Career Focus

The Startup Operations Studio is for students who have successfully completed Startup Operations in the fall term as either founders or joiners. Auditors who attended at least 12 of the 14 sessions in the fall may also enroll. The course will continue to provide the structure and community offered in Startup Operations to ensure each student/team is focused on key milestones tailored to their particular venture. Through course sessions, students will continue to build practical skills to lead and operate their entrepreneurial venture.

Students may enroll as individuals or as a team. Team members who did not complete Startup Operations, but who are HBS students (or qualified cross-registrants) may apply as long as one team member who completed Startup Operations also applies for enrollment in the course.

Educational Objectives & Course Content

This course meets every other week and is designed to continue the hands-on guidance through the early stages of building your venture. Session content will be via the critique (or “crits”) format used in Startup Operations. Crits are essentially live case scenarios brought into the classroom by the students enrolled in the course. These scenarios are based on real-time challenges students are facing while building their ventures. These scenarios both allow students to help each other through their own experiences and networks, but also insight potential challenges they may face in the near future.

Other course features include an engaging community slack group with both current students and alumni, community events such as coffees, lunches and dinners to foster community and ongoing peer support/mentorship with the instructor. We will also offer small group sessions for students sharing specific challenges - for example, supply-chain management or pitch practice sessions for various contests. These special sessions will be scheduled and facilitated by the instructor.

Course Deliverables

The course is specifically focused on ensuring each student/team’s venture evolves towards goals unique to their product and organization. Therefore, each student/team will set 2-3 venture goals for the term and meeting these goals will be a large percentage of the course grade. Session participation, including

peer-to-peer critiques, attending four student/team check-ins with the instructor throughout the term and a final deliverable demonstrating goal achievement will make up the remaining elements of the individual grade.

Eligible students enrolled in the course will receive a modest grant.

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