Startup Foundations & Business Models

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About Course

Course Code: IS03

Program: Innovation & Startup Skills Program

Course Overview: Strong startups are built through structured entrepreneurial thinking, customer understanding, sustainable business models, responsible execution, and continuous learning. Moving from an idea to a viable venture requires founders to test assumptions, create meaningful value, manage uncertainty, and adapt to evidence.

This course introduces startup thinking, customer discovery, market validation, design thinking, value propositions, business models, revenue and pricing, minimum viable products, agile execution, startup teams, risk and resilience, finance, funding, customer acquisition, leadership, ethics, inclusion, and sustainable growth.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain entrepreneurship, startup thinking, and modern innovation ecosystems
  • Identify meaningful problems and validate customer-centred opportunities
  • Design value propositions, business models, revenue approaches, and pricing strategies
  • Apply minimum-viable-product, experimentation, agile execution, and startup-team principles
  • Evaluate finance, funding, leadership, ethics, and sustainable startup-growth considerations

Target Audience: Aspiring founders, student venture teams, innovation-club members, and learners developing an early-stage startup or business concept.

Learning Experience: Students engage through video overviews, audio deep dives, study guides, practical examples, reflection prompts, workbook activities, applied tasks, knowledge checks, and end-of-module quizzes. Activities support customer discovery, opportunity validation, value-proposition design, business modelling, MVP experimentation, startup teamwork, finance awareness, and responsible growth planning.

Course Structure: 5 modules / 25 lessons.

Special Feature: Every module concludes with a Putting It All Together audio deep dive that connects the key lessons and supports reflection and practical application.

Pathway Focus: Validate the problem. Build a viable model. Prepare the venture for growth.

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Course Content

Course Introduction

  • IS03 Startup Foundations & Business Models
    04:20

Foundations of Entrepreneurship & Startup Thinking
Module Overview: Module Focus: Entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, startup fundamentals Learning Focus: Introduction to Entrepreneurship & Innovation Entrepreneurial Mindset & Opportunity Thinking Innovation, Creativity & Problem-Solving Human-Centered Entrepreneurship & Customer Value Startups, Innovation Ecosystems & Modern Entrepreneurship Lesson Sequence: Introduction to Entrepreneurship & Innovation Entrepreneurial Mindset & Opportunity Thinking Innovation, Creativity & Problem-Solving Human-Centered Entrepreneurship & Customer Value Startups, Innovation Ecosystems & Modern Entrepreneurship

Problem Solving, Customer Discovery & Opportunity Validation
Module Overview: Module Focus: Customer needs, empathy, validation, problem-solving Learning Focus: Identifying Problems & Entrepreneurial Opportunities Customer Discovery, Empathy & User Understanding Market Research & Opportunity Validation Design Thinking & Startup Ideation Problem Validation, Feedback & Iterative Learning Lesson Sequence: Identifying Problems & Entrepreneurial Opportunities Customer Discovery, Empathy & User Understanding Market Research & Opportunity Validation Design Thinking & Startup Ideation Problem Validation, Feedback & Iterative Learning

Business Models & Value Proposition Design
Module Overview: Module Focus: Business models, monetization, scalability Learning Focus: Introduction to Business Models Value Proposition Design & Customer Value Creation Business Model Canvas Fundamentals Revenue Models, Pricing & Monetization Strategies Sustainable & Scalable Business Thinking Lesson Sequence: Introduction to Business Models Value Proposition Design & Customer Value Creation Business Model Canvas Fundamentals Revenue Models, Pricing & Monetization Strategies Sustainable & Scalable Business Thinking

Building, Testing & Operating Startups
Module Overview: Module Focus: MVPs, experimentation, agile execution, resilience Learning Focus: Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) & Startup Experimentation Startup Teams, Roles & Collaboration Agile Workflows, Productivity & Startup Execution Risk Management, Failure & Entrepreneurial Resilience Ethical Entrepreneurship, Responsible Innovation & Long-Term Impact Lesson Sequence: Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) & Startup Experimentation Startup Teams, Roles & Collaboration Agile Workflows, Productivity & Startup Execution Risk Management, Failure & Entrepreneurial Resilience Ethical Entrepreneurship, Responsible Innovation & Long-Term Impact

Startup Finance, Growth & Future Entrepreneurship
Module Overview: Module Focus: Funding, leadership, sustainability, future innovation Learning Focus: Startup Finance Fundamentals & Financial Sustainability Funding, Investment & Startup Resource Strategies Startup Growth, Marketing & Customer Acquisition Entrepreneurial Leadership, Decision-Making & Vision Future Entrepreneurship, Innovation Ecosystems & Lifelong Entrepreneurial Growth Lesson Sequence: Startup Finance Fundamentals & Financial Sustainability Funding, Investment & Startup Resource Strategies Startup Growth, Marketing & Customer Acquisition Entrepreneurial Leadership, Decision-Making & Vision Future Entrepreneurship, Innovation Ecosystems & Lifelong Entrepreneurial Growth

Learning Resources

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