Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
Timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
-
December 4, 2024Experience end
Timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
Student teams meet and interview the founder or a representative from the startup. The representative should prepare a general information session on the organization, as well as internal and external characteristics and trends. The representative will answer student questions concerning the organization’s competition and the industry at large.
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
Student teams schedule a follow-up email touchpoint with the startup. Students present their research question and progress thus far, such as their observations about stakeholders, the internal and general environment, industry, competitors, direction of recommendations, etc. They will ask questions and receive feedback.
-
November 26, 2024Final presentations
Nov 25 and Dec 2
-
December 4, 2024Experience end
Categories
Product or service launchSkills
strategic management sustainable business entrepreneurship operationsStudents in the BCom program complete this course in their second or third year at McGill. Students come from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of concentrations including Strategic Management, Business Analytics, Marketing, Operations Management, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior, Finance and HR, and Sustainability. Some have completed internships in these fields.
Students submit a 10-page report accompanying their final presentation. The report includes a written recommendation for the organization, including challenges the startup may encounter and an action plan to avoid or mitigate threats to business growth. Students will make recommendations from two perspectives: (1) in the short term, on how the organization should scale up with further funding, and (2) in the long term, on how the organization could integrate ESG principles into its operations and strategy to ensure sustainable business practices. Each student spends approximately 10-15 hours on the project.
Project timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
-
December 4, 2024Experience end
Timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
Student teams meet and interview the founder or a representative from the startup. The representative should prepare a general information session on the organization, as well as internal and external characteristics and trends. The representative will answer student questions concerning the organization’s competition and the industry at large.
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
Student teams schedule a follow-up email touchpoint with the startup. Students present their research question and progress thus far, such as their observations about stakeholders, the internal and general environment, industry, competitors, direction of recommendations, etc. They will ask questions and receive feedback.
-
November 26, 2024Final presentations
Nov 25 and Dec 2
-
December 4, 2024Experience end
Project Examples
In this project, students in groups of 4-6 assume the role of organizational consultants, providing advice about how to develop, grow, and expand a new organization. Their goal is to deliver a written evaluation of the organization’s prospects, their recommendations for growth and development, and how these recommendations will affect the organization’s future. Students will interview the founder or another representative of the startup.
You should expect students to ask questions related to:
· Your organization’s goals and product(s)
· The problem that your organization addresses
· The competitors
· The target consumer
· Hurdles faced by the founder(s)
Following this initial interview, students will contact the founder or representative to solicit feedback on their progress and to ask follow-up questions. Students will perform a 1-hour interview and will then contact your founder/representative with follow-up questions through a scheduled video call. Should scheduling be an issue email can be used instead. Students are encouraged to find their own research topic. You are not expected to come in with a research question, although you may suggest a direction you would like them to explore. Through hands-on and experiential learning, the projects give students an in-depth overview of the challenges involved in identifying and developing an entrepreneurial venture.
You may be asked to meet with student representatives from a maximum of two student teams. In this case, the workload and time commitment involved in this project will not change.
This class is also running in the Winter 2025 semester for those interested.
Timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
-
December 4, 2024Experience end
Timeline
-
September 20, 2024Experience start
-
September 21, 2024Students form teams
-
September 24, 2024Students apply to work with the startup they are most interested in
-
October 1, 2024Student teams assigned to a startup
-
October 15, 2024First interview between Oct 14 - 25
Student teams meet and interview the founder or a representative from the startup. The representative should prepare a general information session on the organization, as well as internal and external characteristics and trends. The representative will answer student questions concerning the organization’s competition and the industry at large.
-
November 5, 2024Follow up touchpoint Nov 4 - 15
Student teams schedule a follow-up email touchpoint with the startup. Students present their research question and progress thus far, such as their observations about stakeholders, the internal and general environment, industry, competitors, direction of recommendations, etc. They will ask questions and receive feedback.
-
November 26, 2024Final presentations
Nov 25 and Dec 2
-
December 4, 2024Experience end