Course Content
Entrepreneurship Fundamentals
Entrepreneurship is the process of organizing land, labor, and capital—the three factors of production—to create and deliver value. Entrepreneurs are risk-takers who innovate, bringing goods or services to the market more efficiently than before. Their role goes beyond combining resources: they identify opportunities, solve problems, and contribute to economic and social growth.
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Startup Essentials
Entrepreneurship Fundamentals
00:10:00
Types of Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs can be classified into four broad categories. Survival entrepreneurs operate small-scale businesses out of necessity, like street vendors. Expertise-driven entrepreneurs leverage their professional knowledge to build ventures, such as doctors starting clinics. Capital-based entrepreneurs invest their wealth or retirement funds in businesses. Opportunistic entrepreneurs seize emerging trends, like launching apps during remote work booms. Each type reflects different resources, goals, and risk tolerance.
The Startup Journey
The entrepreneurial process moves from inspiration to execution. It starts with inspiration, followed by idea generation, then assessment and validation to test feasibility. Promising ideas are expanded and shaped into sustainable business models. This structured journey helps reduce risk while ensuring that the final product or service solves a real market need.
Startup Essentials
Startups differ significantly from SMEs. While SMEs are small, locally focused, and stable, startups are designed for rapid growth and scalability. They often use innovative business models, rely on venture capital, and thrive in high-risk environments. Digital startups, in particular, harness technology, global reach, and agile processes to disrupt industries and deliver scalable solutions.
Growth and Challenges
As startups expand, they face both opportunities and obstacles. Growth requires scaling operations efficiently, hiring and retaining talent, and competing in crowded markets. Challenges also include maintaining company culture, meeting regulatory demands, securing capital, and adapting technology. Success depends on balancing speed of growth with sustainable management practices.
Startup Funding
Funding is the lifeblood of startups. The journey usually begins with pre-seed and seed funding, progresses to Series A for market scaling, and later to Series B/C for global expansion. Sources include bootstrapping, angel investors, venture capitalists, crowdfunding, bank loans, and government grants. Each has advantages and trade-offs in terms of risk, ownership, and growth potential.
Startup Financial Planning
Sound financial management is crucial for survival. Startups must project revenue, analyze cost structures, and manage cash flow to maintain liquidity. Tools like profit & loss statements, break-even analysis, and sensitivity analysis guide decision-making. By understanding financial health, founders can anticipate risks, attract investors, and scale responsibly.
Founder Persona Development
Beyond strategies and funding, founders themselves shape the destiny of startups. Effective founders combine creativity, resilience, leadership, and negotiation skills. Their motivational drivers—innovation, improvisation, problem-solving, and personal fulfillment—define how they approach challenges. By reflecting on their own strengths and weaknesses, entrepreneurs can build self-awareness and craft a growth path that aligns with both business goals and personal values.
Module 01 | Startup Essentials & Founder Persona Development

This class combines two critical aspects of entrepreneurship: understanding startup essentials and developing a strong founder persona. Students will first explore how startups differ from SMEs, the importance of market validation, funding options, and financial planning. Then, they will dive into the personal side of entrepreneurship—examining the skills, traits, and motivations that shape a founder’s journey. By the end of the session, participants will have both a practical toolkit for launching startups and a reflective understanding of their entrepreneurial identity.

Exercise Files
Introduction to Entrepreneurship-1-22.pdf
Size: 1.42 MB
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