ABOUT THIS COURSE

about this Course, entrepreneurial choices and pace

I am excited that we are using a first edition textbook that was just published (2024) in MIT. We are literally the first Dual Enrollment class in the nation to use this text. You will find links to individual chapters of this text through the Canvas Modules.

We will also be referring to a more conventional Entrepreneurship text published a number of years ago by Openstax (Rice University). Below, you will find some direct links to that text. 

The online teaching and Canvas training is structured so that we spend a week per chapter exploring the different types of decisions (and thinking) that entrepreneurs face and exhibit.

We are going to talk about habits, character, and choices. The estimated time to complete each unit will vary per person, but they are designed to be completed in approximately 9-hours per week (lectures included). 

Below, you will find a sample of the topics we will be discussing. Canvas will be the most up to date source of information about the course. I have taken steps to ensure that the course is available on the San Mateo Unified High School District Canvas. This way you don't have to toggle back and forth on different instances of Canvas.

There, you will find our Complete Course Calendar, Assignments, Exam Dates, and Other Due Dates.

Entrepreneurial potential self assessment at the start of the course

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will learn to assess yourself about yourself the following:

•          Your current aptitude

•          Your current motivation

•          Your current drive and hunger

We will do this at the begining of the course and then, again, at the end of the course. My hope is that during our time together, you will have increased your potential in some (or all!) of these measures.

We will start with the Habits Score Card: This simple exercise will help you discover what habits are good or bad and you may want to change.

entrepreneurship yesterday and today

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

•  Have a general understanding about the History of Entrepreneurship. First Republic Bank on the History of Entrepreneurship

• Define entrepreneur and entrepreneurship

• Describe types of entrepreneurial careers and lifestyles

• Understand entrepreneurs as problem solvers

• Explain current factors driving the growth of entrepreneurshipCompare differences in entrepreneurial opportunities around the globe

• Define an entrepreneurial vision

• Develop a vision statement

• Explain what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset

• Describe what is meant by entrepreneurial spirit or passion

the entrepreneurial journey and pathways

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Explain the entrepreneurial journey to explore and discover entrepreneurship as a career choice

• Identify the steps, decisions, and actions involved in the entrepreneurial journey

• Recognize the rewards and risks of the steps in the entrepreneurial journey

• Understand how venture opportunities present different pathways to entrepreneurship

• Describe methods for finding your personal path to entrepreneurship

• Identify common frameworks used to shape an entrepreneurial venture

• Compare how some frameworks better fit certain venture types

• Define an action plan and identify tools available for creating an action plan

• Describe some common types of entrepreneurs and provide historical examples

The Ethical and Social REsponsibilities of entrepreneurs

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Develop the ability to identify ethical and legal issues

• Develop an approach to resolve ethical/legal dilemmas once identified

• Define and describe corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship

• Identify types of social entrepreneurship ventures, and the key values accompanying them

• Describe workplace challenges in an entrepreneurial culture

• Distinguish between reactive and proactive approaches to managing ethics

• Describe the foundations and framework of an organizational culture of ethical excellence

creativity, innovation, and invention

Learning Objectives

• Describe popular, well-supported, creative problem-solving methods

• Understand which innovation or problem-solving methods apply best in different settings

• Know where to look for emerging innovation practices, research, and tools

• Distinguish between creativity, innovation, and invention

• Explain the difference between pioneering and incremental innovation, and which processes are best suited to each

• Describe and apply the five stages of creativity

• Discuss innovation as a system for problem solving and much more

• Outline the sequence of steps in developing an invention

IDENTIFYING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITY

Learning Objectives

• Define entrepreneurial opportunity

• Discuss Joseph Schumpeter’s theories of opportunity

• Identify key drivers of opportunity

• Describe opportunity screening

• Identify common sources of research data

• Explain how to research and verify business opportunities

• Identify industry and consumer sources of opportunities

• Understand the elements of a competitive analysis

• Describe tools you can use to refine and focus your planning (three circles, SWOT, PEST)

• Recognize social media’s role in saving time and money on research

• Understand how a business model helps determine the feasibility of an opportunity

problem solving and need recognition techniques

Learning Objectives

• Define problem solving in the context of entrepreneurship

• Describe and compare the adaptive model and the innovative model of problem solving

• Identify the skills entrepreneurs need for effective problem solving

• Identify types of problem solvers

• Describe the five steps in the creative problem-solving process

• Identify and describe common creative problem-solving tools

• Explain the design thinking process

• Discuss some design thinking tools

• Discuss the lean process methodology

• Understand the phases of the lean problem-solving process.

telling your entrepreneurial story and pitching your idea

Learning Objectives

• Clarify the vision statement, mission statement, and goals for your enterprise

• Define and develop a problem-solution narrative that is compelling

• Define and develop a value proposition that is credible and appealing to customers and investors

• Identify the importance of telling your own story

• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using stories to build a startup

• Understand the various audiences an entrepreneur may pitch to and how the pitch goals vary for each

• Define and develop the key elements of a pitch

• Describe a pitch deck and pitfalls to avoid

• Create and create an elevator pitch

• Understand why you need to protect your idea

• Describe both legal and unconventional tools to keep your ideas safe

• Understand the importance of feedback and how to manage and use it

• Identify resources for locating contests and competitions

• Understand the opportunities and realities of contests and competitions

Launch for Growth to Success

Learning Objectives

• Describe how businesses use lean startup principles to develop products and test markets

• Identify how the build-measure-learn method helps companies understand what potential customers want in a product

• Determine what a minimum viable product (MVP) is and explain why companies don’t need to have a perfect product to launch

• Explain why companies need to learn to construct a lean pitch to investors and potential customers

• Explain what pivoting is and when it is necessary for companies to undertake

• Determine several reasons for business failure and explore strategies to overcome them

• Understand the root of fear of failure

• Learn to spot signs of fear of failure and take steps to overcome it

• Explain the pros and cons of business ownership before you launch

• Understand current trends in entrepreneurship in the US

• Determine the challenges women face in entrepreneurship and what resources they can use to overcome them

• Determine the challenges minority entrepreneurs face and resources available for them

• Explain the difference between a business plan and a lean plan

• Know how to develop a lean plan quickly and accurately

• Run the build-measure-learn loop

• Determine the lifecycle of a business

• Identify strategies to manage the main needs of each lifecycle stage

• Explain how businesses grow and adapt to changes in their cycles