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Basics of entrepreneurship

thinking and doing

Jan Lepoutre

4.8

Based on 85 ratings

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Jan Lepoutre

Having entrepreneurial skills is beneficial for everyone, whether in your personal or professional life. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting your own business, it is a mindset that pushes you to see opportunities where others only see challenges and to know how to manage risk and uncertainty.

Having entrepreneurial skills is no longer a luxury, but an essential skill in everyone's toolbox!

Whether you are a student, an employee, young or not so young...come and discover the entrepreneur inside of you!

At the end of this course, you will be familiar with :

Having entrepreneurial skills is no longer a luxury, but an essential skill in everyone's toolbox!

Whether you are a student, an employee, young or not so young...come and discover the entrepreneur inside of you!

At the end of this course, you will be familiar with :

- what entrepreneurship is,

- the frameworks and practical tools that help you to be an entrepreneur and the mistakes to avoid,

- a number of entrepreneurial methods and tools, or at least know how to learn and use them in practice,

- how to find good business ideas and projects and how to manage risks.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Entrepreneurship fundamentals

Welcome to the beginning of your learning journey! This first module is about knowing what entrepreneurship is and when it makes sense to use it. Just as you choose the right clothes for the right occasion, we will show you when to put on your entrepreneurial hat and when to put on your managerial hat. You will discover that entrepreneurship is not something you ARE, but something you DO. The objective is also to demystify entrepreneurship for you in a very concrete way.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores entrepreneurship, a mindset valuable in both personal and professional settings

Taught by Jan Lepoutre, who is recognized for their expertise in entrepreneurship

Develops entrepreneurial skills, which are increasingly sought after by employers

Provides frameworks and practical tools for becoming an entrepreneur

Demonstrates how to find and manage business ideas and projects

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Reviews summary

Essential entrepreneurship mindset guide

According to students, this course serves as a largely positive and accessible introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset. Learners frequently highlight its ability to demystify entrepreneurship and provide a solid foundation in core concepts. Many appreciated the focus on practical tools and frameworks such as design thinking and lean startup, which they found helpful for developing ideas and managing risk. While it is highly praised for equipping beginners with an entrepreneurial perspective and encouraging a shift from 'thinking' to 'doing', some reviewers noted that the course, while comprehensive as an overview, may lack the deep dive required for advanced practitioners or detailed business planning, suggesting it is more of a primer.

Good for beginners, but may lack advanced detail for some.

"Good for absolute beginners, but not enough depth if you already have some background."

"It's a good primer but expect to do further research on specific topics like funding or detailed business planning."

"I was hoping for more hands-on guidance, but it stays at a high level, so I need to supplement it."

Mix of theory and application, suited for general understanding.

"Some parts felt a bit theoretical, but overall, it's a great foundation for understanding the concepts."

"I found the pacing a bit uneven; some modules were very engaging, others felt rushed or too conceptual for my liking."

"While it has practical elements, I felt it needed more hands-on projects to truly solidify the learning."

Encourages a new way of thinking about opportunities and risks.

"Inspiring and practical. This course truly delivered on its promise to equip you with an entrepreneurial mindset."

"I appreciated the practical examples and the emphasis on 'doing' rather than just theoretical understanding."

"The distinction between entrepreneurial and managerial hats was a key takeaway that shifted my perspective."

Offers useful frameworks and methods for entrepreneurial action.

"The modules on design thinking and lean startup are particularly insightful."

"I found the frameworks and tools very helpful. The business model analysis was practical."

"I learned how to use practical tools and strategies that I could apply immediately."

Provides clear, understandable insights into entrepreneurial thinking.

"Absolutely brilliant! The course demystifies entrepreneurship and provides a clear roadmap."

"Excellent overview of entrepreneurial concepts. The instructor explains complex ideas clearly."

"It changed how I view challenges and opportunities. It truly helps you 'discover the entrepreneur inside you'."

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 Basics of entrepreneurship: thinking and doing with these activities:

Take an Online Course on Entrepreneurship

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Taking an online course on entrepreneurship can help you to learn the basics of starting and running a business.

Browse courses on Entrepreneurship

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Find an online course on entrepreneurship that fits your needs.
Enroll in the course and complete the assignments.
Participate in the course discussion forums.
Apply what you learn in the course to your own business.

Join a Study Group

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Joining a study group is a great way to learn from and collaborate with other students.

Browse courses on Collaboration

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Find a study group that fits your needs.
Attend study group meetings regularly.
Participate in discussions and share your ideas.
Help other students with their work.

Attend a Startup Meetup

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Attending a startup meetup is a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and learn about new ventures.

Browse courses on Networking

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Find a startup meetup in your area.
Attend the meetup and introduce yourself to other attendees.
Share your ideas and listen to the pitches of other entrepreneurs.

Six other activities

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Read 'The Lean Startup'

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This book provides insights into how to develop and validate your business ideas quickly and efficiently.

View The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use... on Amazon

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Read the book and make notes on key concepts.
Identify an idea for a new business or product.
Create a business model canvas for your idea.

Contribute to an Open Source Project

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Contributing to an open source project is a great way to learn about software development and to get involved in the open source community.

Browse courses on Open Source

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Find an open source project that interests you.
Review the project's documentation and code.
Identify a way that you can contribute to the project.

Write a Blog Post or Article on Entrepreneurship

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Writing a blog post or article on entrepreneurship can help you to share your knowledge and insights with others.

Browse courses on Content Creation

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Choose a topic for your blog post or article.
Write a draft of your post.
Edit and proofread your post.
Publish your post on your blog or website.

Create a Business Plan

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Creating a business plan will help you to think through the key aspects of your business and to identify potential risks and opportunities.

Browse courses on Business Planning

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Outline the key sections of a business plan.
Gather data and conduct research on your industry and target market.
Write the executive summary, company description, and market analysis sections.

Develop a Pitch Deck

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A pitch deck is a presentation that you can use to pitch your business idea to investors or potential partners.

Browse courses on Fundraising

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Identify the key information that you want to convey in your pitch deck.
Design a visually appealing and informative presentation.
Practice your pitch and get feedback from others.

Start a Business

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Starting a business is the ultimate way to put your entrepreneurial skills to the test.

Browse courses on Entrepreneurship

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Identify a business idea.
Develop a business plan.
Raise funding for your business.

Career center

Learners who complete Basics of entrepreneurship: thinking and doing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Basics of entrepreneurship: thinking and doing .

The Lean Startup

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Comprehensive guide to the Lean Startup methodology, which process for developing new products and services by iteratively testing and validating ideas with customers.

Basics of entrepreneurship

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Essential entrepreneurship mindset guide

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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