M43 Resource Center

Owned by Ryan Vasso
Last updated: Mar 07, 2023 by Cara Van Sant
5 min read

Overview

 Throughout 10-sessions, you'll go under the hood of your business (or non-profit idea) using the Lean Startup Methodology. You will grow as a cohort, share ideas, and learn from each other with the goal of moving you towards achieving and sustaining revenue as a viable business.  At the end of the course, you'll have the opportunity to pitch your idea to local business leaders and Venture College mentors in a Shark Tank style format.

The following articles and videos are supplemental information for the Spring 2021 Mission43 Venture College Entrepreneur Course.

** M43 Entrepreneurs will have opportunities to meet one-on-one with community subject-matter-experts. Venture College staff will help schedule these meetings.

Important Dates to Remember:

  • Feb 23: Pitch Development Night

  • Feb 25: M43/Venture College Happy Hour

  • Mar 11: M43 Pitch Night

 

Lesson 1 - Intro to Startups

Feb 2

After Lesson 1, students should be able to: 

  • Distinguish between

    • Side Gig

    • Side Hustle

    • Lifestyle Business

    • Startup

  • Understand the term “lean startup”

  • Understand the positives and drawbacks of entrepreneurship

See Class Notes

Articles:

  1. What is a Side Hustle?

  2. Five Reasons Why A Side Hustle Could Be Beneficial And Perhaps Even Lead To A Startup Company.

  3. Startup vs. Lifestyle Business (a Short Comparison from a Guy Who’s Done Both)

  4. Lifestyle Business vs. Growth-Minded Business

  5. 7 Signs That You Are Not Cut Out to Be an Entrepreneur

Videos:

  1. Venture College Side Hustle Series

  2. Steve Blank: What is a Startup?

  3. Steve Blank: Startups Aren’t Just Small Versions of Large Companies

Lesson 2 - Value Proposition Canvas

Feb. 4

After Lesson 2, students should be able to: 

  • Define a value proposition

  • Recognize value propositions from other companies  

  • Explain why unique value propositions are critical to business survival

  • Begin to articulate their value proposition for their own business idea 

See Class Notes

Articles:

  1. The 31 Best Value Proposition Examples You Wish You Had

  2. What is a Value Proposition? (Plus 3 Great Examples and 3 Common Mistakes)

  3. Value Propositions: What They Are and How to Create Them (with Examples)

  4. Value Proposition Canvas

  5. Why Value Propositions Are Important (And How To Create Them)

Videos:

  1. Strategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas Explained

  2. Value Proposition Canvas Explained by Alex Osterwalder

  3. The art of innovation | Guy Kawasaki | TEDxBerkeley

  4. Designing your Value Proposition by Alex Osterwalder at Mind the Product 2014

  5. Value Proposition Canvas explained through the Uber example

 

Lesson 3 - Customer Discovery

Feb 9

After Lesson 3, students should be able to: 

  • Define customer discovery

  • Explain why customer discovery is crucial to finding value propositions 

  • Know best practices behind customer discovery 

  • Begin to practice interviewing customers and asking appropriate questions 

See Class Notes

Articles:

  1. The Four Steps to Customer Discovery

  2. THE CUSTOMER DISCOVERY HANDBOOK

  3. 26 Resources to Help You Master Customer Development Interviews

  4. Customer Discovery In the Time Of the Covid-19 Virus

  5. Customer discovery according to the Lean Startup methodology

Videos:

  1. Video 1: What is customer discovery?

  2. Video 2: The Customer Development Process. 2 Minutes to See Why

  3. Video #3: EMPATHY - BEST SPEECH OF ALL TIME By Simon Sinek

  4. Video #4-13: Steve Blank Customer Interview Series

 

Lesson 4 - Testing a Value Proposition

Feb 11

After Lesson 4, students should be able to: 

  • Define what is a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) 

  • Explain the benefits of an MVP 

  • Share examples of successful companies who used an MVP

  • Begin to plan their own MVP

See Class Notes

Articles:

  1. How to test and validate your value proposition fast

  2. Validating and Executing on Value Propositions

  3. “What is MVP and why is it necessary?”

  4. What is a Minimum Viable Product and How to Build an MVP for Your Startup

  5. What are Key Minimum Viable Product Examples and How Can They Be Used?

  6. 15+ EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL MVPS

  7. How To Fill In A Strategyzer Test Card

Videos:

  1. Minimum Viable Product Examples and Benefits (7 min)

  2. Validate Your Ideas with the Test Card (3 min)

  3. Strategyzer Webinar: The Basics Of Testing Business Ideas (1 HR)

  4. 3 Awesome Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) (5 Min)

  5. Making sense of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) (12 Min)

  6. 13 Types of Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Wizard of Oz, Concierge, One Painkiller and 10 more

Lesson 5 - Measuring a Minimum Viable Product

Feb 16

After Lesson 5, students should be able to: 

  • Explain how to measure the successfulness of an MVP 

  • Learn how to create goals around an MVP using a Test Card 

  • Begin creating measurable goals using their own Test Card

See Class Notes

 

Articles:

  1. (MVP) Seek the qualitative and quantitative

  2. How To Measure & Analyze MVP Performance

  3. What Your Minimum Viable Product Should Be Measuring

  4. How To Know If Your Minimum Viable Product is Actually Viable

  5. How To Measure The Success Of MVP

Videos:

  1. Measure an MVP with the Learning Card

  2. Strategyzer Webinar with David Bland: Testing Business Ideas (55 min)

  3. How I: Validated my idea in 2 days (with no code)

  4. How to Use the Validation Board to Test Your Startup Idea

Lesson 6 - How to Pivot Your Idea

Feb 18

After Lesson 6, students should be able to: 

  • Learn how to use a Learning Card

  • Define a pivot

  • Explain why pivots are critical for startups 

  • Share examples of successful companies who made early pivots 

  • Share examples of companies who made later-stage pivots 

See Class Notes

 

Articles:

  1. When, Why, & How to Pivot a Startup Business

  2. Everyone Pivots: The Truth About A Startup Pivot

  3. A Brief Guide To Startup Pivots (4 Types Of Pivots)

  4. What 'Pivot' Really Means

  5. What is a Pivot? Know When It’s Time to Pivot

  6. The 7 greatest pivots in tech history

Videos:

  1. Pivot or Proceed? How to Decide. 2 Minutes to See Why

  2. The infamous Pivot: Explained!

  3. Eric Ries explains The Pivot

  4. Lean Startup Lessons: Changing Course on a Business Idea Without Giving Up

  5. Pivot - How to Build a Startup

Lesson 7 - Business Model Canvas (BMC)

Mar 2

After Lesson 7, students should be able to: 

  • Understand the difference between the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and the Value Proposition Canvas

  • Explain each section of the BMC

  • Fill out a BMC for their own idea

See Class Notes

 

Articles:

  1. The Easy Guide to the Business Model Canvas

  2. How To: Business Model Canvas Explained

  3. Business Model Canvas Explained with Examples

  4. 5 key benefits of using a business model canvas instead of a business plan

  5. How To Fill In A Business Model Canvas

Videos:

  1. Business Model Canvas Explained

  2. The Business Model Canvas - 9 Steps to Creating a Successful Business Model - Startup Tips

  3. Business Model Canvas Tutorial - Uber Business Model

  4. Business Model Canvas Tutorial - Lego Business Model

More Resources

Pitch Your Idea

Articles:

  1. How to Create an Elevator Pitch With Examples

  2. 8 Great Tips For Creating A Winning Pitch Deck For Your Startup

  3. 11 tips for creating a pitch deck that will get you funded

  4. 7 Tips to Win A Business Competition or Pitch Contest

  5. How To Win A Pitch Competition (Quick Guide)

 

Funding Your Idea

Articles:

  1. The Pros And Cons Of Bootstrapping Startups

  2. 8 Options for Small Business Startup Loans

  3. Convertible Note | Examples and How It Works

  4. How are angel investors different from venture capitalists?

  5. The Four Main Things that Investors Look for in a Startup

 

Marketing Your Idea

Articles:

  1. Marketing Channels Guide: 30+ Different Channels Categorized and Explained

  2. The 6 Marketing Channels You Should Prioritize in 2020

  3. What is a Marketing Funnel?

  4. How to Create the Ultimate Marketing Funnel (Templates Included)

  5. The Growth Hacking Playbook: Your Ultimate List of Growth Hack Resources

 

Articles:

  1. 16-Step Legal Checklist for Startups

  2. How to Start a Business: What Government Forms to Fill Out

  3. Alternatives to an LLC

  4. How to Set Up a Vesting Scheme for Your Startup?

  5. Don't File That Patent Yet. File A Provisional Patent Application First.

 

Monetizing Your Idea

Articles:

  1. Recurring Revenue: An Increasingly Important Business Model

  2. The 10 Most Popular Startup Revenue Models

  3. How to Price Your Products

  4. Cost vs. Price: What's the Difference?

  5. How To Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)