A. Huang-Saad, M. Gibson, J. Goebel, B. McNaughton, R. SheridanUniversity of MichiganMarch 20, 2015

Student Learnings from a Multidisciplinary Capstone Entrepreneurship Course

Overview

• Context• Course Design• Findings from Student Reflections

Practicum Course Evolution

• Diverse student understanding of entrepreneurship• Conflict of objectives• Teaching is not Learning• Separation of Idea and Learning• Primary Research versus Secondary Research

6 years, 22 sections, > 570 students

Independent Study Business Plans Evidence Based Learning Methods

Course Objectives

• Learn the customer discovery process• Actively practice customer discovery• Become familiar with starting a business

Think like an entrepreneur.

Act like an entrepreneur.

Become an entrepreneur.

Course Structure

Teams

Scrap Box Ventures

Customer Discovery

Integrated Venture

IndividualReflections

Reading

Mentoring

Participation

• Build a product, acquire customers, and track the growth of your venture

Goal

• Short video reporting on the story of your ventureDeliverable

• Students experience entrepreneurship through a full cycle “mini” venture

Student

1: Scrapbox VentureCreate/Adjust

Product

Identify Customers

Generate Profit

• Create value for a customer segment by identifying a pain or problem through customer discovery

Goal

• Short video reporting on the customers, pain, and solution

Deliverable

• Students learn to focus on customer needsStudent

2: Customer Discovery Guess

TestAnalyze/Adjust

• Validate a business model through customer discovery and pilot execution

Goal

• Short video reporting on the customers, product, and business model

Deliverable

• Students experience entrepreneurship through their own venture concept

Student

3: Venture CreationIdentify

Customer Needs

Validate ProductAnalyze/Adjust

Reflections• What have you learned about yourself as a result of this project?

• What have you learned about entrepreneurship as a result of this project?

• What surprised you about the project?

• How did your team’s dynamic help or hinder your team’s success in this project?

• What might you have done differently to help improve the team’s performance?

• What did you find was the most challenging part of this project?

Challenges, Learnings, Teams

Results

Challenges

Making a Sale

Idea GenerationBelieving in the Product

Talking to Potential Customers

Meeting as a Team

Learnings

Talk to CustomersObserve Customers

Leave Preconceptions @ the Door

Preconceptions ≠ Customer Needs

Personal Connection/Passion

Forced Execution & Experimentation

Real World ProjectSalesSkills

Entrepreneurship Experiential Learning

Successful Teams

Communication

Alignment of personal goals and commitment to the team and product

Diversity of skills and perspective

Questions?

Thank you!