1. Session 1: International Entrepreneurship: Mapping the Territory & Generating Ideas IWelcome to the International Entrepreneurship course! Following a short introduction, key aspects of the course such as the structure, learning approach, content, and assessment details will be explained.
The first session focuses on the following questions: What is (international) entrepreneurship and how does it affect society as well as individual lives? What does entrepreneurship look like around the world? What is special about born-global firms? What is the profile/mindset of successful founders? How can we develop our creative selves and generate innovative, global business ideas? What is the distinction between ideas and opportunities?
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2. Session 2: Evaluating & Validating Entrepreneurial Opportunities in a Global Context In this second session on entrepreneurial opportunities, some central questions are: What is the distinction between ideas and opportunities?
Where do opportunities come from? How can we become better at identifying entrepreneurial opportunities? What are key considerations when evaluating the attractiveness of an opportunity? How should you validate customer pain points in a B2C and B2B context?
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3. Session 3: Power of Prototyping & Feedback Workshops The third week focuses on the value of prototyping and a first critical milestone in the entrepreneurial process: problem-solution fit. During the workshop, you will become familiar with and practice the tools needed for rapid prototyping. We will also use this session to discuss and progress your group projects in a rapid feedback format. |
4. Session 4: Understanding & Developing Business models Addressed questions for the fourth session include: What is a business model? How can we effectively design business models for international ventures to create, deliver, and capture value? How can you assess the economic attractiveness of a specific business model? What are sign of achieving product-market fit, a second key milestone in the entrepreneurial journey?
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5. Session 5: Targeting & Attracting the Right Customers In this fifth session on entrepreneurial marketing, you will get an answer to the following questions: What do effective segmentation, targeting, and positioning entail for international new ventures? What is a bowling pin strategy? How can entrepreneurs develop strong value propositions? What tactics can new ventures implement to gain traction, convert, and retain customers? |
6. Session 6: Assembling and Leading the Team The sixth week focuses on human resources in entrepreneurship. Some of the questions we will discuss are: What are the central dilemmas for entrepreneurs when they assemble and manage the founding team? What are major considerations when hiring talent, particularly a start-up¿s first employees? |
7. Session 7: Navigating the Funding Universe & Making Financial Projections Week 7 provides an introduction to entrepreneurial finance. We will focus on the following questions: Where do entrepreneurs get money for their (international) venture, particularly in seed and start-up stages? What are the core characteristics of different types of equity finance? What are the basics for making realistic financial projections? What are key challenges linked to financing new ventures? |
8. Session 8: Pitching & Feedback Workshops During this session, you will discover how to unleash your inner money magnet! Through several exercises, you will learn simple but effective techniques to deliver a compelling and authentic pitch to win over potential investors. All teams will also have the chance to present their progress and challenges, questions, and doubts they may have regarding their international venture project. |
9. Session 9: Growing & Exiting Entrepreneurial Ventures In this last session before the final project presentations, we will address the following questions: What are the main challenges for scale-ups, particularly with regard to internationalization? What are entrepreneurs' strategic options for growth? What are the voluntary exit strategies for entrepreneurs? How can entrepreneurs recover and learn from involuntary exit (failure)? |
10. Session 10: Group Project Presentations It is Pitch Day! Each team will present the international venture concept they have developed throughout the course. In this final session, you will have to make a compelling case for your start-up idea, followed by a Q&A with guest investors and your course instructor. |
