This course offers real-world, hands-on learning about what it’s truly like to start a company. It is not focused on writing a [[business plan]], nor is it an exercise in showcasing how smart students are in a classroom, how well they can code, whether they have a patent, or how effectively they can use the research library to assess market sizes. The result is not a PowerPoint pitch deck for a VC "demo day," and it is not an incubator for developing the "hot idea" that students have in mind. This is a practical course - essentially a lab, rather than a theoretical or textbook-based class. The goal, within the limitations of a classroom and limited time, is to create an entrepreneurial experience for students that mirrors the pressures and demands of the real world in an early-stage startup. The class is designed to give students the experience of working as a team to transform an idea into a viable company. Students will engage directly with customers, partners, and competitors as they navigate the chaos and uncertainty inherent in startups. They will practice evidence-based entrepreneurship while learning how to use business models to brainstorm each component of their company. This involves stepping out of the classroom to determine if anyone other than themselves would want or use their product. Ultimately, based on customer and market feedback gathered during this process, students will employ [[agile development]] methods to rapidly iterate their product into something customers would use and purchase. Each session will offer new challenges outside the classroom as students test each part of their business model and share their hard-earned insights with the rest of the class. Next: [[EITT course requirements]] Back to [[EITT Course Logistics]]