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Aims:

This is UCL Computer Science鈥檚 principal entrepreneurship module for PhD students seeking to develop and test a new business idea. Over the past ten years we have taught entrepreneurship to thousands of students resulting in the launch of a number of innovative businesses.

The module is highly practical and will be the start of a student鈥檚 journey from engineer/ scientist to venture engineer/ scientist. The lectures will provide an overview of the key elements a 鈥渄eep tech鈥� entrepreneur needs to have a grasp of to develop a market leading business. Topics covered will include ensuring a student鈥檚 idea meets a genuine customer need, to the importance of rapid learning cycles and minimum viable products, through to the art of sales and raising finance.

Intended learning outcomes:

On successful completion of the module, a student will be able to:

1. Apply first-hand experience of the selection and deployment of tools, techniques and theories for the identification, validation and structuring of a new business venture.

Indicative content:

The following are indicative of the topics the module will typically cover:

• Invention and innovation. finding and qualifying new opportunities. Business Model Generation.
• Confirming customer needs and testing market demand. Customer development.
• Lean Start-ups: what is your minimum viable product? The value of prototyping.
• Founding teams and finding the right co-founder
• The critical art of sales and business development
• Delivery channels and customer relationships.
• Business Plan and Preparing a Pitch.
• Developing sustainable competitive advantage. Intellectual Property Rights.
• Defining and testing critical business model uncertainties. Measuring progress
• Common start-up metrics.
• Sources of Funding. Presenting to VCs.

Requisites:

To be eligible to select this module as an optional or elective, a student must be registered on an MRes or PhD programme for which it is formally available.