Design your own Startup!
Take the opportunity to develop a start-up idea in a compact 2-day course and present it to investors. Join other dynamic participants!
About this course
Current Trends in International Business (AKA Current Trends in Economics) is offering you an opportunity to design your own startup!
The total duration of this course is 2 days or 16 hours. For this time, the participants (approx. 25 in total) will be clustered into teams of approx. 5 persons. The aim is to use tools and methodologies founding a startup – from 1st idea to pitching a pitch deck to a "panel of investors"
This course will be held in Person in Bochum (day 1) and online (day 2).
Schedule:
22nd March 2025, 9 AM to 4.30 PM, HS Bo, AW 1-39
12th April 2025, 9 AM to 4.30 PM, online, Join Session 2 now!
This course is held in English.
2
Workshop days
30+
Startup Ideas
6
Startups
Agenda
Agenda for Workshop Day 2
12th April 2025 from 9AM to 4.15PM
9:00 - Warm-up and recap, formalities about the exam and deliveries
9:20 – Present the right side of the Value Proposition Canvas (Gain Creators, Pain Relievers, Capabilities, Products and Services of your solution) back to the big group
9:40 – Business Model Generation, St. Galler Business Model Navigator with 55 business model patterns
10:00 – Break
10:10 – In the split groups: The solution (product, service) is transformed into one of the 55 Business Models; Present back to the big group
11:00 – In the whole group: Lean Canvas, the 1-page business plan template created by Ash Maurya
11:20 – In the split groups: Lean Canvas (part 1): The Business Model will be transformed into a Startup company, describing the customer segments, problem, solution, unfair advantage,
12:10 – Break
12:40 – In the split groups: Lean Canvas (part 2): The Business Model will be transformed into a Startup company, describing key metrics, channels, unique value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure
13:30 Present the canvas back to the big group
13:50 – The “perfect pitch deck”
14:00 – In the split groups: Based on e.g. Harvard Innovation Labs, Sequoia Capital, or other sources, build a “perfect pitch deck” to pitch in front of investors
15:30 – Pitching your startup – Each team gets 5 minutes sharp to pitch their idea to a “panel of investors”, then another 5 minutes for Q&A (roast) by investors. This is 10 minutes for each team, one hour for 6 teams
16:30 – Feedback and goodbye
16:40 – End of day 2
St. Gallen Business Model Navigator
New business models. How do business models stay up to date and why former market leaders such as Nokia and Kodak have failed to do so? Prof. Dr. Oliver Gassmann on the 55 basic patterns of business model innovation and the "Business Model Navigator" that helps to keep business models up to date.
"Harvard i-lab | Startup Secrets: Business Model" from the Harvard Innovation Labs features Michael Skok discussing key aspects of launching a startup.
Topics covered include
- analyzing value propositions,
- solving fundamental problems,
- prioritizing customer needs,
- and pursuing disruptive innovation.
The video provides insights on
- building a business-like plan,
- understanding investor perspectives, and
- developing a roadmap from startup to a public company.
Lean Canvas
Lean Canvas: The 1-Page Business Plan Template by Ash Maurya
A streamlined approach to designing and validating business models, emphasizing problem-solving, rapid iteration, and customer feedback.
- Easy-to-understand format
- Facilitates quick iteration
- Focuses on most critical aspects of a business
- Enhances collaboration and communication among team members
"Capture your business model in 20 minutes" explains how to create an initial business model canvas in 20 minutes using the lean canvas method.
Key points:
Introduction: The video emphasizes the importance of quickly creating an initial business model to avoid analysis paralysis [00:06]. The goal is to sketch a snapshot of current thinking rather than creating a perfect plan [01:06].
Lean Canvas Setup: The video guides the viewer to lean canvas.com to create a free account and name the first canvas by customer segment [01:18]. It is important to split broad customer segments into smaller verticals, each with its own canvas [01:42].
Canvas Sections: The video walks through each section of the lean canvas, providing examples using "Cloudfire" [03:41]. The presenter's preferred flow is to complete the canvas in a set of blocks, starting with the problem, customer segment quadrant [04:06]. The video explains how to identify customer segments, early adopters, and the top three problems the product addresses [04:28]. It also covers how to outline existing alternatives, define a solution, craft a unique value proposition, and determine revenue streams [08:29]. The video further explains how to identify channels to reach customers, key metrics to measure success, cost structure, and unfair advantages [16:20].
Conclusion [22:44]
Putting the elements together
Pitch Deck
"Best Pitch Deck" explains the best pitch decks have in common, according to Mike Vernal from Sequoia Capital.
Key elements include clear and concise language, engaging visuals, a compelling value proposition, a well-structured narrative, and relevant data and statistics.
A typical pitch deck should include slides such as a title slide, problem statement, solution, market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing and sales strategy, financial projections, team introduction, timeline, and a call to action. You can find more information in this article: Pitch Deck Format [Sequoia, YC & Guy Kawasaki] - Ink Narrates
The perfect Pitch - summary about crafting the perfect pitch to VCs:
- Framework for a Great Pitch: The session provides a framework for understanding how to put together a great pitch to a VC [00:15]. It covers key elements of a business plan, including value proposition, business model, and go-to-market strategy [00:22].
- VC Insights: Michael shares insights into what VCs look for in a pitch, emphasizing the importance of the entrepreneur and their business proposition [00:33].
- Checklist for a Pitch: The workshop provides a checklist for putting a pitch together [02:02]. It emphasizes understanding what a VC is looking for, including getting to know the entrepreneur and understanding the business opportunity [02:34].
- Storytelling: The importance of telling a story to engage the audience is highlighted [03:08].
- Key Elements of a Pitch:
- Agenda: Start with an agenda, considering the objective of the pitch [04:24].
- Team: Introduce the team, including founders, management, board, and advisors [06:17]. Founders should share the background that led them to the opportunity [08:52].
- Orientation: Provide a single-line statement to orient the audience [10:36].
- Problem: Explain the problem being solved, including the pain and the need [11:42].
- Value Proposition: Describe the solution, emphasizing its uniqueness and defensibility [15:15].
- Vision and Mission: Articulate the vision for the market and the mission to lead it [28:43].
- Market Sizing: Present both top-down and bottom-up views of the market [34:49].
- Competition: Address the competition, highlighting unique differentiations and barriers to entry [36:55].
- Business Model: Explain how the business makes money [44:24].
- Go-to-Market: Outline the marketing and sales plan [48:48].
- Financials: Present milestones, metrics, and financial projections, emphasizing a "realistic optimist" approach [52:44].
- The Ask: Clearly state the amount of funding needed and its intended use [59:44].
- Summary: Summarize why the business is a great investment and what the team's unfair competitive advantage is [01:01:11].
- Back-up Slides: Include information such as cap table and exit potential [01:02:52].
Here are some common components of a pitch deck:
- Intro: This section should capture the audience's attention and introduce the company.
- Problem: Clearly define the problem the company is solving.
- Solution: Explain the company's product or service and how it solves the problem.
- Market: Describe the target market and the size of the opportunity.
- Why Us: Highlight the company's competitive advantages and why it's the right team to execute the plan.
- The Ask: State the funding requirements and how the funds will be used.
Contact
Telefon: 016090817430
E-Mail: carsten@mielkeweb.de
Adresse: Hochschule Bochum, Am Hochschulcampus 1, 44801 Bochum
Registration form for the portfolio exam
Registration form for the portfolio exam
Anmeldeformular für die Portfolioprüfung,
- Presentation on workshop day 2 (April 12th 2025)
- Word/PDF Document, to be uploaded by May 12th 2025, link to be published
Please send your completed and signed registration by email by April 12th 2025 to
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