Startup Garage: Testing and Launch

Teams enter this rigorous, project-based course after having gone through a customer discovery process and validated that their venture idea resonates with an initial target customer. Now the focus is: can you build a viable business around it? We kick off with an Adviser Fair, after which teams embark on a series of experiments to test hypotheses about top risks in their business model, including the value proposition, customer acquisition, revenue generation, etc. With individualized coaching from instructors, students develop entrepreneurial skills as they 1) get feedback from users, investors, and advisors, 2) work through operating plans and unit economics, 3) test go-to-market strategies, 4) make decisions about pivoting, 5) consider equity splits, 6) learn the fundraising process, and 7) practice pitching. At the end, teams deliver a seed financing pitch to a panel of investors. PREREQUISITE: Team application or STRAMGT 356 / BIOE 376 / SUSTAIN 376. Details and application: http://startupgarage.stanford.edu/details.