Turning Ideas Into Startups
This program is designed to train, educate, and empower early-stage startups and aspiring entrepreneurs that are looking to transform their idea into a viable startup concept.
Throughout the 8-week program, you will attend weekly workshops, conduct self-directed work and acquire tangible tools to:
- Test the viability of your concept
- Build your business plan
- Develop your minimum viable product (MVP)
- Discover your market
- Create your value proposition
- Develop your fundraising strategy
- Establish realizable goals for your startup
“The Lean Startup program has connected us with many experienced mentors who have given us crucial feedback
that has brought our startup to a level not achievable on our own.”Malachy Belkhelladi
Cofounder, Champion's Advantage
Program Overview
Duration: 8 weeks | Stage: Ideation
Dates: October 10 to November 28, 2023
Time: 6pm - 7:30pm
Key Learning Themes
- Why some startups fail, and others succeed: stages, pitfalls and best-practices
- Understanding your market and what matters to customers
- Identifying your problem and designing your solution
- Articulating your value proposition
- Developing your market outreach strategy
- Funding an innovative venture & defining KPIs
- Iterating your business model and drafting a business plan
Format
- Weekly interactive workshops introduce business concepts, strategic frameworks and tools, while guest speakers share real world examples through stories, and industry insights. Workshops generally last one hour, with extra time reserved for group discussions and learning activities.
- Action learning encourages participants to apply learned concepts and tools towards building their business and creating a viable startup strategy.
- Coaching sessions allow participants to review their business plans during one-on-one meetings.
Outline
| Week | Learning Themes |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Why Some Startups Fail And Others Succeed
|
| 2 |
Developing and validating a proof of concept
|
| 3 |
Understanding your market and creating a market outreach strategy
|
| 4 |
Defining Your Value Proposition
|
| 5 |
Managing your Intellectual Property (IP) & other legal aspects
|
| 6 |
Funding your startup & measuring its growth
|
| 7 |
Building a business plan
|
| 8 |
Crafting and articulating your vision to stakeholders
|
| Post-program |
One-on-one coaching sessions with subject matter experts
|
Program Application
Ideal Participant Profile
- Your team has at least one McGill affiliated co-founder e.g., student, faculty, staff or alumni.
- You are working towards validating your concept, creating a business plan, and launching your startup.
- You, or at least one of your co-founders, has technical expertise, and can build your business upon a technology, science, or idea that is significantly or radically disruptive.
- Your team is composed of multi-disciplinary professionals (including learners or graduates).
- You can commit to attending all the workshops and executing the project work (required to maintain your participation in the program)
How to Apply
Next cohort: October 10 to November 28, 2023
Register here to be notified when the program applications open.
Next Steps
Following completion of the Lean Startup program, participants are encouraged to apply to the McGill Dobson Bootcamp and Cup competition for a chance to win up to $20,000 in pre-seed funding.
Have questions about the program? Email us at dobson.mgmt [at] mcgill.ca for more information
