Syllabus

Course Introduction

Learn more about the course through an interactive lecture with the course instructors and course Alumni. This should prove an exciting introduction! Applications are due by the end of class.

Opportunity Assessment

Learn how to take the technology ideas swirling in your head and assess them in terms of their market opportunity.

Product Market Fit

In startup development, product-market fit is perhaps the most crucial element of success. Speak to customers, find a problem and have your product solve it.

Team Mixer I - Brainstorming

Get to know your classmates and form your team! The teams form really fast in this class, so don't miss this event. If you can't make it be sure to email the TAs ahead of time.

Team Mixer II - Pitching

Teams of two or three will allowed to pitch to the remaining classmates and those on the waitlist. TAs will announce final class list by midnight. Wait-listed students are strongly encouraged to come to the next class on Oct 03rd since historically spots will open up.

Mentor Introduction

Your opportunity to meet your mentor. Remember, they will need to sign-off on your initial concept before you proceed, so get started with them right away!

Business Model

In simple terms, your business model determines how your venture will generate sales and value for customers and shareholders.

Marketing Fundamentals

Marketing is an essential channel for reaching customers. During our session we will discuss B2C and B2B marketing strategies.

Customer Discovery

Often the trickiest part of entrepreneurship, learn how to find the right customer for your product, or the right product for your customers.

Go-to-Market Planning

Product Validation

As a high-tech entrepreneur, you must build a viable technology solution to compete. But as a graduate student, you may often focus on technologies still 10-20 years from market development. Learn how to vet your technology idea for its current potential and avoid relying on a technology that's still in its infancy. No "WarpDrive" allowed, as we like to say!

Gate I Presentation: Product-Market-Fit and Opportunity Discovery

Prepare a 15 minute team presentation of your product/market fit, led by your CEO and CTO. Timing will be enforced.

Product Development Plan

Once you’ve figured out (through customer interviews) a problem to solve, you will focus on how to solve it. A product development plan is necessary for how you will serve your customers and how your company’s offering will evolve.

Unit Economics

In the end, you can’t have a business without profitability. Unit economics are the key to profitability. We will discuss the concept of unit economics (your price minus the cost of delivering your product) and how to maximize its value.

CFO Financial Model Office Hours Deep Dive

This is one of the highlights of the course! Proper accounting makes a start-up easier to fund and acquire. Look at your financial model with an expert and get 1:1 feedback! CFO's required to attend, and all others are encouraged

Financial Operating Plan

Review your financial assumptions in class. Tom Foody will discuss his lessons learned on financial planning and milestones for early stage technology start-ups.

Multistage Financing

Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B… what does it all mean? We will go over how modern ventures in Silicon Valley are funded through rounds depending on the company’s milestones.

VC Financing

Gate II Presentation: Financial & Operating Plan

Prepare a team presentation of your financials and your business model/operating plan.

Describe how you plan to develop your product and bring it to market including number, timing and costs of R&D heads.

Include detailed five year projections and your cash flow breakeven. Be sure to distinguish your product development stage from your steady state of operations.

Ground all of your financials with a proxy analysis. Be prepared to defend any material differences at any stage of the company between your proxy and your plan.

Capitalization

We will discuss the Skybox Imaging case. Students need to have thoroughly read, researched and studied the case and be prepared to actively participate in the case during the class.

VC Term Sheets with Dan Dorosin

Great Opportunity to learn how to structure your venture deal from a legal perspective. Dan Dorosin will walk us through real life VC Term Sheets

Start-Up Counsel

What questions would you ask if you had free time with one of the lead firms for Silicon Valley Start-ups? Now's your chance! Special Guest, Dan Dorosin of Fenwick & West will answer questions on everything from equity splitting, IP considerations and fundraising and procedures for formalizing your start-up.

Pitching to Venture Capitalists

Pedram gives you the low-down on how to pitch to VC's from personal experience with special presentation by alumni group.

Crossing the Chasm

Come prepared to ask the teaching team great questions about their start-up experience.

Keynote Speakers & Entrepreneurial Inspiration

Come hear from someone who’s done it. Entrepreneurs are everywhere.

Final Presentation Dry Runs

Practice for your final VC pitch.

Final Presentation To VC Panel

Present your business to a panel of top-tier professional investors!