XMGR-202 - Building Your Lean Startup

Course Description

There are thousands of people who have an idea for a startup but just don't know where to get started. The most common hurdles to getting started are:

• Finding a technical co-founder
• Validating that your idea is something people would even use
• How to get your first users
• How to generate buzz for your startup
• Figuring out the right business model for your product
• How to get your minimum viable product build before you've raised money
• When is the right time to leave your day job and do it full time
• How to get funded
• What structure of funding to go after

In this full-day hands-on workshop, you will apply the lean startup methodology to your startup or product idea. You will validate your idea using available tools and techniques, begin building your minimum viable product (MVP) using the data you collected, create a user acquisition plan, and begin the process of seeking funding. Danny Boice, the instructor, will give real world examples of how he has solved these challenges at his original startup (which exited in 2006) and how he has solved these problems at his current startup Speek, which is one of the fastest growing startups from the DC area. Other local successful startup founders will also be invited as guest speakers to offer advice on how they solved similar problems. Students will examine specific case studies, receive a "playbook" that can be followed to transition from a "nights and weekends" entrepreneur to a change-the-world full-time entrepreneur, begin building or refining a validated MVP, and develop a pitch deck that appeals to investors.

Designed For

• Entrepreneurs
• Product managers
• Designers
• Marketing professionals
• Engineers

Faculty

Danny Boice is the CTO of Speek,a 500 Startups-funded startup that lets users do conference calls with a simple link rather than using phone numbers and PINs. A serial entrepreneur and executive, Danny started his career as a software engineer working for startups like Network Solutions and MusicMaker.com in the 90's. Danny founded his first company Jaxara in the early 2000s and exited via acquisition.

Danny attended Harvard University and is a guest contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Pando Dailyas an expert on startups, product, technology, and user experience. He was recently named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine. You can find Danny on Twitter @DannyBoice.

Course Objectives

After successful completion of this workshop, you will:

• Gain a proven strategy and playbook for startups 
• Begin building or refining a minimum viable product (MVP)
• Learn the art of the pivot
• Launch your first startup and begin seeking seed funding
• Understand low-cost, high-value growth strategies for user acquisition

Notes

Building Your Lean Startup is the last in a series of workshops on entrepreneurship and product development. The workshop series consists of three seminars:

1. The Lean Startup Introduced (XMGR-200)
2. The Lean Startup Applied (XMGR-201)
3. Building Your Lean Startup (XMGR-202)

Students are strongly encouraged (but not required) to complete the workshops in sequence.

Tuition Discounts

Georgetown University students, alumni, and faculty are eligible for a 10% tuition discount. To receive your discount, please login into the non-credit student portal, complete the account setup process, and then email your name, NetID, and GUID to ccpeprograms@georgetown.edu. Once your status has been verified, you can apply the discount upon registration for the course. Members of the AMA-DC are also eligible for a 10% tuition discount.

Course Registration

This course is an open enrollment course. No application is required and registration is available by clicking "Add to Cart" below.

Current non-credit students must register with their Georgetown NetID and password. Current undergraduate and graduate students must log in to the Student Portal with their Georgetown NetID and password, click "My Profile" to complete the student profile, and then register for the course.

New students must first create an account and password through the Student Portal prior to registration. After your account is created, you will receive your Georgetown NetID via email. When you have your Georgetown NetID and password, continue registration by clicking "Add to Cart", logging in, and following the steps to complete checkout. Course registration is complete when payment is processed and you receive a confirmation email.

Georgetown NetID Password Reset

If you have forgotten or do not have your Georgetown University NetID password, please contact the University Information Systems (UIS) 24/7 IT Helpdesk to have your password reset.

Withdrawal & Refund Policy

Refunds for course withdrawals and cancellations are processed based on the Withdrawal and Refund Policy.

More Information

For more information or to speak with a program advisor, please complete the Request More Information Form, send an email to ccpeprograms@georgetown.edu  or call (202) 687-8700.