(un)conventional ventures

Welcome to this engaging mini-course on startups, designed to give you a taste of the dynamic world of entrepreneurial ventures. This course serves as a preview, offering a snapshot of key concepts that are essential for anyone interested in diving into the startup ecosystem. 

Here's what you'll learn:

• Definition of Startup: Discover what distinguishes a startup from other business types, focusing on innovation, scalability, and the pursuit of solving significant problems in unique ways.
• The 3 Types of "Fits" That Matter for Startups: Learn about product-market fit, market-model fit, and product-channel fit, and why these alignments are crucial for startup success.
• Practical Stages of Startup Creation: Explore the journey from ideation to execution, covering the critical phases every startup goes through, including validation, development, and scaling.
• Business Scale Engine: Understand the mechanisms and strategies that enable a startup to grow effectively, ensuring proper priority management.
• Value Proposition: Delve into how startups articulate the unique value they offer to customers, distinguishing themselves from competitors.
• Goals of Customer Discovery: Learn the objectives of this foundational process, aimed at understanding customer needs, preferences, and behaviors to tailor your solution effectively.
• 5 Starter Interview Questions: Equip yourself with key questions to ask potential customers, gaining insights that can shape your product development and marketing strategies.
• Understanding Minimum Viable Products (MVPs): Discover the concept of MVPs, which allows startups to test, learn, and iterate their offerings with minimal resources.
• What is Go-to-Market for Startups?: Unpack the strategies and plans that startups deploy to launch their products effectively across sales, marketing, and business development.
• What is Traction?: Learn about the significance of traction, showcasing a startup's progress and market acceptance, vital for attracting investors and partners.
• Fundraising 101 for Startups: Get a primer on the essentials of raising capital, understanding different funding stages, and what investors look for in promising startups.
• Pitch Deck Overview: Gain insights into creating a compelling pitch deck, a crucial tool for communicating your startup's value proposition to potential investors.
• Common Components of Financial Projection Models: Familiarize yourself with the key elements of financial projections, critical for planning and attracting investment.