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How to Validate your Startup Idea
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 21 hours
  • Course by UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales)
  • Offered by

About

Starting a new business begins with an idea that needs to evolve through experimentation, iteration and interactions with people. This course is for existing and potential entrepreneurs who are looking for guidance and support to make their ‘great idea’ a reality. In addition to reviewing the basic principles of entrepreneurship, this course guides you through the process of actively validating your idea in the market. We encourage you to identify and communicate good opportunities and to create and capture value from these opportunities. By working through the course and completing the activities you’ll learn how to get feedback that systematically tests different parts of your business idea. You will learn how to do this through interacting with potential customers, suppliers, partners and investors outside the course. Along the way, you will also become more confident in pitching your idea. By the end of the course you should have a validated business idea that you can start right away.

Modules

Course Documentation

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • (OPTIONAL activity): How do you learn?

1 Readings

  • About this course

1.1 Getting to know yourself and those who can help you

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

1 External Tool

  • Activity: Are you ready to be an entrepreneur?

1 Videos

  • Video: Introduction to the Course and Entrepreneurship (3 min)

1 Readings

  • Reading: Introduction to Entrepreneurship

1.2 The Lean Startup Method and Business Canvas

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • (Optional activity) Your first Business Model Canvas - Show it off to your peers!

1 Videos

  • Video: How will your business idea evolve? The Lean Startup Method

1 Readings

  • Activity: The Lean Startup Method and Business Model Canvas

1.3 Validating your idea: Mentors

    • 1 Readings
    • 3 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

3 External Tool

  • Offline Activity: Finding a mentor to validate your idea
  • Activity: Lessons learned from your mentor
  • (OPTIONAL activity): Ouch! Feedback can hurt. How sensitive are you?

1 Readings

  • Reading: Mentors, who needs them?

2.1 Developing a Value Proposition

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Video: How is your idea valuable?

3 Readings

  • Strategy Canvas: Mapping how you are different
  • Creating your first Persona and Customer Journey Map
  • Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

2.2 Validating your MVP: Customers

    • 1 Readings
    • 2 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

2 External Tool

  • Offline Activity: Finding a potential customer to validate your value proposition
  • Activity: Lessons learned from your customer

1 Readings

  • Measuring and Learning from your MVP

3.1 Scalability: Identifying channel partners and segmenting the market

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Video: How will you reach more customers?

2 Readings

  • Growing your business: Segmenting and targeting your niches
  • Partners and resources

3.2 Validating your idea: Partners

    • 3 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

3 External Tool

  • Offline Activity: Finding a potential partner to validate the scalability of your idea
  • Activity: Lessons learned from your partner
  • Midpoint Assignment: Self-assessing your Business Model Canvas

4.1 Financial reporting 101

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Video: How profitable is your idea?

3 Readings

  • Income Statements
  • Forecasts and models
  • Metrics

4.2 Validating your idea: Suppliers

    • 2 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

2 External Tool

  • Offline Activity: Finding a potential supplier
  • Activity: Lessons learned from your supplier

5.1 VCs, accelerators and other means of financing and growing your ventures

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Video: Is investment capital right for you?

2 Readings

  • How will you finance your startup's growth?
  • Valuations

5.2 Validating your idea 5: Investors

    • 2 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

2 External Tool

  • Offline Activity: Finding a potential investor
  • Activity: Lessons learned from a potential investor

6.1 Presentation structure and pitch decks

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Video: How will you pitch your idea?

2 Readings

  • Pitch structure: What key ingredients do you need?
  • Activity: Example pitch decks - Learning from the greats (& not so greats)

6.2 Pitch style and audience

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Watch UNSW students pitch 'crumplemap'

2 Readings

  • Contextualising and delivering your pitch
  • Activity: Example pitches - Learning from the greats (& not so greats)

6.3 Developing your pitch

    • 1 Readings
    • 2 ExternalTool
Show info about module content

2 External Tool

  • Final Assignment: Self-assessing your pitch
  • Exit survey

1 Readings

  • Activity: Developing your pitch

Auto Summary

Explore the essentials of entrepreneurship with "How to Validate your Startup Idea" on Coursera. Designed for aspiring and current entrepreneurs, this foundational course guides you through market validation, idea iteration, and effective communication with stakeholders. Over 1260 minutes, gain confidence in pitching and gather actionable feedback to turn your idea into a viable business. Available with a Starter subscription, this course is your first step to entrepreneurial success.

Allya Koesoema
Instructors

Allya Koesoema

Martin Bliemel
Instructors

Martin Bliemel