Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Business Modelling
Teaching staff
Office hours:
Lecturer: Juanjo Marín
- Phone: +34 673 333 282
- E-mail: jmarinm@uic.es
- Office: Inmaculada, 22. 08017 Barcelona. Spain.
- Office hours: by appointment
Lecturer: Pau Amigó
- Phone: +34 634 544 825
- E-mail: pamigo@uic.es
- Office: Inmaculada, 22. 08017 Barcelona. Spain.
- Office hours: by appointment
Introduction
This course presents the concept of entrepreneurship and the related theories as well as Defining Business Models and Strategy. The course also covers business Model Patterns and Operations, and the Role of Information Management and Business Model Design. The ultimate goal is to help students generate their own Business Plan.
Pre-course requirements
Solid financial knowledge:
- Accounting
- Financial analysis
- Corporate finance
Objectives
Students will build the capabilities to assess the value potential of their ideas, evaluate their value proposition and how to launch their own company.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand of the concept of entrepreneurship
- Know the main models, techniques and methodologies used in creating a business plan
- Turning initial business idea into a real operating business
- Understand what a business model is and what it is not
- Understand how to think about a business strategy independent of and then related to a chosen business model
- Identify and define a company’s business model and explain how it relates to the company’s chosen strategy – target market, value proposition, source of competitive advantage – and relate them to existing business model archetypes
- Evaluate the appropriateness of a business model for a given market situation and chosen positioning
- Implement a business plan including monitoring as well as fund-raising with investors
- Identify the operational risks associated with implementing a chosen business model and understand the approaches available to mitigate those risks
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
CB6: To possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.
CB8: To absorb knowledge and face the complexity of making judgements based on information that, although incomplete or limited, includes reflections on social and ethical responsibilities connected to the application of your knowledge and judgements.
CB10: To have learning skills that allow you to continue studying in a self-guided and autonomous manner.
CG2: To have organizational and work planning skills and be flexible enough to adapt plans to new situations.
CG3: To generate new ideas and critically assess alternatives when faced with multiple criteria and actors.
CG4: To challenge and make decisions following certain methodological rigor and assume responsibility for these decisions.
CT2: To reflect and think critically in interdisciplinary contexts.
CT3: To be aware of ethical, personal, social and environmental values when making decisions and in your relationships with others.
CE1: To draw up adequate funding planning from the initial phase of a start-up to later business consolidation phases, keeping in mind business analysis, business models and economic and financial analysis.
CE2: To analyze corporate businesses from multidisciplinary contexts in order to detect new market opportunities which could be transformed into commercial products or services.
CE5. To identify the legal aspects associated to funding entrepreneurship and financing structures, and prepare documents and clauses that allow for transaction management.
CE8: To identify human resources with the talent needed, to attract them or develop them in a new innovative and technological environment.
CE9: To apply and adapt entrepreneurship and financing structure knowledge and experiences in a real context by analyzing their viability, implementation and impact, by facing the creation of new market opportunities as an expert.
Learning outcomes of the subject
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand of the concept of entrepreneurship
- Know the main models, techniques and methodologies used in creating a business plan
- Turning initial business idea into a real operating business
- Understand what a business model is and what it is not
- Understand how to think about a business strategy independent of and then related to a chosen business model
- Identify and define a company’s business model and explain how it relates to the company’s chosen strategy – target market, value proposition, source of competitive advantage – and relate them to existing business model archetypes
- Evaluate the appropriateness of a business model for a given market situation and chosen positioning
- Implement a business plan including monitoring as well as fund raising with investors
- Identify the operational risks associated with implementing a chosen business model and understand the approaches available to mitigate those risks
Syllabus
SESSION 1. Lecture
The Entrepreneur. What is Entrepreneurship.
SESSION 2. Lecture
Defining Business Models. Assessing New Business Opportunities (I).
Reading:
“Business Model: Definition of a Business Model; The 9 Building Blocks”
Business Model Generation. Alexander Osterwalder 2010. John Wiley & Sons Inc
“Assessing a New Business Opportunity”
Rob Johnson. 2013. IESE EN-17-E
“The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer”
Amar Bhide. 2004. HBR 87584-910-5
SESSION 3. Lecture
Defining Business Models. Assessing New Business Opportunities (II)
Industry Analysis and Positioning
Reading:
“Strategy in the XXI Century: Business Models in Action”
J E Ricart 2012. IESE SMN-685
“Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything”
Steve Blank. 2013. Harvard Business Review
“The five competitive forces that shape strategy”.
Michael E. Porter. 2008Harvard Business Review, 86(1), 25-40.
SESSION 4. Business Case
A new Business Model: BuyVip (case discussion)
Reading:
IESE E-177 BuyVip
SESSION 5. Speaker (t.b.c.)
Quim Falgueras. GRUPO INTERCOM (Infojobs). CEO & Founder
SESSION 6. Lecture
Product Development: Customer Development, MVP
Reading:
Chapters 1, 2, 3 (The Four Steps to Epiphany)
The Startup Owner’s Manual . Steve Blank & Bob Dorf. 2012. K and S Ranch Inc
SESSION 7. Lecture
Business Models Design Process
Reading:
Value Proposition Design. Alex Osterwalder and Ives Pigneur. Strategyzer 2014
SESSION 8. Business Case
Reading:
IESE SI-194 Fresh Direct
SESSION 9. Lecture
Business Model Patterns
Reading:
Business Model Patterns
Business Model Generation. Alexander Osterwalder 2010. John Wiley & Sons Inc
SESSION 10. Speaker (t.b.c.)
Pep Casas. Business Angel (Olapic)
SESSION 11. Business Case
Small Shoes Designers (SSD). Presentation
SESSION 12. Conclusions
Session 13: The Business Plan. How to write a great Business Plan.
Reading:
IESE PN-332 Developing a Business Plan
HBS 97409-E How to write a great Business Plan
Session 14: Continue Building a Business Plan (lecture)
Session 15: Cohorts - Business Case
Reading:
eSig Conversion Funnel Analysis
Session 16: Continue Cohorts
Session 17: Legal Considerations for Entrepreneurs
Reading:
Technical Note Early Stage Term-Sheet
Session 18: Introduction Growth Hacking Marketing
Reading:
Growth Hacker Marketing. A Primer On The Future Of PR, Marketing, And Advertising, by Ryan Holiday (Worth Reading)
Session 19: Startup Technology - CTO
Session 20: Business Case
Reading:
Business Model Innovation at Wildfang
Session 21: Continue Business Case
Session 22: Focus B2B
Session 23: B2B simulation Tool
Session 24: Last class, to go deep on any topic the students want or work in the Final Project
* The order and/or content of sessions could be modified depending on the evolution of the course.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In blended
Bibliography and resources
1) The Lean Start-Up. Erick Ries
2) Four Steps to the Epiphany. Steve Blank
3) The Startup Owner’s Manual. Steve Blank & Bob Dorf
4) Business Model Generation. Alexander Osterwalder 2010. John Wiley & Sons Inc
5) Growth Hacker Marketing. Ryan Holliday.