Just as you wouldn’t build a house without first creating a blueprint, effective commercial innovation requires a blueprint of the business that will be supported or generated by your innovation.

That blueprint is the business model, which comprises three elements: the value creation model, which specifies how the innovation will create and deliver differentiated value to its customers, and who these customers will be; the profit model, which specifies the sources of revenue, the cost structure, and the drivers of profitability; and the logic of the business, which ties together the value creation and profit models and explains how the business will meet its growth and profitability objectives.

Iterating on business model development helps innovators follow a structured process for planning and building new businesses on a standalone basis or within established enterprises. In this course, we’ll discuss the process of structuring business models, address the core elements of a business model, and practice the design of innovative business models for new and established companies from multiple industries. We’ll do that by analyzing case studies, studying innovative business models, discussing the topic with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and building our own business model.

Some industries that we cover include: 

• Mobility
• Apparel
• Online services
• Retail
• Industrial B2B
• Hospitality
• Biotechnology (Moderna)
• Information technology
• Mobile devices and apps

When we cover these industries, we focus on general lessons that apply to virtually all industries.

• Purpose of a business model
• Elements of business model design
• Adoption and business model development
• Business model archetypes and the associated logic
• Sharing economy business models
• Business model transformation
• Profit models and unit economics
• Platform-based business models and ecosystems