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MBA ELECTIVE OUTLINE: ADVANCED ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Building high growth ventures using the Lean Start-up Method
Presenter: Dr Jonathan Marks
OVERVIEW
Max class size
40 students
The Advanced Entrepreneurship course is targeted at MBA students who aim
to launch a new high growth high impact business venture or new innovation
within an existing business. General management theory and tools have
proven ineffective for launching and managing new ventures and initiatives
under conditions of extreme uncertainty and ambiguity. Entrepreneurs and
entrepreneurial managers need a new approach to launching new ventures,
creating new products and initiating new initiatives.
The course will provide an in-depth learning experience, exposing students to
a new paradigm of ‘The Lean Start-Up’. The course will be structured around
the start-up process. Students will work in small groups (your idea will be
worked on alone) and will begin the process of designing and launching a
startup using the Lean Start-up method. Class will be a combination of activity,
lectures, guest speakers, presentations, plenary discussion, case and field
study. The style of learning will be fun, interactive and experiential.
Local and international examples will be used and students will go through
extensive idea simulation and pivoting (adapting ideas as market assumptions
change) in developing their final idea.
As part of the course students will be required to pitch business idea to a panel
of investors and entrepreneurial experts. This presentation will take place as
part of a The GIBS MBA Business Plan competition to be held approximately
two months after the lecture component of the course is complete.
AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
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Describe the process for transforming a new business idea into a viable
business venture
Evaluate whether an idea for a new business is a realistic and viable
opportunity
Outline the concepts of a “minimum viable product” and how to produce
one
Develop a lean startup methodology that can be used within your
organization to improve innovation success (and limit risk)
Design a business model to make money from a new business idea
Understand the concept of “innovation accounting” and how that applies to
your start-up or new idea
Understand the importance of idea validation and multiple iteration testing
Prepare and present a minimum viable product and business model
canvas for a new business venture
MBA ELECTIVE OUTLINE: ADVANCED ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Building high growth ventures using the Lean Start-up Method
Presenter: Dr Jonathan Marks
FORMAT
This very interactive and practical elective will take place over four consecutive
days
METHOD OF
ASSESSMENT
The assessment will include class contribution as well as a business plan
submission.
RESUME
Dr. Jonathan Marks is a senior lecturer at GIBS and Director of the Full Time
MBA programme. Jonathan has an MBA and a PhD from the University of
Cape Town. He was founding director of the Raymond Ackerman Academy of
Entrepreneurship, and was responsible for Entrepreneurship Knowledge
Management at the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation. Jonathan has taught
entrepreneurship and related courses at UCT for over a decade, introducing
students from diverse disciplines (including science, engineering & humanities)
to the principles of entrepreneurship. Jonathan continues to consult to a range
of organizations, both for profit and non-profit, on issues related to
entrepreneurship,
venture
planning,
entrepreneurial
thinking
and
entrepreneurial strategy.