In Autumn 2011, there will be two sections of STRAMGT 356: Tu/Th at 8:00-9:45 a.m. and Tu/Th at 10:00-11:45 a.m. Acceptance to the course is by application only. The course has filled for Autumn 2011, so we are not accepting additional applications.

Below is summary information about the courses:

The Stanford Graduate School of Business has developed a course for graduate students who are interested in learning about starting a new venture.  The course mixes business school, engineering and science, and other graduate students.   The course, offered in Autumn 2011, focuses on startup fundamentals from a business point of view and is designed to provide the necessary foundation for any startup experience.  Topics include business models, market research, design thinking, opportunity analysis, team formation and dynamics, and the identification of viable business opportunities.  Within the course, you will form a cross-disciplinary team and iterate on the business model – product – market.  The admission into this course is individual; it does not require that you will have a business idea or a team (those will be developed within the course itself).   

That venture concept may then be further developed in the Winter quarter in a follow-on course (S366: Creating a Startup II), in any of Stanford’s entrepreneurship classes that admit teams with pre-formed ideas (e.g., d.school classes), or in the field. 

The instructors are Stanford Professors, serial Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists/ super angels.  Through the course, your teams will be supported by a board of Silicon Valley advisors from diverse industries.  One of these advisors will then become the mentor for your team. About 60% of the classes in Autumn will be taken jointly by all students; many will be experiential.  Later in the quarter, teams will be split by industry (e.g., consumer, Internet, energy, medical devices, etc.) and the classes will focus on industry-specific topics, team development, customer development, etc.  At the end of the course, your team will present to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and faculty. 

The follow-on course, STRAMGT 366: Creating a Startup II (planned for Winter quarter, Thursday 3:15-6:15 p.m.), will be focused on getting the venture off the ground.  In this course you will learn about partnering, operational staging, human resource development, leadership, financing, equity arrangements, term sheets, and customer acquisition and go-to-market strategies.   Your team will develop a business plan for pursuing the opportunity based on your field work and research, and you will present it to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and faculty. However, you may choose to continue with your team in a different course or in the field.

Admission: All students will apply individually for the Autumn quarter.  If you already have a business idea, that’s OK, but it’s not required – idea generation and opportunity identification will take place within the course. 

Application deadlines: For non-GSB students, the early application deadline will be June 10 (decisions emailed June 15), with a second application round in August if capacity remains in the class.