"Education is an admirable thing, but it is worth to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." - Oscar Wilde
ABOUT THE COURSE
People have invented new tools and traded with each other long before angel investors and stock markets existed. Indeed, every day we make all kinds of decisions that define our future. These decisions involve risk-taking, problem-solving, empathizing with others, thinking creatively, persevering in the face of adversity, and (often) dealing with failure. This is to say that to be a human is to be, at least occasionally, an entrepreneur.
In that sense, studying entrepreneurship should not only be about learning how to start a new business, but also, and more importantly, about learning how to think creatively, developing your natural curiosity, talents and skills, taking advantage of your personality strengths, and living a life that is aligned with your interests and values. Such skills can help you achieve your goals--both at home and at work--in a constantly changing world so that you can live a happier and more fulfilling life.
In this course, we will study variety of topics and ideas related to entrepreneurship that will help us gain a broader appreciation of the world around us, and, hopefully, of our own selves. We will start by asking questions such as who are the entrepreneurs, how they think, and what makes them “tick.” To do this, we will study the entrepreneurial mindset by looking at the stories of different entrepreneurs in order to identify the skillset that helped them achieve success. Along the way, we will dispel some common myths about entrepreneurship and build skills and knowledge that can help us develop a positive growth mindset. Later in the course, you will also have an opportunity to evaluate your own strengths, interests and values and think about the nature of success, happiness, and failure.
Of course, we will also look at the process of starting a new venture. We will ask where do creative ideas come from, how can we identify new business opportunities, what makes some business ideas better than others, why some businesses fail and others succeed, what is the best way to create value, and how to more effectively grow a business. Here, we will also examine business planning, different revenue models, look at the psychology of product development, and practice how to give an effective business presentation.
Finally, I can’t promise you that by the end of the semester you will know how to become a successful entrepreneur. As Oscar Wilde once said “education is an admirable thing, but it is worth to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” This is especially true for entrepreneurship – identifying, building, and enhancing the skills that can help you succeed as an entrepreneur (and life in general) is something that will inevitably happen outside of the classroom.
However, this does not mean that we should discard the study of entrepreneurship. On the contrary, studying entrepreneurship can provide us with valuable insights about how people make choices and how these choices affect our own lives every day. It can also challenge us to examine the meaning of social progress, our own place in a constantly changing world, and critically evaluate the values and beliefs that we hold the closest to our hearts.
What I can promise you, then, is that if you are motivated and spend the necessary time to explore new ideas and ways of thinking, you will make one more step towards an educated and flourishing life—and this is something valuable in itself. After all, you will have to make all kinds of choices—for yourself, your family, business, or your community—and this is something you can do either intelligently or not.