Skills you'll gain

Specialization - 5 course series

The Capstone project, to be completed last, covers technology based innovation and transformation, and how to spot and to capitalize on emerging opportunities. You will utilized the methods introduced in the courses The Impact of Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs, and show that you master them. You will throughout the capstone project work on one project that you select yourself.

The Impact of Technology course takes a broad approach, including social and economic factors. You will study historical examples and learn to recognize recurring patterns and cycles. The curriculum includes general innovation theories, foresight methodology, value chain disruption, and strategy. The general process is as follows. First, you to learn how to draw a map of the potential future business landscape. After that, you identify interesting future business roles in emerging value networks. Finally, we find a path from where we are today to a desired end state. You will analyze how an industry or market may change if the technology which is available today is fully implemented in a 10 to 20-year perspective. In addition, you will identify barriers to such a development and make estimates regarding the timing. The course includes a number of assignments to facilitate your learning – some of them compulsory. We all know that the future can’t be fully predicted in detail. However, the methods presented in this course will help you identify potential consequences. In this way, you will get a toolbox for decision-making in the areas of technology, investments, career path, research & development, or portfolio management.

Bringing together top Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley faculty, this course addresses critical areas for successful growth, including design thinking, open innovation, business models, product-market fit, and financing. This course will teach you how to think like an entrepreneur and provide you with the models, tools, and frameworks to further develop your business or idea. An emphasis will be placed on the IT space. In this first part, From Basics to Open Innovation, the following areas are included: innovation and entrepreneurship basics; the Silicon Valley entrepreneurship model; the importance of failure; market analysis: how to engage with customers; and open innovation.

In this second part, From Design Thinking to Funding, the following areas are included: design thinking; innovation cycle process; business modeling; and funding.

And it is in this kind of setting that you prefer hands-on learning. Things you can do, already today are something you value. You actually did not start this course when enrolling in it. You started it long ago, either as a customer somewhere, or just maybe thinking about marketing for some time. Or maybe you are already working in marketing for yourself or maybe your own company. In all these situations what matters is action. Action that contributes to your marketing journey. This is the reason why we will start of with a situation “as if” you were starting up the sales process in a company where no previous customers existed. Gradually your sales efforts give results, you get customers, and handling the market expansion becomes important. If somewhat lucky, in practice that is the way it goes. The course begins with the art of cold calling (attacking the ones that did not know you exist - the most tricky ones) and analyzing the potential customers, then gradually moves over to segmentation, positioning, closing the deal, competition, marketing strategy, and market expansion. It is normally in that order it develops in practice. The curriculum includes general basic marketing theories as well modern digital marketing issues like onboarding, conversion, and retention, experimental marketing, and pivoting. The course includes a number of assignments to facilitate your learning – some of them compulsory. All of them are hopefully practically useful for you already today. On one hand, this is a basic course. There is far more in this than we are able to cover here. But the Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs course will prepare you for some of the most common marketing and sales efforts needed for technology-based companies. Later on, you will learn more. Maybe here or somewhere else. Hope you enjoy it. Good learning has to be fun! So if the course is not fun enough for you: Please let us know!

In this capstone project you will utilized the methods introduced in the courses The Impact of Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs, and show that you master them. You should be able to show knowledge and judgment regarding when and how to utilize what method and approach. You will throughout the capstone project work on one project that you select yourself. Each week you will be given one major assignment to complete, and later to review.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship - From Basics to Open Innovation

Innovation & Entrepreneurship - From Design Thinking to Funding

Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs

Capstone Value Creation through Innovation