a real business in this course and the challenges inherent in the project may help a project manager in their future work.

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Operations Manager

An operations manager oversees the daily activities of a business, ensuring smooth and efficient processes. This course provides an introduction to how a business is planned and the elements that are incorporated into operations. The modules on business models, design thinking and value propositions can help an operations manager understand the bigger picture. This course may be useful in providing an overview of the basic functions of each part of a business and how the various parts support each other.

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Financial Analyst

A financial analyst examines and interprets financial data to help make business decisions. This course may be useful, as it covers some of the fundamentals of financial planning and modeling, specifically with regard to startups. The focus on securing funding through venture capital, angel investment, and crowdfunding may be particularly relevant to a financial analyst. However, this career path is very technical and will require additional training to master.

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Marketing Coordinator

A marketing coordinator supports marketing campaigns and activities. This course may be useful to a marketing coordinator, since it provides an overview of market research, competitor analysis, and global positioning. The course also covers value propositions, which are important to understand in a marketing role. In addition, the skills needed to tell an effective sales story may be helpful in crafting marketing materials. However, this course focuses more on starting a new business rather than traditional marketing practices.

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Technical Writer

A technical writer creates user manuals and other documentation. This course may develop an individual's written communication skills, which can prove useful in technical writing. Since the course deals with business pitches, this might be a good way to develop persuasive writing and storytelling. However, this course focuses more on business development and not the specific elements of a technical writing assignment. Therefore, this course may be useful, but will not cover the bulk of a career as a technical writer.

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Human Resources Specialist

A human resources specialist recruits, interviews, and onboards new talent for a company. This course may be helpful, as it explores the dynamics of team building and company values. However, this course does not specifically explore common HR processes, such as payroll or company benefits. The course does not touch upon the specifics of the legal requirements for HR, though it may give a general overview of legal frameworks for a new business. Therefore, this course may be helpful in a few ways, but would not fully prepare an individual for the role.

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