top of page

Syllabus

Startup Operations - Fall Term (Q1 & Q2)

​

Module 1 - Getting To Product Market Fit

​

  1. Course Introduction - Setting Semester Goals & Milestones

  2. Discovery I: Testing Assumptions & Talking With Customers

  3. Discovery II: Journey Mapping & Solution Iteration

  4. Metrics That Matter

  5. Prioritization & Roadmapping


Module 2 - The Startup Organization

   6. Organizational Culture, Planning & Hiring
   7. Communication Strategies

Module 3 - Startup Business Operations


   8. Legal Matters

   9. Financial Matters

   10. Pricing
   11. Early GTM & Growth Strategies


Module 4 - Startup Evolution


   12. Shifts, Pivots & Building To Scale
   13. Balancing Hats

   14. Course Wrap & Reflections

Startup Operations Studio - Spring Term (Q3 & Q4)

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.

Julia Austin, Senior Lecturer

Harvard Business School

Contact: jbaustin @ hbs dot edu

© 2021 - 2024 By Julia Austin

bottom of page