Batten Institute - Education - Startup Seminar

WHAT IS THE STARTUP SEMINAR? The Startup Seminar is designed to provide a background in the challenges faced by the founders and funders of new ventures. The seminars are open to current students within any of the graduate programs at the University of Virginia (e.g., Darden [MBA & EMBA], Law, Leadership & Public Policy, Education, Engineering, etc.).

The weekly sessions are a mix of case discussions, workshops, and guest panels covering a range of topics: problem identification, design thinking, market context, hypothesis-driven prototypes, business models, investor presentations, founders agreements, intellectual property, sources of funding, etc.

WHO'S IT FOR? Any graduate student at the University of Virginia

WHEN IS IT? Tuesdays 3:30pm-4:30pm EST from 31 August - 30 Nov (no meeting 23 Nov)

WHERE IS IT? Virtual

HOW DO I SIGN UP? Sign up online

QUESTIONS? Contact David Touve, Senior Director, Applied Innovation, Batten Institute

Fall 2021: Innovation Series

31 August 2021: Info Session

7 September 2021: The "Entrepreneur"
For today’s discussion we will leverage the story of a struggling startup (and its co-founders) to consider our own opinions about who or what an entrepreneur is and what it is that they do. We will also confront the challenges of a “persist or perish” decision, as our struggling startup faces the challenge of whether to quit the project or to continue, against all odds.

14 September 2021: Anatomy of a Startup Pitch
Today, we will use the example an elevator pitch to dig deeper into the various ingredients it takes to make a great startup. Importantly, while a great pitch does not equal a great startup, a great startup is able to pull all of these ingredients together compelling way.

21 September 2021: Design Thinking
Different ways of thinking can also benefit from different ways of connecting with and understanding those for whom we are trying develop novel solutions. Gaining that understanding means actually talking to humans! Our workshop today will involve a high-paced introduction to the design thinking process.

28 September 2021: Guest Speaker, TBA

5 October 2021: Problem Identification
Today's discussion will center upon the challenge of defining and understanding not only (a) the underlying "problem" any idea/invention is trying to address, but also (b) the people who or entities that experience this problem—and why.

12 October 2021: Hypothesis-Driven Prototyping
The tools of science aren't just for, well, science. Thinking like a scientist—being hypothesis-driven—can also be the right frame of mind when developing novel products and new companies.

19 October 2021: Understanding Market Context
No innovation exists in a vacuum. Instead, these new discoveries or inventions exist in the context of alternative ideas and solutions. And so, today, we will gain some experience with a framework through which we might better investigate and understand the market context within which an innovation operates. If you have ever been to a grocery store, you are prepared for this discussion!

26 October 2021: Guest Speaker, TBA

2 November 2021: Value Proposition
Any innovation ultimately creates impact, impact which has value—whether measured in pure dollars or other terms. Yet, pricing truly novel innovations can be difficult as there might be no direct comparables in the market.

Furthermore, estimating the number of people or entities who might benefit from any innovation is the sort of exercise ultimately designed for understanding how we make sense of markets and impact than for perfectly calculating the size of the market and our potential impact.

Our discussion will center upon Zipcar in its early days, as the founders worked to reckon the various components of a business model for the venture—in particular the value proposition and the potential size of this nascent market.

9 November 2021: Financial Mechanics
Today, we will dig a bit deeper into the challenges faced by Zipcar in the early days. Specifically, we will zero in on the financial uncertainties underlying the startup’s complex model. Bring your favorite spreadsheet and let’s do some math!

16 November 2021: The Business Model
Different ways of thinking can also benefit from different ways of connecting with and understanding those for whom we are trying develop novel solutions. Gaining that understanding means actually talking to humans! Our workshop today will involve a high-paced introduction to the design thinking process.