This course explores mindsets and priorities needed to build and grow a start-up. In addition to the mechanics of a start-up, we will explore the intangibles that will give you a better chance at success. We examine how you make and validate your assumptions, construct a believable value proposition, develop an approach to the markets, identify and manage multiple risks, and how you bundle it all together into a fund-raising pitch. The course culminates with a Demo Day where up to 10 startups are given the opportunity to pitch to real investors.

MODULE 1: HIGH LEVEL CONSIDERATIONS - FREE MODULE

AUGUST 4 - 10am-11:15am PDT

Building a new company requires unique skill sets that are often learned as you go; this can complicate your company’s growth prospects. A grasp of the high-level considerations of a start-up will assist your growth and give you a better story to tell investors. The first module will examine the reasoning behind the start-up you have chosen, your understanding of process and prioritization, and an overview of the topics that you need to master. You need to understand the ways that smart decisions are made, bad decisions remediated, and long-term growth in the right direction maintained. Most importantly, you will need to convince investors that you have the proper foundation and confidence in the way you deploy resources in pursuit of meaningful progress.

MODULE 2: VALUE PROPOSITION

AUGUST 11 - 10am-11:15am PDT

If you want to raise money you need to give investors a reason to believe that you are legitimate and that you are a safer bet than the other opportunities they have. Your value proposition must give investors a reason to care about what you are doing in a clear, concise and compelling manner. This module does an in-depth examination of each participant’s value proposition and goes through an in-depth refinement process.

MODULE 3: RISK RECOGNITION AND MANAGEMENT

AUGUST 13 - 10am-11:15am PDT

Start-ups often create new combinations of risks and it is every entrepreneur’s duty to understand the dynamics of the risk landscape around them. Risk recognition and management planning is essential for virtually all aspects of a young company. We examine some of the primary risks a start-up faces and the options you have for managing them; these methods can then be applied to other elements of the business. A comprehensive risk management mindset will give investors one less thing to worry about.

MODULE 4: PRODUCTS SERVICES AND COMPETITORS

AUGUST 18 - 10am-11:15am PDT

The whole point of your start-up is to bring a meaningful product or service to the market. This module explores the ways that you can approach these activities. We will dive into product/market fit, growth pathways, competitive activity, and other aspects that affect the reception you get from the market. We will examine the progress that participants have made in bringing their products and services to market and opportunities for improvement.

MODULE 5: TRACTION

AUGUST 20 - 10am-11:15am PDT

Traction means revenue and is the ultimate validation of a start-up’s efforts. Getting someone to pay for something you have brought to market is a very difficult task. Participants will share their company’s traction to date and develop practical steps for growth. Scale and sustainability will be the focus of the discussion no matter how much traction each participant has achieved.

MODULE 6: THE MECHANICS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS

AUGUST 25 - 10am-11:15am PDT

Investors put their money into businesses, so you need to show them that you are running a business, not just a project or an experiment. There are diverse considerations in running a business and we will examine a wide range of them. Participants get a self-assessed benchmark of their start-up’s stage of growth that can be used as a guide to set priorities and address weaknesses.

MODULE 7: OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

AUGUST 27 - 10am-11:15am PDT

Asking an investor to trust you with their money is a serious proposition. We will consider the entirety of the course preceding this last session and the ways that participants have assembled their own fund-raising resources. Gaining an understanding of the opportunity you can provide to an investor and the opportunity costs that they incur by investing in you will form the backbone of the session. The discussion will focus on developing and presenting a compelling pitch to investors in preparation for demo day.